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| Courtesy Gualberto107-FreeDigitalPhotos.com |
We, being human, think like a human when we give our dogs all the things that we think they want, thinking it would help them.
But dogs ARE dogs, and to help a dog, you’ve got to think like a dog. And that means understanding their nature and behavior.
The common approaches used by dog owners when trying to settle down their dogs before going off are usually as follows:
- Exercising the dogs - This is really simply an attempt to exhaust the dog to the point where he becomes too tired to bark when you’re not at home! Actually, not a fine idea. But it does make YOU and your dog fitter. It’s good to walk your dog to spend your dog’s energy, but it does not resolve the barking when left alone problem.
- Giving toys - It can help for a few minutes but it rarely stops the barking
- Removing the triggers - If your dog is easily agitated by people or other dogs passing by, then it will help if you can remove or restrict the visual stimulus to calm him down. Placing a large piece of board to cover the fence or gate may be sufficient to help stop the barking.
- Boredom - If you leave your dog for 9 hours or more a day 5 days a week, it can make your dog a little bored during the day. Morning walk can definitely help, but if your dog still barks soon after you leave, then boredom not the problem.
If you have tried a different variations of the above and your dog still barks and unhappy, then this post will try to explain what is going on. It’s also about time that you learn more about dog’s behavior.
Here goes….
One of the main reason your dog barks when left alone is that he thinks that HE is the “leader of the pack” and that YOU are of “a puppy” or “a dog” in his pack that he should be protecting and looking after. When you’re not home, he’s “anxious and worried” about you.
Let’s look at the following scenario:
You are a mother and suddenly from inside you noticed your 2-year-old toddler speeding down the path towards the street. You also suddenly realized that you’re locked in the house and you couldn’t go after your baby.
How would you respond? You’d be frantic, of course !!!
Welcome to your dog’s world of perception. This is a case of “separation anxiety” experienced by your faithful doggie and the solution? Show your dog that YOU are the leader of pack and it will change a lot of things.
So how do we help our dogs overcome this problem?
Start the moment you get your puppy.
From the beginning you need to teach your puppy to be quiet and settle down for longer and longer periods of time. You need to instill patience and calmness and reward that.
When he is out with you, do not constantly interact with him. Let him learn to entertain himself. Some dog owners cannot let their dogs relax for a second. They feel that they have to pet their dogs, talk to them or generally play with them.
You do this so often that the dog thinks that it’s your job is to entertain him all the time. He’s the leader, you’re the puppy. There is no life outside contact with the owner.
Now do you see why he’s so noisy when you’re not around?
You can start rehabilitating by making your dog know what is expected of him. Let him know that you and other family members are the pack leaders and not dictated to by him.
For example, he comes up to you and nudges your hand and you think it’s cute and starts petting him. If it this becomes habitual, your dog will think, “I am in charge and I can tell you what to do”, and a time comes when you don’t do it, it creates stress and anxiety for your dog.
You can learn to show your affection to your dog without finding yourself being burdened by it or feeling like you’re hassled!
You can teach your dog to overcome separation anxiety. With some dogs, it can be done fairly quickly. With others, it may take time and lots of patience.
Exercise, obedience, “lifestyle” training, leadership, setting limits and boundaries, feeling secure in their environment and consistency within the whole family as a pack will help you have a much happier, balanced, stress-free dog and of course, a stress free you!
One of the best place to learn more about this amazing method by watching it all on video. You must also learn exactly what steps to take to establish yourself as the pack leader. Find a site that is truly video-based so you are learning by watching videos of live consultations just as if you were there.
And make sure the site is run by a professional dog trainer.
Doggy Dan, a top dog trainer, who uses a gentle but very practical approach to dog training, has a great video site for dog owners who want to really understand and treat the cause of their dog’s problems. Find it at
The Online Dog Trainer
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