Page 20 - Chow Life - Spring 2016
P. 20
Managing Insistent Barking
By Peggy Swager
Barking can have many causes, dominance than is necessary. A the treat is consumed, if the dog
including boredom, alarm, and good way to do that is to use a barks again, hold out another treat,
fear. At shows, some dogs become technique I call upping the stakes. ask the dog for “quiet,” and wait
very insistent in their barking, The concept behind upping the to see if he complies. If he does,
especially if the dog is excited about stakes is to begin changing an immediately say “good” and award
the activities or frustrated from unwanted behavior by asking for a treat. Continue this reward for
confinement. Some judges will cooperation. If you do have to use “quiet” several more times until
require a dog be removed from the discouragement, you progressively the dog has established a habit of
area if he can’t be stopped from increase the negative consequences responding. Then you can fade
barking. in hopes of finding the least the treat, but don’t hesitate to
Although there are many harsh solution for the problem. occasionally reinforce the desired
techniques for correcting a barking Sometimes even a tenacious dog behavior.
dog, finding the one that works will respond better if you slowly If you have a dog who is more
for a particular dog depends on a increase the discouragement for the interested in barking than in a treat,
number of factors, including the unwanted behavior, instead of using you can progress to something that
dog’s emotional investment in harsher techniques first. will discourage him. Some people
this undesirable behavior and the The upping-the-stakes method use a spray bottle of water, but it’s
individual dog’s personality. Using for barking begins by simply asking important to employ this technique
too harsh a technique can endanger for cooperation. Start by saying correctly. The first time you spray
the working relationship between the word quiet, then hold out a the water, say “quiet” at the same
dog and owner, so it’s best to find treat. Since the dog can’t bark and instant the dog feels the mist on
a way to teach the dog to be quiet eat at the same time, accepting his face. The second time the dog
without employing any more the treat will stop the barking. Say barks, say “quiet” first, to give him
“good quiet” as soon a chance to choose to be quiet. If
as the barking he doesn’t stop barking, use the
stops. After mist of water as a consequence,
again saying “quiet” as the mist hits
his face. By giving him a chance
to comply before he receives the
consequences, you can teach him
to choose to be quiet on command.
Some people believe that adding a
little vinegar to the water— about
a tablespoon added to a quart—is
more discouraging.
Some of the more assertive
breeds of dogs can be difficult to
discourage from barking. Gizmo, a
Parson Russell Terrier, developed
the habit of barking nonstop at
dogs in the agility ring. He was
too intense in his barking for the
treat method to be effective, so we
corrected him with the water spray
coupled with the quiet command.
But he continued barking, even
when vinegar was added to the
spray.
The next method we tried was
to tell Gizmo to be quiet, and then
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