CONSTANT barking can be difficult to cope with – even for the most patient dog owners. 

It’s easy to say that it is best to ignore such behaviour because incessant noise can drive us all to the edge. However, did you know that yelling and shouting can reinforce the bad habits you want to eradicate? That’s because you reward your puppy or dog with attention when you should address the problem instead. 

Causes of constant barking 

There can be many reasons why your dog makes a racket. 

For a start, particular breeds (Beagles and German Shepherds, to name a few) have been deliberately bred to raise the alert when on guard. Then there are the dogs who react to real or imaginary noises, those who are excited to see another dog and those who cannot bear the thought of being parted from you…the list can go on and on.

Identifying the cause of your dog’s constant barking is crucial to help you understand that it isn’t their ‘fault’. Playing the blame game and thinking they are somehow in control of their actions is a sure way for an owner to build up resentment. It’s much better to accept the behaviour for what it is. That way, you can both take steps to make improvements. 

Try this instead 

As difficult as it is to enforce when you are at your wit’s end, ignoring barking is always the best option. 

Walk out of the room for a short time, take a breather and remember to reward your dog when he is quiet. That way, you are reinforcing good habits rather than escalating lousy behaviour. 

Click and reward training is another excellent method to reinforce positive changes I use in my one-to-one sessions. If you want to learn how to use clicker training effectively and need help with your dog’s constant barking now, call me at 07828482654