Excessive Barking Archives

PetSafe Outdoor Ultrasonic Bark Deterrent

PetSafe Outdoor Ultrasonic Bark Deterrent


Whether it’s your dog or the neighbor’s dog that barks incessantly, here’s a great solution to problem barking. New from PetSafe, this “decorative birdhouse” is really a highly effective bark- deterrent in disguise. Designed to be hung easily from trees or quickly mounted on fence posts, this bark-control device uses ultrasonic tones to quell excessive barking from dogs nearby. When the dog barks excessively, the unit emits a high-pitch ultrasonic (inaudible to humans) tone that quiets it down, so you, and your neighbor, can enjoy the day and have uninterrupted sleep at night.

Equipped with an internal microphone, the “birdhouse” detects excessive, repetitive barking up to 50 feet away. The system has 3 settings that let you control its sensitivity to barks. Safe and effective for all breeds and sizes of dogs; durable and weatherproof construction offers years of reliable bark control. And, a low-battery indicator light lets you know when it’s time to replace the 9-volt battery (not included).

  • Decorative outdoor bark deterrent with bird-house theme
  • Safe and effective bark control for all sizes and breeds of dogs
  • Hangs from tree to ultrasonically quell barking within 50 feet
  • Detects repetitive barking; 4 correction settings
  • Two color LED for good/low battery indication

Uses ultrasonic sound to deter nuisance barking

List Price: $ 69.99

Price: [wpramaprice asin="B000UZNLGA"]

[wpramareviews asin="B000UZNLGA"]

Are You Causing Your Barking Dog Problem?

Make your dog stop barking with this dog training advice

Make your dog stop barking with this dog training advice

Most people don’t realize that they’re training their dogs to bark.  You can’t make a dog stop barking when you encourage it one time and reward it another time.

Your dog  barks when he needs to go out.  He barks at the door, so you let him in.  When it’s mealtime, he barks so you’ll feed him.  Without realizing it, you’re training him to bark to get what he wants.

Have you ever trained him not to bark?  Probably not.  You dog doesn’t know his constant barking is a problem.  This is how dogs communicate, after all.  It’s up to you to teach him when it’s OK to bark, and when enough’s enough.

Consistency is the key in training a dog.  If you reward the problem behavior sometimes, while yelling at him to shut up other times, he doesn’t understand.  You need to take charge and teach him the house rules, while enforcing them consistently every time.

You Can’t Treat Your Dog As An Equal

The idea that you and your dog are equals is a mistaken notion that causes many a dog behavior problem.   Dogs are pack animals.  In the wild, there is a well-established hierarchy within the pack.  The leader is known as the alpha dog.  The other members of the pack have learned not to cross the alpha dog.

For your pet to be happy and well-behaved, he (and you) must accept that you’re in charge.  There’s no getting around this basic rule.

Pack members bark to let the leader know when there’s a problem.  The leader then takes care of the problem.  Teach your dog that once he has alerted you to something you need to check out, then he needs to be quiet.  He’s done his job; now you need to do yours while he sits quietly.

Some people have the idea that a dog who barks at everything is a good watchdog.  This is not true.  Nuisance barking is just that–a nuisance.  You don’t know if he’s barking at an intruder or at a tree in the yard, so his value as a watchdog is zero.

Why Do Dogs Bark?

A dog usually barks for two reasons:  to get attention, or to protect its territory.

Attention barking can usually be ended by giving your dog plenty of love and attention when he’s quiet.  When he barks to get your attention, make a point of turning away from him and withdrawing it.  Your dog wants your attention.   Be sure you’re rewarding him with it when he’s doing what you want, not misbehaving.

Take your dog with you when you’re running errands.  Most dogs love to ride in cars, and they enjoy the change of scenery.  Lots of exercise is essential too, to use up energy otherwise expended on loud barking.

If your pet is barking at people passing by the house, try closing the curtains so he can’t see out.  Confine him to his crate or to a room in the back of your house when you’re gone.  When you’re there, teach your dog that once he’s alerted you to a threat, his job is done, and he’s to be quiet now.

Ending nuisance dog barking can be challenging.  By paying attention to what behavior you’re rewarding, you can train him to bark only when necessary.

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Can You Make Your Dog Stop Barking?

Nuisance dog barking gets old in a hurry

Nuisance dog barking gets old in a hurry!

If you’ve ever wondered, “Why do dogs bark?” you’re not alone.  Why some dogs bark seemingly non-stop while others don’t talk unless they have something to say is a good question.

But with a little dog training advice, it’s easy to answer this question.

Why Dogs Bark

Many dogs bark just to get their owners’ attention.  Most people don’t realize that when they respond to their pooch every time he barks or whines, they’re teaching him to bark or whine just to get their attention.  Soon the dog figures out that barking and carrying on is a great way to get attention, even if it’s negative attention, like getting yelled at.

If your pet barks to get your attention, turn around and walk off.  Don’t reward nuisance barking by giving him attention, which includes yelling at him to shut up.

Another common reason for excessive barking is that your pup needs more exercise to use up all his energy.  Dogs are high-energy animals, so it’s important to take him on at least one, if not two, long walks every day.  Not only does this burn off energy, but it’s good for him to meet new people and other dogs.  If he has a lot of different experiences, he’ll be a lot less likely to bark at every little thing that happens.

If you have a dog park nearby, take your companion there every day so he can make canine friends to run around and play with.  This will help to tire him out so he’ll be more likely to spend his time at home snoozing instead of barking.

If you have a fenced- in yard, don’t make the mistake of thinking your dog is getting plenty of exercise out there.  You may see him running around out there, but this is usually nervous energy, like fidgeting or pacing around like nervous humans do.  A Kong toy

Remember that if a dog is bored, he’s more likely to amuse himself by barking, just for something to do.  And if he can get all the other dogs in the neighborhood barking too, so much the better!  Keep him busy to avoid these problems.

Teach Him To Bark On Command

Yep, that’s what I said.  Seems counterproductive, right?  But you’re only getting started.  Teach him to stop barking on command, too.  Now you’re in control of his barking.  He barks when you tell him to, and and he stops when you tell him to, which is an easy way to make a dog stop barking.

Of course, this only works if you’re spending a few minutes training your dog every day.  It’s up to you to teach your dog the rules of the house.  It works best when your dog is relaxed and listening to you, not when he’s running around like a maniac.

Make the daily training sessions fun for both of you.  Your dog loves spending time with you.  Dogs also enjoy learning new things, so training him provides great mental exercise.  He’ll enjoy a fast-paced routine of come, sit, stay, come, heel, sit, shake, etc., interspersed with lots of hugs and praise.  Keep it fun and interesting for both of you.

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Barking Dog Problem?

Barking Dog

Nuisance barking annoys your neighbors!

If your dog is a barker, you need some help, fast.  Excessive barking is a fast way to escalate disagreements between neighbors into full-blown feuds.

Here are some tips for dealing with nuisance dog barking

Why Do Dogs Bark?

If you’re really serious about ending nuisance barking, you need to figure out why your dog is barking in the first place.  Check out this list, and see what applies to your pooch.

  • Attention-seeking:  puppies will often do this in a bid for your attention.  Ignore a barking puppy.  Otherwise you’re teaching her that barking will get her what she wants, which is your attention.  If your pup can’t get good attention from you, she’ll be happy with negative attention, which includes yelling at her to shut up.
  • Warning:  to let others know that an intruder is approaching.  The barking will get faster as the stranger gets closer.  If the bark is low-pitched and combined with growling, this is a sign of canine aggression.  Pay attention to this one.
  • Separation anxiety:  the barking gets higher-pitched as your dog gets more upset at your absence.  This is self-reinforcing because your dog thinks that her barking is what’s bringing you back.  You may not even know your dog is doing this until someone complains.
  • Boredom:  barking is something to do.  Make sure she has toys to play with, and stuff to keep her occupied.
  • Excitement:  a short, sharp bark while playing.
  • Identification:  your dog barks in response to another dog barking nearby.  It seems like there’s always at least one dog in the neighborhood who keeps the rest of the dogs stirred up.
  • Startle barking:  a sudden loud sound or movement sets her off.

Tips To Make A Dog Stop Barking

Teach your dog to come to you when you call her name.  Train her to lie down on command.  This helps because dogs don’t bark as much when they’re lying down.

Don’t get angry and start yelling at your dog.  She may think you’re barking right along with her, which she would think is really cool.  Besides, all you’re doing is giving her attention, which encourages her to bark even more.

Ignore her if she’s trying to get your attention by barking.  Turn around and walk away.  Come back when she stops barking.

Be consistent.  Use the same word, like “enough” when you want her to stop barking.  Make sure everyone in the household uses the same word every time.

When she obeys the “enough” command, reward her with a treat.  If she makes even one little “woof” after you say “enough,” don’t reward her.  And make sure she sees what she’s missing out on.  She’ll figure out pretty fast that she has to be quiet if she wants that treat.

The worst thing you can do is to try to soothe an anxious dog when she’s barking.  This only makes her more anxious because now she thinks you’re worried about the situation too.

Click on any link in the article for more dog training advice.

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