How to Stop Excessive Dog Barking
Excessive dog barking can be annoying and stressful for your dog. It can also be a real problem for your neighbors! While most dogs know when to quit - some dogs tend to be set off by the slightest noise or movement. Often dogs tend to follow the barking of other dogs in the area, setting off a chain reaction that may be difficult to control.
Excessive dog barking can be difficult to manage. It's not a behavior that can easily be taught in formal obedience class and if you are at work for most of the day you may not even be aware that your dog is barking excessively until your neighbors complain. Some towns have laws that prohibit excessive barking and to avoid a fine you may need to get your dog to learn how to behave appropriately.
Dog barking control collars are one way in which you can train your dog to quit barking. These are electronic collars that deliver a gentle electrical stimulus to your dog when he barks for longer than a certain period. These collars may have three different levels and are adjustable. This means that once your dog barks for a certain period a low-level stimulus will be felt. If he continues to bark the next highest stimulus will be delivered and so on.
Once your dog learns that he can 'turn the collar off' by ceasing to bark he will learn to control his desire to bark excessively. Because the collars are set to feel unpleasant and not hurt your dog you don't need to worry that your dog will be adversely affected by using a dog barking control collar.
Introduce your dog to his collar slowly - place the collar on your dog but leave it turned off. When you activate it, use the lowest setting possible. If this isn't effective you can move ahead to the next level. Dog barking is natural but some dogs do go overboard. Nip this behavior in the bud as soon as possible.
