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How to stop barking and keep a quiet dog busy
By Frania Shelley-Grielen. All rights reserved
Dogs being dogs will bark but what to do when the barking is excessive? How do you change a barking dog into a quiet dog? Barking is a natural and necessary part of canine expression and communication, an alert to let us and each other know about what's going on around them. But not being able to control barking can be frustrating, especially where neighbors and guests are concerned. Here's my advice after working with a client seeking help with barking for a small, older rescue (names have been changed), who it seems had little, if any, prior training. Here are strategies to lower the volume and give that quiet dog something to do:
First, know that barking is a natural behavior for a dog and typically serves three broad purposes: alert, alarm and solicitation. Other canids, like wolves, do not bark nearly as frequently as dogs do. This behavior is something we have selected for in dogs, so no fair blaming them for what we have asked them to do in the first place. Acknowledging the purpose of the barking by letting your dog know they are heard - that you heard it too , thanking them for the alert and redirecting after the fact by asking for something else to will help target barking.
Here are my notes on working with a barking dog, Marcelle (not her real name of course):
Marcelle seems well socialized to people and comfortable in her home. Her focus in life is you, which is a beautiful thing but makes her life one dimensional giving Marcelle more to do that is substantive for her as a dog will enrich her life. While she probably has a history of positive interaction she also seems to have a history of lack of training which may explain her insistence on being heard no matter what. Marcelle's barking habits can be attributed to two things natural behavior and lapses in training. Here's how to help lessen the need to bark and keep that quiet dog busy:
On to barking: Marcelle will naturally alert to the presence of a new person entering a room, you and other people should greet Marcelle first when entering a room or an area where she is -a simple "Hi Marcelle" or "Marcelle we're home" will help take the pressure of her to let the world know about it.
Strange noises and newcomers frequently set off alarm barking. Working on "quiet" after you tell her in four or five words that you hear it too (say 'Thanks, I heard that too" for instance) are the way to go with this one initially: Start as soon as the barking begins, hold a treat in front of her nose (or a toy she will respond to if you get up to toys) as soon as she sniffs the barking will stop (she cannot do both at once) then immediately say "Good quiet!" or "Hush" or whatever command you want to always use for this and offer her the treat immediately, repeat frequently. That treat is important - remember you are marking and rewarding the quiet and not the barking.. No doubt, this step will need to be repeated multiple times to take hold or "proof" the request for quiet. The barking is now a learned behavior in addition to an innate response and learning an alternative behavior takes time, consistency and repetition. Be patient and careful not to introduce negative energy into the process.
Next you can redirect by asking your dog to get her favorite toy. This is also a great redirection for a jumping-so excited-you're-home-don't- know-what-to- do-dog and allows all that energy to be channeled to finding something special, taking hold of it and bringing it to you. Of course, you will be thrilled that the toy has been retrieved. Now redirect yet again to a yet another thing to do - a place to go with that special toy. (Continue Reading Below)
Your dog would benefit from learning canine manners in a human world, little dogs are in greater need of structure just because they are so little -all that barking (and jumping or pawing) gets the attention she is asking for at the moment, it serves her well being so much smaller than everyone else around her but is difficult for humans around her. Training will also give her confidence, boundaries and create a stronger relationship, one where she is more tuned in to what you are asking of her and she is responding to it.
Give Marcelle more to do in her day: Feeding her diet in a chew it out puzzle feeder, like a Kong , for both breakfast and dinner meals will prolong the satisfaction and the doing of eating her meals both of which are enriching for her. Go back to puzzle toys full of treats and bully sticks and leave these for her as well for more to chew on later. More activities to feed her mind. Try new and different toys to leave for her and keep one by the door (a special one that she only gets when you leave). Puzzle toys that you have buried for a day or two in your dirty clothes hamper (gives them the best smell of you) and that you have showed how to play with, are a great addition to squeaky and stuffed toys.
Classical music has been proven to soothe dogs and cats, leave the radio (105.9FM in NYC) on for her for the music and the soothing voices of the announcers for company and to listen to, another thing for her to do. Adding a diffuser that emits Valerian root (shown to be an attractant for cats and reported to be soothing for humans) is on the list of "might help and can't hurt to try".
First know that training is so much more than teaching tricks and commands, it is about finding a clear and consistent way to communicate with another species, one who has no extensive "language" to understand our explanations and whose idea of life rewards is at times very inconsistent with ours. Because of this, we are limited to an almost pantomime if you will, one where we have to identify without words, what stimulates a response (from the dog's point of view not ours) and "condition" that response, we "associate" behaviors and rewards (meaningful for a dog) and we reinforce -- repeat so we both know that's what we're looking for. So start with what you both know already is working. Praise is part of training and a reward that should be freely given for being "quiet" or "good,” etc. If she is sitting with you or lying down or waiting patiently you can label ("put it on command") what she is doing at the moment and praise: "Good quiet Marcelle, good quiet." The trick to remember is saying the phrase when she is doing the behavior you want to reinforce. Remember, that her name is not the command or the praise. Label the behavior, remark on it. We do not nearly praise enough at all.
Work also with your dog on what she knows already to make it stronger for the both of you (as humans we need to work on our timing of asking, labeling and rewarding so our pets know what we want). Training is best for everyone if it is constant and consistent so aim for some time during the day even if it is just three to five minutes in the morning or the evening.
Teaching your dog to go to her "spot" or "place" takes more doing but is an exercise in human canine communication and will teach her and you more about each other, strengthen your bond and give her a really secure base/bed not to bark and feel good about it too. Be careful not to use this exercise as a punisher, when upset or as a direct command. Work on this as an end in a redirect or where to settle and enjoy that stuffed puzzle feeder for breakfast or dinner. To learn "spot" or "place" a pet has to already know "sit" and "stay." Read on for the steps in how to teach this on your own (taken from the former ASPCA's Virtual Behaviorist website):
1. Identify a place in your home where you’d like your dog to go when people come to the door. If possible, choose a place that’s at least eight feet away from the front door but still within sight. It might be a spot at the top of a set of stairs, inside the doorway of an adjacent room, your dog’s crate, or a rug positioned at the far corner of an entryway or foyer.
2. Say “Go to your spot,” show your dog a treat, and then throw the treat onto the spot where you’d like your dog to go. Repeat this sequence 10 to 20 times. By the 10th time, try pretending to throw the treat so that your dog begins to move toward the spot on his own. As soon as he’s standing on his spot or rug, throw him the treat. As your dog catches on, you can stop making the fake throwing motion with your arm and just give him the cue, “Go to your spot.” Then wait until he does and reward him.
3. Once your dog is reliably going to his spot, vary where you are when you send him there. Practice asking him to go to his spot from many different angles and distances. For example, say “Go to your spot” when you’re standing a few steps to the left of it. After a few repetitions, move a few steps to the right of the spot and say, “Go to your spot” from that position. Then move to another area in the room, then another, etc. Eventually, practice standing by the front door and asking your dog to go to his spot, just as you might when visitors arrive.
4. When your dog masters going to his spot, start asking him to sit or down when he gets here. As soon as your dog’s rear end hits the floor on the spot, say “Yes!” and reward him with a tasty treat. Then say “Okay,” and allow him to move off the spot. Repeat these steps at least 10 times per training session.
5. Now add stay into your exercise. Stand next to your dog’s spot. Ask him to sit or lie down, say “Stay” and wait one second. Then say “Yes!” or “Good!” and give him a treat. After you deliver the treat, say “Okay” to release your dog from the stay and encourage him to get off the spot. Repeat this sequence at least 10 times per training session. Progressively increase from one second to several seconds, but vary the time so that sometimes you make the exercise easy (a shorter stay) and sometimes you make it hard (a longer stay). If your dog starts to get up before you say “Okay,” say “Uh-uh!” or “Oops!” and immediately ask him to sit or lie down on his spot again. Then make the exercise a little easier the next few times by asking your dog to hold the stay for a shorter time. Avoid pushing your dog to progress too fast or testing him to see how long he can hold the stay before getting up. This sets your dog up to fail. You want him to be successful at least 8 out of 10 times in a row.
6. When your dog can consistently stay on his spot for at least 30 seconds, with you standing in front of him, you can start moving toward the door. Say the cue “Go to your spot,” walk with your dog to his spot, ask him to sit or lie down and ask him to stay. At first, just turn your head away from your dog. Then turn back to give him a treat and release him from the stay. After a few repetitions, make things a little harder. After your dog is sitting or lying down on his spot, ask him to stay and then take one step toward the door. Return immediately, give your dog a treat and then release him from the stay with your release word or phrase. Gradually increase the number of steps that you take away from your dog and toward the door. Eventually you’ll be able to walk all the way to the door and back while your dog stays sitting or lying down on his spot. (Don’t forget to keep rewarding him for staying!) If your dog stands up or leaves his spot before you release him from the stay, say “Oops!” the moment he gets up. Then immediately tell him to sit or lie down on his spot again and stay. Wait a few seconds and then release him. You may have progressed too fast. Next time, make the exercise a little easier so your dog can succeed. Ask him to stay for a shorter period of time and don’t move as far away from him. When he’s successful at an easier level, you can gradually make the exercise harder again. Never end your dog’s stay from a distance. Instead, always return to him, say “Yes,” give him a treat, and then say “Okay” to release him.
7. When your dog can consistently stay in a sit or a down on his spot for 30 seconds, while you turn away and walk to your front door, you can start to introduce some distractions. Tell your dog to stay, and then do something distracting. At first make your distractions mild. For example, start by bending down or doing a single jumping jack. Over many sessions of training, gradually intensify your distractions to things like running a few steps or tossing a treat on the floor. Reward your dog quickly after each distraction for holding the stay. If he breaks the stay, quickly say “Uh-uh,” ask him to sit or lie down on his spot, and try again. When your dog can stay while you do all sorts of distracting things, ask him to stay while you go to the front door of your home and pretend to greet someone there. Your goal is for him to learn to stay the entire time you’re at the door.
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