Stop Dog Barking When You Are Away

You get a dreaded phone call from your neighbor or worse, a visit from a police officer. Your dog has been barking all day when you are at work. Why is your dog barking?

Assuming that your dog's need for adequate food, water, shelter, and elimination are addressed, most dogs bark when the owner is away because of boredom. You can address this boredom in several ways.

First, be sure that the dog has plenty of toys to occupy his time. If the dog is kept in a crate, make sure the area is large enough that the dog has a place to rest comfortably and room to house bones, other toys, food, and water.

Do not reward your dog's barking with attention. Dogs like to interact with their families, and if they learn that barking will result in some time with you, they will do it all the time. Try ignoring barking and rewarding quiet.

You will probably have to resort to other measures if your dog is barking all day long. One method of breaking this habit is to make a big production out of leaving your home to make the dog think that you are gone. Hide and wait for the dog to start barking. Then, sneak up on the dog and reprimand it for the behavior. You might also use a spray bottle of water or even a bucket of water to surprise the dog every time it barks until it learns to stop.

Another method is to use a bark collar such as the PetSafe Big Dog Bark Collar . These collars transmit a harmless electric shock to the dog when it barks. With some models, you can set the collar to only go off when the dog has barked several times so that your dog doesn't quit barking entirely in case of intruders or other trouble. Some dogs will be able to wear the collar for awhile, have the collar removed, and continue to remember the shock and not bark. Others will only not bark while the collar is on them. Although some people think that the use of such collars is cruel, if it is a choice of giving up or putting the dog to sleep versus using the collar, the bark collar seems to be a more humane choice. The Citronella Spray Anti-Bark Collar sprays citronella instead of shocking the dog which can be effective for some canines.

Other training devices do not use a collar and instead, transmit a high-pitched sound when the dog barks. The PetSafe Bark Control System is one example.

You may also consider hiring a professional trainer to work with your dog to break the barking habit. While expensive, many trainers are successful in stopping undesirable behavior. However, you will have to continue to work with the dog yourself. Otherwise, the dog will just behave for the trainer.

Problem barking can usually be stopped, but you will have to work with the dog and possibly get outside help such as a professional trainer or training device.