Four Legged Scholars LLC – Ravenna – Dog Training and Surrounding Areas
Are you feeling frustrated by your dog’s loud barking demands? Does your dog bark whenever you ignore him? We understand your pain and you are not alone. Let’s create peace now.
First, your dog only does what works for him. So if barks and then he gets what he wants, then barking works great for your dog. This can include talking to your dog, looking at your dog, touching your dog in any manner, giving your dog a treat, throwing his ball, etc.
All of these things will reward your dog if he barks. Remember that negative attention is still attention as well and this could include yelling or pushing your dog. However, we never recommend doing anything that will instill physical or emotional pain for your dog.
Let’s help you with your dog training. Ravenna is where the Portage County Dog Warden is located. Earlier this week on Tuesday, I trained, Clyde, a pit bull mix. Clyde is a great dog and is very demanding.
He wants to bark for attention, if he is ignored. As a result, I am working on teaching him to be more quiet. When Clyde barked, I would turn my back toward him and ignore him. Then when he was quiet for at least 5 seconds, I would give him a treat. Overtime, Clyde is learning that being quiet pays off.
You can do the same process with your dog. The attention you give your dog for being quiet can consist of petting, talking to your dog, giving your dog a toy, etc. It doesn’t always have to be a treat.
When you remove attention from your dog, you can choose to remove yourself completely out of the room. For example if your dog is in the living room and is barking at you, you can immediately leave and go into another room. Shut the door and leave your dog outside of the new room that you just walked into.
The sooner you leave after your dog starts to bark, the more likely your dog will begin to understand that when he barks for attention it means that you will leave him. Once he is quiet for at least 5 seconds you can return out from the room.
Remember you need to be consistent. If sometimes you reward your dog for barking and other times you ignore your dog, your dog will not understand. If you are consistent with your dog training, Ravenna guests will be impressed by your dog’s quiet behavior.
Your dog will learn that barking no longer gets him what he wants, but being quiet does get him what he wants.
Please do not do the above practice if your dog is barking due to aggression or fear. The above exercise works best for attention barking only. Of course, if you cannot determine why your dog is barking we always recommend consulting with a professional for dog training. Ravenna is a city that we do serve, so we can help you.
Johanna Teresi, Ravenna Dog Trainer and Owner of Four Legged Scholars LLC, Ravenna, Dog Training and serving surrounding areas
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