1) To calm the dog.
Diet. Avoid canned and semi-moist foods as these usually contain preservatives and artificial colours that cause some dogs to become over-excited. An increase in the protein content of the diet to 30% or more results in a calmer dog. Feed the dog on a good quality dry dog food which will usually contain 26% protein for adults and 28% for puppies. To bring the protein content to 30% or more add meat, chicken, fish or cooked egg to the diet daily.
Feeding. Feed the dog twice a day, once in the morning and the other an hour or so after you return. A hungry dog is an anxious dog and the two meals ensure that the dog is not very hungry during the day. If the dog is fed immediately on your return he becomes accustomed to being fed at that time. If you are delayed the hungry dog may be so upset that it barks as it waits.
Departure. Some time before leaving turn on the radio to a station with quiet speech or music. The dog is then not left in a house which is suddenly silent and the radio will help to mask outside sounds which otherwise would upset the dog. Leave in a quiet way and avoid last minute rushes which might upset the dog. Throw a nylon or rawhide bone into the room as you leave to distract the dog and draw its attention to something it is permitted to chew.
Return. Make your return low key. If you immediately start a boisterous game or apologise to the dog in a tone of voice that the dog hears as a whimper the dog will await your return in a state of anxiety. An anxious dog is likely to bark.
2) Preliminary training.
Teach the dog to go to its bed and lie down on command, rewarding it when it does so and then requiring it to stay until you release it. When someone comes to the door let the dog bark once or twice and then with a word of praise send it to its bed. In the beginning it is helpful if a friend rings the bell and you take the dog to its bed.
Try to prevent even the first bark towards normal outside sounds by using a "No. You be quiet." growl when the dog first tenses. If it starts to bark, at first take and later send it to its bed, giving a food reward as soon as it is lying down. One reason for sending a dog to its bed is to act as a distraction and the food reward, when the dog obeys you, takes its mind away from barking and makes the act a pleasure rather than punishment. The second reason is that lying down is a submissive posture while barking is the first stage of an attack. A dog lying down is much less likely to bark. By teaching the dog which outside noises are normal and can be disregarded makes it less likely that these will trigger barking in your absence.
3) Barking in your absence.
This training should not be used on its own but as part of the program covered above. On a day when you will be at home leave the dog with the radio on and wear your coat and take the car keys as though you were leaving for a long time. Once outside turn the key in the lock but leave the door unlocked. Walk away noisily and return quietly to the door. At the first bark, rush in, catch (don't call) the dog, sit it with one hand on the collar, the other lifting the muzzle to look at you. Growl "You bad dog. Be quiet" while grabbing the dog at the sides of the neck from underneath. Lift the dog off its front feet and give it a vigourous shake - enough to be uncomfortable. The dog must never have your return in response to its barking result in pleasure or you reinforce the barking. Immediately leave and if there is no barking for five minutes return. Make the return calm and do not praise the dog.
If the dog barks again within five minutes the punishment was not severe enough. Return, shake, then tap the dog sharply under the chin, roll the dog over onto its back and pin it down while all the time growling at the dog in a low voice. Again immediately leave. Wait five minutes.
When you can leave for five minutes, go to ten, fifteen, thirty, punishing if there is a bark and going back to five minutes.
4) Apartment dwellers.
If you have neighbours who are home all day and complain about your dog's barking you may wish to make them part of the solution. This should be used only when all the training above has been completed. It may be that certain sounds still trigger the barking and if nothing else this gives the neighbour something to do other than complain.
You start by conditioning your dog to associate the sound of one blow on a silent dog whistle with food. It may take 25 to 50 associations before the connection is made. Timing is very important. Have the dog's food on the counter, blow the whistle once and immediately present the food. When conditioning is well established, give the whistle to the neighbour, explaining that it is only to be used if the dog barks for several minutes and then only one blow at infrequent intervals. When the dog is barking at an unexpected sound and hears the whistle it will probably rush into the kitchen to look for food. This distracts it so it stops barking and by the time it has stopped looking for food the strange sound may have stopped or at least enough time has passed for the dog to get used to it.
It is important that when you are home you still associate the whistle with food, otherwise the non-reinforcement when the neighbour blows will extinguish the response.
5) Reasons for barking.
Find out from your neighbours the timing and duration of the barking. If it starts as soon as you leave, it is probably loneliness and the surprise returns on the first bark should stop this. You might consider another pet, cat or dog, as a companion. If the neighbour can identify the barking with a specific event, such as children shouting on their way to and from school, break the association as under 2). Sometimes a dog will stand up at a window to watch the children, trucks or other dogs that provoke the barking and it is helpful if the dog is shut out of that room when left alone.
If the dog barks near the end of its period alone or if you have ever come home to find the house soiled, the dog may be barking because it needs to relieve itself. You could provide newspaper on a plastic mat where the dog could relieve itself if it has ever been paper trained or find a dog-loving teenager to walk the dog briefly at lunchtime for a small fee.
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