How To Break The Habit Of Dog Barking

Indeed, it is as natural for any dog to bark as it is for him to breathe.

Dog barking should not be completely suppressed, but it ought to be controlled.

Yes, it is commendable for a dog to give warning when a stranger approaches or

if something unusual occurs. However, when you the owner tells the dog that

everything is all right, he should stop barking forthwith.

Notice that a shy dog will bark for his own self-assurance, more than anything

else.

Nevertheless, he must still be handled firmly even if he is shy, for otherwise

the barking will edge out of control.

It is the cocky dog, full of his own importance and attempting to

show off, that must be scolded and dealt with in a much tougher method.

The training should begin when the puppy is young, but even an older dog,

when sitting or lying near by, can be easily taught to keep quiet. The

operative technique is similar in both cases.

The dog owner places his/her hands around the dog’s muzzle and, holding

the jaws together, tells the dog, “No!” in a firm tone of voice.

If the dog continues to bark he should be cuffed on his nose and spoken

to more sharply. If the leash is on, go ahead and use it to give

the dog a hard jerk or flip it’s handle across the dog’s nose to

impress on him that he must heed the dog command – Keep Still!

If your dog, especially a puppy, is corrected every time he barks, and if

the corrections are severe enough, he will quickly learn to respect your

warning.

How To Keep Your Dog Quiet

Doubtful if I shall ever forget one evening in a series of training

classes sponsored by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to

Animals, which I conducted on the East Coast. The class took place in

a gymnasium that could comfortably accommodate twenty-five to thirty

dogs. But guess what, there were fifty dogs total, present.

Imagine the bedlam caused by the fifty untrained dogs, handled by

untrained dog owners. That was indeed an occasion I can’t adequately

describe. Absolutely no introductions were heard and no speakers

understood. I do not recall saying it, but I was informed later that

when the class was turned over to my tutelage, I made statement.

That I did not intend to compete with fifty dogs and ordered every

dog owner therein to place their hands around the dog’s muzzle and

hold the dog’s mouth shut.

Dog owners were amazed when they realized how easy it was to keep

their dogs totally quiet. Such a simple act had not occurred to any

one of them.

Whenever your dog is off leash, he is more inclined to bark every time

the doorbell or the telephone rings, or when people enter the room or

pass on the street. In any of these instances, you should go up to your

dog, take him quietly but firmly by the collar, and shake him hard.

The dog should be told to – Stop fussing! and if shaking has no effect,

he should be given a good spanking, but not the small puppy.

Another method that gets results is to sit in the room with a magazine

or an old book, or even the dog’s leash, handy. When the dog barks, the

article is thrown on the floor near the dog, or it is tossed with less

force at the dog himself.

Several short pieces of chain are particularly good for this occasion,

because of the loud clatter they make when they crash to the floor.

Dogs tend to dislike any kind of noise, and if they realize their

barking is the cause of it, they will soon learn to keep quiet.

Later, do test the dog by leaving him in a room while you hide outside

the door. Then your assistant rings the doorbell or knocks on the wall.

If the dog is quiet, there is nothing to do. If he barks, you then

should give the dog command, “Quiet!”

And if the barking noise keeps up, you should go in –

take the puppy by the collar, and make the usual firm corrections.

AS excessive barking is more easily prevented than cured, the

dog owner should start early to keep his dog from becoming a noisy pest.

Also, advisable to warn the dog ahead of time when you know someone is

coming or some unusual noise will soon be heard.

Teaching a Puppy Not to Chew Things

No question at all, every dog has, at one time or another, destroyed

something of value.

The chewed corners of rugs and cushions, torn wearing apparel, and

gnawed legs of chairs and sofas are taken for granted when a new puppy

arrives in the house.

Be assured all puppies go through the stage where they destroy things.

It may be when they are cutting their teeth, or when they are just plain

bored. The puppy owner can help in a number of ways to prevent too much

damage from being done during the chewing stage.

A puppy’s toys, be it a tennis ball or one or two large shin or knuckle bones

should be kept where the puppy can get them any time he feels the urge

to chew on something. The puppy owner should avoid giving a bone that will

splinter or one so small it might become lodged in the dog’s throat.

In no circumstances should a puppy be given anything made of soft rubber.

The chewed-up pieces of rubber will cause stoppage of the intestines and

may result in the loss of the puppy.

Neither should you make the mistake of giving a dog an old shoe or an old

glove as a toy to play with.

Because, later he will be unable to distinguish between the old one and

the new and more expensive one, and you the owner will be the loser.

Another method to help avoid chewing,just as it was with barking,is to

train the little puppy dog to stay by himself. Often a dog will gnaw on

the wrong thing because of anger at being left alone.

Did you get that?

Shutting your puppy up for short periods during the day will teach him he

cannot have company all the time. The owner should peek in at him now and

then to see whether he is up to any mischief. If he is behaving, he should

be commended.

If he is up to no good, your appearance will take the puppy by surprise

and he will feel guilty. When he is

When he is punished he will hold no grudge, as he was caught in the act

of doing wrong. Thereafter, the puppy will be on his guard, for he will

not know when you the owner will appear again.

If you happen to be in the same room, and the dog starts to chew on

something he should not, then quickly pick up a magazine, the leash, or

the dog’s collar, and, when the puppy is not looking, throw it hard and

either hit him or hit the floor near him as the command “No!” is given.

That startles him, should give him the goose bumps, so to speak.

So done it thoroughly startles the dog, he will immediately associate

something unpleasant with the chewing of forbidden objects. A few

such lessons will teach the puppy what things are and are not safe to

chew on. After the correction, the owner should make up to the puppy

by calling him and giving him a bit of a pat.

If you return home to find the dog has had a very busy and naughty

evening, do take the dog firmly.by the collar, lead him over to the

damaged articles, and ask in a severe tone of voice, “Did you

do that? Shame on you. You bad dog!”

A good shaking is definitely called for here, and in addition

a hard cuff on the top of his nose or his rump will help to impress on

the dog what a terrible thing he has done.

Since here punishment is being inflicted after the damage has been done,

and since a dog’s memory is short, then too much severity will not be

understood or well taken.

With the older dog that chews out of spite, it should be held and firmly

trounced or whipped. His intentions are deliberate and not through

error, and he therefore requires more severe punishment