By Fran Jewell
You’ve done your best to provide all the things a responsible dog owner should provide: a fenced backyard, good food, and training for your dog. Yet, she seems to bark all the time when she is outside. She barks at everything, such as cars going by, the mailman, any voice she hears, or if she thinks there is a loose dog going by. It might even be that you are unaware of what your dog does while she is home during your workday. Maybe she is barking nonstop while you are gone and only your neighbors know and could be quite annoyed with you!
This is called “recreational barking.” It happens when a dog is bored, wants attention or in some cases barking has been rewarded in the home with even a glance from you when she barks. Just that glance can let her know that barking gets her something – your attention. Now the barking has increased to such a point that you can’t live with all the noise and manipulation and neither can your neighbors.
Some people even think it is cute to reward their dog with a treat if their dog barks at the cookie jar. Inadvertently, the barking has been positively reinforced and has now grown into a problem.
How do you stop this? There are many solutions. One of my favorite is to give dogs what they crave – a job. Almost all dogs love to use their noses. Simple things like putting her dog food bowl away and tossing her meals into the grass in the backyard can give her an hour of pleasure hunting up that food and eating it.
The dog supply manufacturers have gone wild with treat-dispensing toys. I love to fill several toys with food (many times kibble is better than treats) and hide the toys around the yard for my dogs to find, then enjoy the meal. Some toys you can mix kibble with some wet food and it will stick in the toy for a very long game. I will intentionally not give them food in a bowl so they are hungry enough to learn the searching game or how to remove the food from the toy.
After a hard-fought meal, most dogs want to take a nap. Now, you reduced the barking by hours. Many times just providing these activities will stop the barking completely because now you have given your dog something to look forward to, especially when they know you are about to leave.
Toy and food saturation can provide exactly what your dog needs, not only as a distraction, but as a mental health stimulation, which then resolves the issue. This type of activity can also prevent or curb separation anxiety. If the fun happens when you leave, you leaving becomes a good thing instead of a dreaded event.
There are interactive toys that keep a dog satisfied mentally, as well. I found there is a doggie tetherball now on the market. An old tire hung from a tree just above your dog’s head height then a food-stuffed toy inside as the prize can keep a dog busy and promote health for hours! There are tons of long-lasting chew toys available at any pet store.
There are other forms of deterrents that can imposed, but I find prevention the best and first course of action.
Fran Jewell is an IAABC Certified Dog Behavior Consultant, NADOI Certified Instructor and the owner of Positive Puppy Dog Training, LLC in Sun Valley. For more information, visit positivepuppy.com or call 208-578-1565.