Updates On 14th Oct 2014

Fortnightly Education Tip on DOG BARKING (#1 of 4)

- Understanding Nuisance Barking Part 1: The Attention-seeking Barker

Here�s a tip to help The Attention-seeking Barker:

When you�re watching TV and your dog sits in front of you, barks, and you reach out to stroke it, you�ve just taught your dog that barking gets your attention. Even if you scold it for barking, you�re still giving it attention.

How do you stop attention barking? You need to ignore it completely � don�t look at your dog, or talk to it. If he continues to bark, get up and walk away. If you need to, close the door and leave your dog by itself. You can expect that your dog will increase the intensity of its barking at first, but you need to wait it out. When your dog finally stops barking and is quiet for at least 10 seconds or so, you can go back to the room and give it some attention. If it starts barking again, you repeat the whole exercise. What you�re teaching your dog is that barking makes you disappear, which is the opposite of what it�s looking for. Thus with repetition, it would stop barking for attention.

You also need to take care of why your dog is barking for attention. It�s bored so you need to make sure that it has enough exercise to tire it out, or it has something to do that provides mental stimulation, like a food-dispensing toy. Brushing up on your training games and tricks is a great way to bond with your dog while giving it the attention that it deserves.

Punishing a dog for barking with inappropriate methods (e.g. aversive corrections) and equipment (e.g. training collars like choke chains, prong collars, anti-bark and shock collars), is often ineffective because you�ve only tried to stop the symptoms of the problem, but not solve the cause of it. At best, the dog will not learn anything. In the worst case, it can escalate the problem into something more serious. If you�re not sure about what to do if your dog is barking excessively, please consult a qualified trainer or behaviourist to help you and your dog.

Note: Dogs bark in a variety of situations: in excitement, in fear, to warn, in frustration, to guard, or it may have learned that barking results in something that it wants, e.g. attention. Barking is annoying because it�s loud, it can be prolonged and it can occur at any time of the day or night. The key to addressing nuisance barking is to find out what is causing the dog to bark and then removing the cause(s) of that barking. The aim is not to stop all barking for good, but to get the barking down to a level and intensity that you can live with.

{This tip is crafted by Dr Kang Nee, CPDT-KA, dog behaviourist and trainer at cheerfuldogs.com, SPCA’s dog training partner.}

Source: https://www.facebook.com/spcasingapore/photos/a.283797778154..

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SPCA Singapore

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA Singapore) is the first registered animal welfare organisation in Singapore. The two main objectives of SPCA Singapore are: to promote kindness to animals and birds, and to prevent cruelty to animals and birds.

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