Dogs bark, what's the problem?

The problem of course, is  when your dog won't stop barking and it bothers you or your neighbors.  More often than not, barking can be eliminated or reduced to reasonable levels quickly and easily.

Normal barking

Barking for attention

Make sure your dog is being fed properly and has water continually available. Outdoor dogs need shade in the summer and a warm enclosure in the winter. See training your dog to stop barking

Frustration barking

Confined dogs can quickly become frustrated by people on the other side of a fence or beyond the reach of their leash. Sometimes children or neighbors will threaten or yell at a barking dog, which makes things worse. This sort of barking can be corrected by bringing your dog inside or providing a kennel area shielded from view of the sidewalk.

Quick ways to stop barking

Citronella anti bark collar

The new Gentle Spray citronella barking collar is safe, humane and remarkably effective.

When your dog barks, the collar sprays a light mist of citronella scent in front of his nose. Dogs don't like this. The hissing noise startles them and dogs seem to dislike the smell. Most dogs figure things out very quickly and stop barking. University studies have shown that citronella barking collars are twice as effective as shock collars. 

We've had excellent success using these collars for barking problems at our animal hospital. We can't guarantee that the Gentle Spray collar will work for your dog, but nearly all our customers use these collars successfully and are very happy with the product.  see letter .  To find out if the collar is likely to work for your dog, see do not order the collar if

These may or may not be available at your pet store, but you can order the Gentle Spray citronella anti bark collar on line at  fuzzytummy.com

Anti barking shock collars

I don't like anti bark shock collars at all. You can't tell if  they are working and unless you try the collar out on yourself (something which doesn't appeal to me personally) you can't tell how much it hurts.  Besides that, they don't work. Recent university studies found citronella barking collars to be twice as effective as  shock collars.  

Debarking surgery

Dogs have a fold of tissue on each side of the larynx which must tighten and vibrate to make a bark. Debarking surgery removes this tissue. After the operation, dogs have only a whispery bark, and most of the time both dogs and owners are quite happy with this. Unfortunately, some or all of the the bark comes back within a few months.  Because we know how awful it would be to "debark" a person, many people think the operation is inhumane.  Since the surgery is often unsatisfactory and because many people consider it cruel, veterinarians seldom suggest debarking as a solution to barking problems.

Training your dog to stop barking