Excessive howling or barking can be a real nuisance with dogs. The key to understanding your dog's howling and barking is to understand its roots. Dogs are pack animals that use howling or barking to communicate. Because we have brought dogs into our homes and lives, we have become a part of their pack. As a result, they communicate to us just as they would other dogs. Sometimes this is through inappropriate dominance behavior, but sometimes this is through vocalization.

Because we generally don't enjoy being barked or howled at, our dogs need to be taught to ignore their nature and turn down the volume a bit. By praising your dog when they are quiet, you teach them that their quiet moments are when they get the most attention from you. When your dog does begin to howl or bark, sternly rebuke them. When they calm down, praise your dog. Your dog lives for your praise and will pick up on things quickly.

It's extremely important that you don't punish your dog for barking. It comes naturally to them, and the way people punish their dog for barking only confuses them. Most people make the mistake of yelling "No!" at the dog, and then they smack the dog on the nose. This confuses them extremely since they have already stopped barking from the yelling, they don't need to be smacked. The associate the smack on the nose with the fact that they stopped barking.

One form of aversive training that does work is the no-bark collar. No-bark collars are often criticized as being a harsh form of negative reinforcement, but they are a safe and effective quick-fix to a howling or barking problem. A no-bark collar's sensors detect the dog's barking or howling and either emits a sound or spray of citronella - letting the dog know what's coming next. If the barking does not stop, the collar then emits a short, mild electrical shock. The dog then knows that it is time to stop. There are even some no-bark collars that lack the electric shock and just use the citronella spray. There have been reports that these collars are just as effective, if not more so, than the shock collars.

Dogs learn quickly, that the sound or the smell of citronella means that the barking is NOT OK . After sometime has passed you can even remove the collar and the dog won't have the desire to bark since they have already associated the action with a negative response.

It is natural for your dog to want to communicate with you, and if you want to help the process along you should start noticing what their body language is trying to tell you. The more you know what your dog wants, and needs the quicker you can get it to them before they feel the need to vocalize it to you.

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