Is your dog creating a ruckus? Excessive barking can disturb you and create strained relationships with your friends and neighbors. There’s good news about barking: it’s a normal canine behavior that can be modified with a little bit of effort on your part.

Why Dogs Bark

Dogs bark for a variety of reasons. Dogs can bark from boredom, as a reaction to noises, when they see a running squirrel, when people or animals are in their "territory" or because another dog in the neighborhood is barking. To correct the problem you’ll need to isolate the cause.

Some Detective Work

The first thing you need to do is a little detective work. Stop, look, and listen to what your dog and your neighbors are telling you about his behavior. The problem may be very different than what you think it is. Find out:

• What time of day your dog is barking?
• How long after you have left the house does he begin barking?
• How many hours a day does he bark?
• What place in the house or yard is he most likely to bark?
• What environmental factors are most likely to trigger barking (squirrels, mail delivery, doorbell)?

Then Just a Little More

Find out more about YOUR dog:

• What breed or mix of breeds is your dog? (some breeds of dogs tend to bark more than others)
• What does your dog like to do when he’s alone?
• Do you have other dogs or animals to keep him company?
• Can your dog see activity on a busy street?
• How old is your dog?
• How long have you lived with your dog?
• How long has your dog lived in this home?
• Are all of his physical needs met? Is he hot, cold, hungry, or thirsty?
• Does your dog get enough physical and mental exercise? *Remember, a happy, healthy, well-behaved dog is exercised daily.

Straightforward Solutions

The first solutions are something that ALL dogs will benefit from, whether they have barking problems or not.

• Leave your dog indoors in a safe environment when you are not at home – a crate or small room will serve best.
• Leave the radio or TV on to mask the sounds of the outdoors.
• Take your dog to a training class – this will help you develop better control and communication with your dog.
• Make sure your dog has had sufficient exercise – most dogs need a half hour daily of trotting and running.
• Work on teaching new tricks or commands for a few minutes every day. The mental stimulation will help!
• Provide your dog with interesting, stimulating toys that will keep him busy for a sustained length of time. Examples of these are Kongs, Goodie Ships or marrowbones stuffed with food. Other good toys are Buster Cubes and Tricky Treat Balls. Rotate the toys so that your dog has something new to look forward to every day.

Takes a Little More Work

You dog may be guarding his perceived territory. If that’s the case, he will bark whenever he sees an "intruder" and his body posture will be threatening (head, ears and tail held high). You may have taught your dog that you appreciate his protective behavior. To correct his you will need to do the following:

• Teach your dog that he has a three bark limit – he can bark no more than three times at anything and then he needs to stop. To teach this, you will need to arm yourself with treats or toys that your dog likes. When your dog barks three times, quietly say the word ‘quiet’. Put a treat under his nose like a magnet and turn him towards you with it. Give him the treat. Repeat this several times. After three to five days of doing this, say ‘quiet’ when your dog barks without using the treat to move him. If he turns toward you on his own, give him lots of treats.
• What do you do if your dog doesn’t turn towards you this training period? To correct a dog you do not yell or use brute strength - just simple psychology. The correction you will use is a squirt bottle of plain water. Make sure the bottle squirts rather than mists. Do not add anything to the water! If you’ve already said the word ‘quiet’ and your dog has not stopped his barking, do not repeat yourself or try to get your dog’s attention. Simply squirt him in the back of the head once and stop. Your dog will probably look towards you with some confusion. Pat and praise him at this point but don’t deliver a treat. Give him a chance to earn the treat on his own by doing it right.
• Once your dog is responding well to the word ‘quiet’ or is limiting his barking on his own, make sure you let him know that you appreciate him. Tell him ‘thank you’ and pet and praise him for getting it right.
• Next you need to desensitize your dog to what is making him bark. If he barks at people passing by his property, he needs to learn that they are not intruders and pose no threat. Recruit a few friends to help you teach this lesson. Get your friends to come over one at a time and walk near the yard. Ask them to stand far enough away that the dog isn’t barking, and you throw treats to him and tell him how much you appreciate that behavior. Have your friend gradually decrease his distance until he can walk back and forth in front of your yard without your dog barking. Once your dog stops barking at your friend, have your friend deliver yummy treats to the dog. Then have someone else work on this with him. It may take several days or weeks to get this behavior under control. If your dog acts aggressively (barking, growling, baring teeth, hackles up) please consult our Animal Behavior Department for more information.
• Don’t accidentally reinforce this behavior by encouraging your dog to bark at noises or by petting and praising him when he barks.
• Have your dog neutered to reduce the hormonal component of territorial behavior.

Your dog may be afraid of noises or events. If that’s the case, the solution is different from territorial barking. If your dog is barking out of fear, you will notice it occurring most frequently when he hears loud noises such as thunder and fireworks. His body posture will be very low, with his ears down and tail tucked.

To correct this problem:

• Keep your dog safely indoors, especially during the time of year when fireworks and thunderstorms are most common. While he’s learning to be less afraid, keep him in a quiet room, such as a bathroom or basement, with a fan and/or radio on to help muffle the noises from outside.
• Desensitize your dog to the noises or events that are frightening him. This may require professional help. Please consult our Animal Behavior department for more information.

Your Dog May Have Separation Anxiety

Your dog may have separation anxiety if it barks, howls, or makes noise after you leave for work, and shows a strong attachment to you. He will follow you from room to room, pant or act stressed as you get ready for work every morning, and may scratch or claw at the doors. Separation anxiety is not very common in dogs, and is generally modified through a combination of behavioral therapy and medications. Separation anxiety frequently occurs suddenly, after a change in the family’s schedule or living structure.

If your dog has separation anxiety, it is best to seek professional help in modifying his behavior.

When the Going is Rough

• Citronella Collar: This collar sprays citronella oil up towards your dog’s face whenever his barking triggers it. This type of collar is considered humane and has an 88% success rate (far higher than the other collars). This type of collar can be purchased or rented. Please ask about our citronella collar rental program.
• Sound Collar: This type of collar emits a high frequency sound that is intended to disrupt the dogs barking whenever it is triggered. Some are activated by the dog’s bark and others are hands held and activated by the person. The success rate for this type of collar is relatively low.

The main drawback to any type of bark collar is that it doesn’t address the underlying reasons for the dog’s barking. You may be able to eliminate the barking, but the problem will still be there under the surface and may "ooze" out into other unwanted behaviors. If you decide to use a bark collar, you must use it in conjunction with behavior modification. Never use a bark collar of any kind on a dog with separation anxiety or fearful behavior.

Don’t be afraid to talk with your neighbors about this! If your dog does bark a lot they will be thrilled to know that you are working on solving the problem. Once they’re involved they will generally be very helpful, supportive and less likely to complain

If you have questions about barking ordinances, please call Animal Control at (970) 226-3647 ext. 500 or visit our Local Ordinances page.

Becoming a dog guardian is a big responsibility and commitment. The following is a list of questions that should be considered before making the decision to accept a dog into your family:

• Many parents want their children to enjoy the responsibility and unconditional love of a pet, but ultimately the dog is the responsibility of the adults in the household. Are you willing to take care of the dog if your child does not perform his or her duties? It is truly unfair to a dog to not meet its basic needs because a child isn’t doing his or her duty.
• Where you will be in 1, 5, 10 or even 15 years? Will you be moving or experiencing a lifestyle change? Are you willing to take the dog with you? Will any lifestyle changes result in you surrendering the dog? Realize that it isn’t fair to form a relationship with a dog if you won’t be able to continue it for the duration of the dog’s life.
• Will you be able to give your dog plenty of attention? Dogs are social animals; it is mental torture for a dog to be isolated from its family. Are you willing to commit to devoting time to the dog throughout its entire life, not just the first few months?
• Can you meet the dog’s exercise needs?
• Will you commit to training your dog?
• Can you afford a dog? The approximate annual cost of caring for a dog is $815; for puppies it is $970.

If you and the rest of your family can answer yes to all the questions above, the next step is to research what kind of dog would be the best match for your family. Check the library for books on the topic, and/or consult the shelter staff.

Exercising Your Dog

Just as obesity is rising in human populations, many dogs are missing out on vital exercise. To avoid high vet bills for obesity-related medical problems, please see to it that your dog gets enough exercise to fit its needs. Other reasons that exercise is important include:

• Behavior problems can be the result of a lack of exercise. Many of today’s household breeds were bred to perform a job requiring a lot of physical stamina that these breeds still possess.

  Consider a herding dog: it was bred to run all day through fields herding sheep and then still have energy to play fetch with the kids. Many behavior problems in herding breeds today are due to the dog’s excess energy that has not been appropriately released through exercise.

If you aren’t able to give your dog adequate opportunity to use up its energy, it will find an alternative outlet. This alternative will probably not be to your liking. Talk to a dog trainer and your veterinarian if you have any questions about the exercise needs of your dog.

• Exercising your dog and playing together can strengthen the bond between you and your dog. By finding games that you both like to play you will be getting exercise, having fun, and building a better relationship with your dog!

Training Your Dog

Raising a well-behaved dog requires work from the owner, much like raising a well-behaved child. The key to having a well-behaved dog is to practice correct dog training techniques:

• When your dog does something wrong DON’T hit it; this not only hurts your relationship with your dog, but often the dog doesn’t understand why it is being punished and it may become aggressive.
• INSTEAD: Wait for your dog to do something that you like, such as sitting or laying down, and then reward the dog with a treat. Soon the dog will sit for you more often in hopes of receiving another cookie!
• SHARE THE EXPERIENCE: A dog training class is an excellent chance for your dog to socialize with other dogs and for you to be guided through the training of your dog by an experienced trainer. The Larimer Humane Society offers a full range of classes from "Basic Manners" to "Tricks."

Adopting a Shelter Dog

Adopting a dog from a shelter can be an extremely rewarding experience. Benefits include:

• OLDER DOGS: An older dog is wonderful because it has most likely already lived in a household. It will not require numerous trips to the backyard in the middle of the night and a huge transition into your family’s home. In addition, the energy level of an older dog is easier to handle. An older dog still has many years ahead of it, but it has already gone through its teenage rebellion and you will be able to concentrate on transitioning it into your home.
• PUPPIES: Although puppies are cute, like babies, they are a lot of work. If you want a puppy, you must be willing to get up in the middle of the night to allow it to go to the bathroom, and you must spend numerous hours training it. If this sounds like something you can handle, talk to shelter staff about adopting a puppy.
• COSTS: The bills for a dog in the first year alone are costly, but a shelter dog will already be spayed or neutered and may have its first shots. This is a definite plus!

Please consider adopting from a shelter. You can find a dog that is perfect for you. Shelter staff are experienced at counseling about what dogs will best fit your lifestyle.

About the Larimer Humane Society

• The Humane Society is a private nonprofit organization.
• The Society is an open-door shelter. The Society is NOT a ‘no-kill’ shelter. We are a resource for every animal regardless of age, health, or behavior. We accept every animal in need—‘no-kill’ shelters must turn animals away.
• There is no limit to the amount of time an animal may stay at the Humane Society—we do not euthanize animals after a certain period of time, but we are always limited by availability of kennel space to house the current animals and the new arrivals.
• In 2006 the Larimer Humane Society sheltered over 11,000 animals; over 900 animals come through our doors each month.
• To contact the Larimer Humane Society, or to learn more about us, call (970) 226-3647, or check our website at www.larimerhumane.org

This handout was written by animal behavior and training volunteer, Lily Parkinson

©2004, Larimer Humane Society