Each year Larimer Animal Protection and Control receives hundreds of calls regarding barking dogs. Keeping your dog quiet is not only respectful to your neighbors it is the law. Officers respond to these calls and can even issue a summons in cases when the problem is not addressed. Your greatest defense against this disturbance is to educate yourself and your neighbors on how to modify undesirable barking behaviors.

The first step in waging the barking battle is to understand WHY your dog is barking. There are several reasons he may be barking:

• Your dog may bark because he is LONELY if he only barks when you are away or inside your house. Dogs are social creatures and need to interact with you and your family. You can satisfy your pet’s social need by bringing him inside, taking him on trips with you, and incorporating him into your daily routine. A well socialized dog is less likely to bark when you do have to leave him alone.
• Your dog may bark because he is FRUSTRATED if he is chained in your yard. Tethering a dog is frustrating and dangerous and is not recommend by the Larimer Humane Society. Some more appropriate ways to confine your dog include: a fenced yard, a free-standing dog run, an enclosed porch, or an indoor crate.
• Your dog may bark because he is BORED if he does not receive much exercise or playtime. Make sure that your dog receives plenty of your attention and an appropriate amount of exercise when you are home. Allowing your dog a large yard to roam in does not replace the valuable bonding experience of a long walk or hike. Leave your dog with plenty of toys to occupy his body and mind. Buster cubes and Kongs stuffed with treats are great entertainers. Leave something for your dog to chew (like a Nylabone), play with (like a stuffed animal) and chase (like a ball) and he should stay occupied until nap time! Also, having another dog to keep him company maybe reduce his boredom and tendancy to bark.
• Your dog may bark because he is UNCOMFORTABLE if he does not have food, water and shelter. Always make sure that your dog is fed an appropriate amount of food for his size and age every day, keep his water bowl full of fresh, clean water, and make sure he has full access to shelter from the heat, cold, and wind. Your dog may bark because his needs are not being met; if he does not have any one of these things. It is cruel and unlawful to deprive your dog of food, water or shelter. Please contact Larimer Animal Protection and Control immediately if you suspect any dog does not have access to these basic needs.

The most effective way to keep your dog from barking is to prevent it from happening in the first place. Be sure to follow the above mentioned advice when placing a new dog into a situation in which he may bark, like being left alone. If your dog has already developed a pattern of barking when he goes outside, you will have to recondition him to understand that barking solicits an unpleasant (never harmful) experience and staying quiet solicits a positive experience. Following are two methods to humanely correct your dog's barking and recondition him to stay quiet.