A QUICK FIX FOR A BARKING DOG

Here are simple ways to temporarily control excessive barking by a dog.

Given the fact that many of us are currently working at home and spending much more of our day near our dogs, it has now reminded people that our dogs bark, and in some situations they bark a lot. Normally I don’t have much concern about occasional bouts of barking from my dogs, but some folks find it to be very distracting.

We already know that even though wild canines don’t bark much as adults, they do bark as puppies. In the safety of the den area there is little harm in such noise, however, as the puppies grow older and begin to accompany the adults on hunts, such barking becomes counterproductive. A wolf puppy or adolescent who barked at an inappropriate time could easily alert potential prey that the pack is near, hence sending it into flight well before the hunters could attack. The barking could also attract the attention of other, larger, predators, which might have developed a taste for wolf meat. To stop this, a simple communication pattern evolved. It obviously does not involve any loud sound signal, since the major aim of the behavior is to stop noise. This means that a wolf will not stop another’s barking by barking back at it. The signal to stop should not involve direct aggression against the noisy individual. Nipping or biting the barker is apt to cause yelps of pain, growls or dashing around to avoid or respond to the aggressor’s physical violence. All of this noise and thrashing would be just as likely to alert other animals as the original barking itself. Therefore, the method demanding “Quiet!” needs to be relatively quiet and not physically aggressive.

The procedure worked out by wild canines to stop barking is really quite simple. The pack leader, the puppy’s mother, or any pack member who is capable of exerting control, can give the signal for silence. To quiet barking, the dominant animal places its mouth over the offender’s muzzle, without actually biting, and then gives a short, low and breathy growl. The low growl will not be heard very far, and it is short in duration. The mouth over the muzzle is not actually inflicting pain, so there is no yelping or attempts to escape. Silence usually follows immediately. 

Humans can mimic this behavior as a simple way to tell a dog to stop barking when he is near you. With your dog at your left side, slip the fingers of your left hand under the collar at the back of your dog’s neck. Pull up on the collar with your hand, while your right hand folds over the top of the dog’s muzzle and presses down. In a quiet, business-like and unemotional tone, you simply say “Quiet.” You repeat this silencing maneuver whenever it is necessary. Depending upon the breed, it may take anywhere from two to several dozen repetitions to associate the calmly stated command, “Quiet” with an end to barking.

What you have done in this instance, is to effectively copy the way in which wild canines silence a noisy pup or other pack member. Your left hand on the collar simply immobilizes the head. Your right hand serves the same function and communicates the same message as the mouth of the adult wolf over the noisy puppy’s muzzle. The softly spoken “Quiet,” mimics the short, low and breathy growl.

Only use this procedure to stop a dog from barking when barking is unnecessary. It is important to remember that we specifically bred dogs to bark because it served as a useful warning signal. So if your dog sounds the alarm at the approach of a stranger, or even at the sight of a cat outside of your window, don’t correct him. If there is no cause for any action, just call him to your side and give him a quick pet or a rub. By barking your dog is only doing the job of warning us which we designed him to do thousands of years ago.