Labrador Retriever

　　Dogs mainly communicate with their owners and the outside world through barking. Experienced dog owners understand the little tricks of dogs thoroughly, but it can be troublesome for beginners. When dogs bark, they neither find the reason nor the solution. Barking affects not only family members but also neighbors, yet it is not appropriate to solve the problem by scolding or beating! So what should be done? Here are some tips: first, find the reason for the dog’s barking, then think of solutions.

　　1. Several Reasons Why Dogs Bark

　　1. Nervousness, Anxiety, Fear

　　When the owner leaves and the dog is left alone, it may bark due to boredom or pressure because of unease and anxiety. Occasionally, this may be accompanied by destructive behavior such as damaging furniture or inappropriate urination and defecation, or other behavioral problems.

　　2. Alertness, Anger, Driving Away

　　Because dogs have a strong sense of territory, less confident or more sensitive dogs will exhibit barking behavior to drive away intruders.

　　3. Testing to Get Attention

　　When dogs have needs and want to attract others' attention, this type of barking is usually single barks at fixed intervals, testing if their barking will elicit a response from the surroundings.

　　4. Calling Friends to Play

　　When dogs meet playmates they want to have fun with, barking can occur during play, often happy and lively.

　　2. Five Strategies to Solve the Dog Barking Problem

　　Barking is a natural instinct of dogs. However, if a pet dog barks nonstop, it not only brings inconvenience to its owner’s life but also causes trouble for neighbors. Therefore, owners must teach their dogs to stop barking. Not all dogs will obey their owners’ wishes. When dogs bark excessively and do not listen to their owners, owners need to think of a way to solve this problem. We have summarized five strategies to solve the problem of constant dog barking, hoping to help those who are at a loss.

　　1. Responding

　　The response here does not mean that owners should respond every time the dog barks. When the dog and owner are not in the same room, the dog may be trying to tell the owner something. The owner should respond based on the actual situation. For example, if there is a loud noise outside the door, the owner can first check if there is really a problem. After confirming there is no problem, the owner can comfort the dog by saying "Good job, but it’s nothing to worry about," etc.

　　2. Exercise

　　When dogs have played hard outside, they won’t waste energy barking endlessly after returning home.

　　3. Toys

　　Although exercise is a good method, dogs spend most of the time at home. To kill some time, owners can buy more toys for dogs. This way, dogs won’t be bored and try to attract the owner’s attention by barking to play with them.

　　4. Avoidance

　　Some dogs bark at the slightest noise. At this time, owners can avoid the dog. Because if you actually respond, they will develop the habit. When dogs find that their barking about small issues is ignored, they will act sensibly and stop barking.

　　5. Rewards

　　Not all dogs understand the owner’s avoidance. Therefore, if the dog does not grasp the owner’s meaning, the owner can take the most direct approach—scolding. You can sternly scold the dog to stop. If the dog stops, give it a small reward. This way, dogs can more easily understand that they will get rewards if they stay quiet.

　　Barking is a way for dogs to express emotions and thoughts. We should try our best to understand this behavior. Many owners, when helpless, choose the cruel method of cutting the dog’s vocal cords, depriving the dog’s right to bark. This is unfair to the dog. Importantly, the dog’s voice still exists but becomes hoarse instead of loud as before. Therefore, we should find reasonable solutions to fundamentally solve the problem.