A few tips for barking dogs

Living in Los Angeles comes with many people being dog owners. I suppose the reason many people have dogs is because they live far away from home and want a constant companion. ( My basset hound it certainly helps me when I am homesick!) When I take my Basset Hound for a walk, there is a 98 chance we are going to meet new furry friends. Los Angeles is a doggy dog city! Although I am a dog lover I am also human and at the yip yip yip sound of a insistently barking dog is like nails on a chalkboard. Oh, the barking dogs. If you have done everything in your power to try and ease a barking dog issue here are additional tips that may help your pup chill out.

Don&rsquo-t take offense when I say barking dogs are like nails on a chalkboard. When you think about it, a human being that constantly yelling will eventually aggravate you, right? I was inspired to write about this because as I was sitting in my loft and there was a constant bark coming from an apartment in the same building as mine. Initially the nonstop barking dog did not bother me. After 30 minutes of &ldquo-yip, yip, yap, yip&rdquo-, I was annoyed. After an hour of constant barking I became concerned. I thought to myself, &ldquo-Is the dog okay?, Is the dog scared?, Is the dog&rsquo-s owner okay?&rdquo- It turned out the dog&rsquo-s owner was not home and apparently the dog was not happy about it. When I tell you it was over one hour of constant barking with just a few seconds for the dog to take a break – I am not exaggerating.

I always like to see a dog that is comfortable- obviously this pup was not. If you have a dog with separation anxiety or chronic barking issues, here are a few tips to try out. If these options do not work out for you it is probably a good idea to consult with a veterinarian. A dog but that is going to constantly bark is not good for the dog, nor is it good for you.

• Use body language to try and ease your dog from barking. Let your dog know that you are unhappy with his/her behavior. Use a certain look, movements, or sound.
• Grab a handful of pennies and put them in a can. If you have a chronic barker this will work wonders when you&rsquo-re home. My Basset Hound goes into barking phases and nothing I do to stop her seems to work at times. A friend of mine gave this advice to me and after a few shakes of a can filled with pennies by hound dog knew the barking needed to stop. I communicated to my dog that what I was shaking was known as &ldquo-the can&rdquo-. Now when she barks I barely have to shake the can because all I say to her is, &ldquo-where is the can?&rdquo- She looks at me and knows that if the barking doesn&rsquo-t stop, shake shake shake! This may sound silly but it works wonders.
• Sometimes excessive barking comes from a spurt of energy. Try to channel this energy in different ways like taking your dog for a walk, play time, or a run. A dog sometimes use its energies through barking. Maybe your dog is trying to tell you, &ldquo-let&rsquo-s go for a walk!&rdquo- Think about a crying baby- have you ever heard of a parent taking a baby for a ride to call them from crying? The comparison is somewhat similar.
• If you plan on meeting your home for an extended period of time take your dog for a healthy walk. Any built-up energy can be used through exercising your dog. Think of how many times we took your dog for a long walk and not long after you returned, ZZZZZZ! Sleepy dog!
• If all else fails talk to your veterinarian about chronic barking.