A complete stranger approaching the front stairs of an individual’s home; the four-legged family member warns the two-legged house member that someone is at the door. As a result, he/she begins to make some noise, whether it is Ruff, Arf, or Yip. We all know that dogs bark for many different reasons, whether they are playing, for communication purposes, or just plain happiness! This type of barking is excellent, but sometimes the sound of barking can get to be a bit of a nuisance–at least for some of the neighbors.
Just in case anyone does not know about nuisance barking, it is such a ear stopper! It is something about their body language that spells out this disturbing noise; it is as if they want to jump out of their coat and skin. Many of us are dog owners and know how loud dogs could get. The barking can be as loud as one hundred dBA; this is enough for our heads to do a three-sixty twice! Some neighbors, of course the ones who are not fond of dogs–for the most part, are more likely to complain the second the dog begins to bark. In addition to the neighbors complaining about the dog’s nuisance barking, our own Fido can sometimes be a pain in the muzzle, in other words, barking at unnecessary situations, such as barking at a butterfly or at moving traffic (think the 101 and 405!). This is enough to pull out anyone’s head hairs.
There is good news for those wearisome neighbors and many dog owners. Here are a few ways to reduce the dog’s nuisance barking sensation:
-Getting to learn what is driving these dogs to bark more than usual.
-Using positive reinforcements for the purpose of reducing the barking. There is a possibility that these dogs are barking as a result of stress and/or anxiety, just to name a few. So when the owners use the punishment method, this may make the dog’s barking worse. The positive reinforcement may consists of repetitive exposure in which it will calm down the dog and encouraging him/her to stay quiet. There is also the distraction method, which can be performed through the issuance of treats and praise, among other examples.
-Searching for advice from professionals as in veterinarians, dog trainers and/or local organizations. This has to be by far the best type of help for dogs that are suffering from nuisance barking.
Dogs bark whether they are playing, “talking” to other dogs, or protecting their family members and property. The barks are usually very distinctive. Nuisance barking is entirely different from the normal one because it is nerve wrecking! Thank goodness there are many ways for the reduction of barking. With the reduction of barking, everyone can live together in peace–for the most part.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bark_(utterance)