Separation Anxiety in Dogs, Stop Dog Barking, Canine Separation Anxiety

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Separation Anxiety in Dogs…

In this section learn the best free puppy and dog training tips on how to stop dog barking or whining, common symptoms of puppy & canine separation anxiety.

Although a barking dog can often be a useful tool to scare off potential burglers and can be a great alarm, as a dog owner you need to be able to control when your dog barks and when not to bark, basically you need an on/off switch.

We had a recent case where a dog called Poppy constantly barked when the owners were out of the House and they didn’t even know, until the neighbors told them.

Consequently in this section we will teach you how to train a dog or puppy to be quiet and how you can train your dog to bark on command, because if you can train a dog to bark you can train a dog to also be quiet!

Separation Anxiety in Dogs

Time to Learn Bark Control.

Step by Step

Items that you will need include:

1. You will need a sturdy wooden post.
2. A favorite toy.
3. A treat – but a treat that your puppy or dog really likes.
4. A dog leash and collar.

Step by Step

To be able to control dog barking which is one of the most common problem associated with separation anxiety in dogs you firstly need to be able to train your dog to bark on command.

When you achieve this you can then train your dog when not to bark – it’s a bit like having a remote control – if you can turn it on you are then able to turn it off!

1. You need to attach a leash to your dog’s collar and then attach the leash to a sturdy post or even a fence post.Your dog should be in the sitting position – you can learn how to train a dog to sit in our section on basic dog training.
2. Now you should stand approximately 1 meter away from your dog and tease your dog gently with the toy – when your dog starts to bark – you should give him a treat as a reward.
3. When your dog barks consistently when you are using the toy, you can then put the toy away and use a verbal command such as ‘Good Boy’ when your dog starts to bark. You could still give your dog a treat but do it occasionally.

• Now with the toy hidden ask your dog to ‘talk’ – at the precise moment that your dog barks you should give him the toy.Make sure that you time it properly – you should be able to understand a little dog psychology and anticipate when your dog or puppy is about to bark.
• When your dog understands the ‘talk’ command you now need to command your dog to be ‘quiet’ when your dog barks.When your dog stops barking you should give him the toy as a reward – if however you dog continues to bark – use the ‘No’ command and put the toy away.
• Now that you have learned how to train a dog to bark on command and also be quiet on command from 1 meter away – you now need to move slightly further away.Continue with exactly the same exercise and practice everyday.
• You should practice this training technique and after every session move closer to your dog and reward him with his favorite toy – you can also give your dog a treat occasionally.
• When your dog is successfully following your commands you can try the exercise with your dog off the leash.
• If your dog becomes successful at barking on command and being quiet on command you will have a very handy little tool to use whenever your dog becomes noisy.
• Congratulations you have learned how to cure one of the most common problem associated with separation anxiety in dogs.For more information on reward based training, check out our section on positive reinforcement.