Causes of Excessive Barking

Even though most people can handle a barking dog, it is when the barking becomes excessive that problems arise. There are many reasons why a dog will bark non-stop, such as:

*Having pent-up energy

*Being improperly confined, such as a dog being locked outside in the rain

*Hearing noises such as thunder or cars passing by

*Being bored because they have been left without any toys to play with

*Having a genetic pre-disposition

*Separation anxiety

Of all the different reasons that a dog will bark excessively, separation anxiety is the most common.

If a dog is used to having his owners around all the time, then he will be more prone to exhibiting signs of separation anxiety when his owners leave him alone for any length of time. Separation anxiety usually occurs after a dog who has become accustomed to having his humans around him all the time, is left alone for a period of time, or after a vacation is over and the owner returns to work or school and the dog is left home alone, or after the dog experiences a traumatic event.

The second most common cause of excessive barking is loneliness. Dogs who are left alone for significant periods of time without being able to interact with their owners, will feel lonely and start to bark.

Other reasons why a dog will feel lonely and bark excessively would be if he was just a mere pup and was stilling learning to amuse himself; or if he is an overly active dog who constantly craves, and needs, an outlet for boundless energy, such as a sporting or herding breed of dog.

Solutions to Your Dog’s Non-Stop Barking

1. The easy solution to fending off your dog’s loneliness barking is to make sure that your dog has plenty of toys to keep him occupied while you are away from him.Try a kong. It’s a hollowed out toy where you can put treats or peanut butter. it will take a while for your dog to get all of the food out. Click here to ready more home-alone solutions .

You can also attempt to retrain your dog’s behaviorism. Some dogs will bark at strangers, people walking past the front gate, and even at other neighborhood dogs. If your dog does this, you should try to stop your dog from barking as soon as he opens his mouth. However, this can be tricky, not to mention exasperating, to catch your dog in the act.

One way to do this is by teaching your dog the ‘quiet’ command. Whenever your dog starts to bark, stand over him with a treat held just above his nose and say ‘quiet’ or ‘shh’. The word you chose doesn’t really matter as long as you always remember to use the same word each time. As soon as your dog stops barking so that he can sniff at the treat, immediately praise him and give it to him. However, each time that you practice this command with your dog, let your dog be quiet for longer periods of time before giving him his treat.

Some dog owners have had success using citronella spraying anti-bark collars on their barking dogs. The citronella spray collar is deemed to be safe and humane. It works by spraying a light mist of citronella in front of your dog’s nose whenever he barks. Dogs do not like the smell of citronella and are usually able to quickly associate barking with the bad scent.

Natural Solutions

Besides trying the above solutions to curb your dog’s excessive barking, natural remedies can also be implemented as well, especially if your dog’s barking stems from separation anxiety. The perfect herbal remedy is Sleepytime Tonic , which can be used to curb your dog’s excessive barking in a very gentle, but successful manner, through the use of specially chosen herbs and other homeopathic ingredients.

Such ingredients include vervain, valerian, skullcap, and passion flower, amongst others. All of these herbal ingredients are known for their wonderful calming properties as well as their power to help soothe dogs that are considered to be overactive, hyperactive, and high strung.

Sleepytime Tonic is a safe alternative to prescription veterinary medications and its natural approach will help to heal any underlying issue that your dog may have.

Just a few drops in your dogs mouth, or in his water dish, will help him to remain relaxed and calm without a thought of barking.