Excessive Barking
Methods to Stop Barking Dogs
Excessive barking is one of the more challenging problems many dog owners face. It can ruin relations with the neighbors and be annoying for owners. Here are some suggestions from The Doctors Book of Home Remedies for Pets by the Editors of Prevention Magazine Health Books:
Exercise your dog often – A couple of good walks or play sessions a day can help your dog remain calm when they are indoors. Your dog may even nap when indoors instead of barking all the time.
Provide chew toys – Your dog will have a hard time barking if he’s busy chewing on bones or doggy toys. Chewing helps reduce stress in dogs and helps them occupy their time. If you are going to be gone, give your pet their favorite chew toy just before you go.
Leave your scent on the chew toy – If your dog often gets lonely and vocal when you are gone, try rubbing your hands all over his chew treat before leaving. The scent will remind him of you, and he may not be so lonely.
Mask outside noises – If your dog is super-sensitive to noises in the environment, try blocking some of that noise so he’s not as inspired to bark. White noise machines can do the trick or you can play soothing classical music on your sound system.
Catch up on your cleaning – Truning on the vacuum cleaner can also block unwanted nosies – the approaching steps of the mail carrier or UPS delivery person – and prevent your dog from starting a barking frenzy.
Praise - Sometimes just praising your pet will make him stop barking. Your dog may feel it is his job to warn you of anything unusual and when you acknowledge his warning the barking may stop.
Insist on quiet time – Sometimes a dog will keep barking even after you show him you understood his warning. Say “Quiet” sharply, without yelling. If your dog blinks and stops barking, give praise. You may also want to sometimes give a treat. What you are doing is taking the dog’s mind off the barking and making him realize it’s a good thing when he stops.
Leave the room - Your dog probably wants you to hang around when he is barking. If your dog will not stop barking turn your back and leave the room to show the dog he has done something wrong. To reinforce the lesson, ring a bell (let it ring for a few seconds) and when you think the dog hears it, leave the room. Over time, your dog will learn to associate the ringing with your leaving, and he’ll be more likely to keep his thoughts to himself. It also helps to praise your pet once he stops barking.
Shake a can with coins – A shake can has an effect on dogs that is the canine equivalent of fingernails on a blackboard. Put some coins in an empty soda can and tape the opening shut. When your barking dog doesn’t respond to your command to be quiet, shake the can a couple of times. Dogs don’t like that, so they often stop what they are doing when they hear it.
Use a squirt bottle – Say “No” in a firm tone and give them a little squirt from the bottle. If they don’t like water, they’ll tend to stop. Squirt at the body and not the face.
Get help from the intruder – If your dog goes crazy whenever people come to the door, you may need an accomplice. One possible solution is to have your mail carrier slip a treat through the door slot. Your dog may stop seeing these people as threats and might not feel the need to bark.
Bring him inside – If your dog sleeps outside and likes to exercise his bark at night, you may want to bring him indoors. He’ll have less to bark at. I know this worked with my neighbors dogs. If they were left outside they barked at everything but once they went inside, I didn’t hear a peep.
Know when to switch strategies – If your haven’t seen improvement in three to five days with a technique – try a different one.
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Lessons From The Dog Whisperer
Lessons in Life from Your Dog
I saw this article in Parade magazine and just wanted to pass it on. Here is a short summary of the advice offered to pet owners by Cesar Millan the author of “A Member of the Family” and star of the National Geographic Channel’s ” Dog Whisperer”
1. Live in the moment – Dogs live in the moment. They don’t regret the past or worry about the future. Richard Carlson author of “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff” gives the same advice. If we can learn to appreciate what is happening to us right now our lives “we’ll experience a richness of living that other members of the animal kingdom enjoy.”
2. Nurture a balanced life – Cesar Millan says “offer exercise, discipline, and affection every day. Do the same for yourself.” We humans are better off if we have daily physical activity, a sense of order and the opportunity to give and receive love on a daily basis.
3. Trust your instincts – Animals don’t care about words. They recognize what’s going on beneath the surface. We need to pay more attention to nonverbal cues like body language and energy to learn more about ourselves and our friends.
4. Be direct and consistent in your communication- “Many of my clients only intermittently enforce rules, leaving their pets confused about what is and isn’t acceptable behavoir.” A good relationship begins with clear and consistent communication. We teach people how to treat us.
5. Learn to listen - Listen but don’t try to fix people’s problems, and don’t take their problems personally. “A great leader is also a great follower and knows that everybody counts.”
6. Don’t hold grudges - There is not much conflict in dog packs because memebers resolve the situation when disagreements arise and then move on. Holding onto to negative feelings doesn’t help anyone.
7. Live with purpose – When dogs are bored, they develop problems such as anxiety and aggression. But when they are given a job and a way to contribute to the pack’s well being the problems disappear. All animals including humans have an inborn need to work. Ask yourself how you can offer something to your family and your community.
8. Celebrate every day – For a dog, every day is a holiday. We can learn from our pets by observing how they rejoice in life’s simplest moments. Take time each day to celebrate the many gifts that are hidden in your regular everyday life.
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How To Crate Train Your Pet
Crate Training A Dog
Our paper published a good article on crate training, so I wanted to pass on the information. The information comes from our local SPCA.
1. Start with the right set-up – Choose a crate that’s just lrge enough for him to stand up and turn around in, put a soft towel or blanket inside, and place the crate in a room where your family spends a lot of time.
2. Avoid using the crate as punishment - The crate should always be associated with something pleasant, such as treats and toys. The last thing you want to do is force your dog inside.
3. Slow down - Training should take place in a series of small steps that can last several days or several weeks, depending on your dog’s age, temperament and experience.
4. Don’t make you dog spend too much time in his crate. If he’s crated all day while you’re at work and then crated again all night, he’s spending too much time in too small a space. Other arrangements should be made to accommodate his physical and emotional needs. And remember that puppies should be in a crate for only one hour more than they are in months of age.
5. Steel yourself against whining and barking - If you’re convinced that your dog doesn’t need to eliminate, the best response is to ignore him until he stops. Don’t give in, no matter how heartbreaking the sound: otherwise you’ll teach your dog that carrying on will get him exactly what he wants.
The article also provided a link to a step-by-step guide to crate training. Here is the link http://www.houstonspca.org/site/DocServer/CrateTrainingYourDog.pdf?docID=365
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Dog Teeth and Cat Teeth – Pet Dental Health Month
Our newspaper has a great Pet section. Today they had an article on dental care. This is Pet Dental Health Month. The American Veterinary Dental Society estimates 80 percent of dogs and 70 percent of cats show signs of oral disease by age 3.
“Pet Dental Health Month emphasizes working together with your veterinarian to establish an appropriate dental health regimen for your pet” says American Veterinary Medical Association statement from its president, Dr. Gregory S. Hammer. The key is prevention and daily brushing is recommended for pets. Also recommended is chewing products with the seal of acceptance from the Veterinary Oral Health Council.
Many pets, especially middle-aged and older cats and dogs, require periodic professional scaling in addition to ongoing plaque control. If your pet has signs of periodontal disease, start with professional cleaning, then talk to your vet about a dental health plan.
Here are common signs of oral and dental diseases in dogs and cats:
Bad breath – It’s not unusual for a dog to have breath that’s bad, but if it becomes putrid, this is a strong sign of dental disease.
Tarter buildup – Just like your teeth, a dog ar cat’s teeth should be white and free of tartar.
Swollen, receding or bleeding gums – Healthy gumsare firm and pink, black or spotted like the dog’s skin.
Fractured teeth or loose teeth – Put your hand over the muzzle and life up the sides of the pet’s mouth for gentle inspection.
Change in eating habits or loss of appetite – Sometimes an animal’s dental disease can become so uncomfortable that pets will avoid certain foods.
Yelps of pain – Your pet shies away from when you touch the mouth area.
As always a holistic approach to pet health would recommend supporting your pet’s immune system as a preventive measure for good dental health. Native Remedies has an excellent product called Gumz-n-Teeth Gumz-n-Teeth is a 100% safe proprietary blend of natural and herbal ingredients in an internal formula for supporting general dental health in pets. This formula also has a positive effect of systemic functioning as a whole.
All Native Remedies products are formulated to the highest therapeutic standards and manufactured under strict pharmaceutical conditions for your peace of mind and the well being of your pets.
If you are interested in learning how to brush your dogs teeth see the post on our sister site Fasthowto.com
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Life After Life – A Pet Love Story
Seeing as it is close to Valentine’s Day I wanted to share a pet love story that I read in the paper. I thought the story was so sweet and so touching. If you have ever lost a pet, you will find great comfort in this story. The story is in the form of a letter that appeared in Dr. Fox’s column.
Dear Dr. Fox,
I have been meaning to write ever since I read one of your newspaper columns some time ago in which you responded to a woman who had seen her dog several times after his death. I too, had a similar experience.
I had a wonderful, beautiful and loving friend in my cocker spaniel, Casey. She was with me through a divorce and several moves. The last four years of her life, she accompanied me to work every day and was dearly loved by everyone. I considered her my soul mate in dog form. We were so close we could read each other’s minds.
When Casey turned 10, she started having medical problems – Cushing’s disease and arthritis. By 13, things were worse than ever, and the day finally came when I knew I couldn’t put her through any more procedures. I knew it was time to let her go peacefully. It was the most devastating time of my life. I missed her so much because she had always been there with me.
On one particular night, I was crying so hard I just screamed out, “Casey, I want you back.” A few nights later, she came to me. I was sitting on my bed, holding, kissing and petting her. She didn’t actually “speak” to me but somehow conveyed to me that she was happy, safe and no longer in pain. It was so real: I could actually feel her. After that night, I felt so much better.
Dr. Fox says that he heard many stories similar to this person’s and that these occurrences demonstrated the power of love and that the realm of the spirit is real, raising the possibility of life after life.
Natural Anxiety Treatment For Your Pet
Natural Anxiety Medication
Aromatherapists use orange blossom (neroli) oil to treat patients suffering from anxiety and insomnia because of its sedative properties. You can use orange blossom water (Neroli Hydrosol) to calm your pet. I just read about someone who uses it to calm her cat when it needed a trip to the vet and a groomer who uses it calm nervous animals before bathing and grooming them. You might also consider it for separation anxiety.
You can buy orange blossom water in the grocery store usually in the foreign food section or at Indian or Middle Eastern specialty grocery stores. Put the orange blossom water in a spray bottle and give your pet a gentle spritz when it needs calming.
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