Dog Barking

First, it does help to understand that dogs barking is a perfectly natural instinct. Many people purchase dogs for this reason - they want the protection of knowing a more aggressive breed of dog is around the house, ready to alert them of intruders. So make sure you understand that dogs will naturally bark when they think they have protection duties to fulfill.

The problem can often arise when your dog takes these duties too far, such as during the daytime and when you're having over a welcomed guest. It may be okay for your dog to bark a few times, but if they won't stop barking at a guest, it's time to learn how to correct your dog so that it doesn't keep producing the same behavior. And if you've always wanted your dog to actually respond to you when you tell it to stop, here's how:

It helps to remain calm first. It can built up some frustration when you hear a dog barking, so make sure that you assert your authority calmly. When your calm, you can help your dog to be. After you've gotten yourself calm, make a correction in the dog if it's barking excessively. Having a word for this, such as "Stop!" can help, but if the word doesn't do it, you might try something like clapping your hands and then pointing for the dog to go away.

Next, it might help to create a border in your mind of what is acceptable barking from your dog. If your dog barks at someone passing by in the daytime, that is probably excessive barking. So be aware of what you will accept, and be sure to immediately correct your dog once they cross that line. The more consistent your line is, the better your dog will respond to the training.

Remember: dogs bark for a reason. It's not always a great idea to totally suppress your dog, but you don't want to let it set the rules, either. Have a firm idea of what you want from your dog and consistently enforce those boundaries.

Photo Credits: misshappiness

Happy dogs.

The goal in social environments for a dog is to remain calm and relaxed in almost every situation - this relaxed behavior has a positive domino effect that helps put other dogs at ease and keeps you feeling secure, as well. This is the healthy way for a dog to interact with its world, and it's the goal you should strive for.

The common problems people see with dogs who don't properly socialize frequently manifest as excessive barking, aggression, fear, anxiety, and excessively nervous energy. There are a few ways to train this out of your dog as you grow it up.

For one, a dog will adapt to its surroundings pretty naturally. If you've ever taken a stroll through a city downtown, you'll notice that dogs on a leash have very little to no problems with crowds of people. Why is this? A dog has learned that it's normal to have so many people around and is not anxious because it's not a new or unfamiliar situation. If you bring a country dog to the city, however, you might find that this dog will have some socialization issues.

The first way, then, to raise a dog with a healthy social life is to expose it to other dogs and people as much as possible. Don't do this with a "throwing it the wolves" mentality; it's okay to work in progressive steps. But the more your dog is exposed to social situations, seeing other dogs, and seeing how other dogs react, the better they will be able to socialize in the future.

If your dog is a fully grown adult and still has socialization problems, you'll want to work with progressive training with a specific goal in mind: keeping your dog relaxed. Many people who have a problem with a dog's social skills often find that they don't set boundaries of influence for their dog. A dog shouldn't feel like it has to protect you - you should be your pack leader. This means correcting a dog when it gets too aggressive and not letting it dictate how you act or feel.

Photo Credits: DerbyDog1