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Article: Understanding
Why Dogs Bark
Ten thousand years ago, the wolf
ancestors of modern dogs roamed wild and free.
But soon, these clever and adaptable animals found
an advantage in associating with humans. Thus,
an unspoken bargain was formed: food, water, and
shelter, in exchange for companionship.
Eventually man learned to exaggerate the natural instincts and talents of the
wolf through selective breeding. Dogs evolved into separate breeds used by
man for different useful tasks, such as herding livestock, hunting wild game
and even fighting crime. But even though man was able to exaggerate certain
instincts and abilities, we have not been able to eliminate certain unwanted
traits such as continuous barking.
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The problem comes from the fact that dogs were bred
to work! Many modern dogs are bored because they have
no outlet for the mental and physical energy for which
they were bred. As a consequence of this boredom, modern
dogs have developed behavioral problems. Often this behavior
is exhibited through barking. This is sometimes useful
behavior, such as when chasing off a prowler. Other times
it can be bothersome and inconvenient. And let's not
forget the legal ramifications. In many communities,
a barking dog can mean fines and even time in court!
So know that you know barking is a problem, how do you
correct the problem? If you shout at the dog, the dog
will simply assume you are barking too, and continue
its tirade. After all, the dog doesn't understand English
any better than you understand doggish! Some dogs may
start to bark for no other reason than to attract the
attention of their owners. Which is why some dogs will
bark when their owners have left home. They are attempting
to call them back. When the owner eventually does come
home, the dog thinks that its barking ploy has worked!
So we can imagine one way to deter barking would be
to ignore the dog. Eventually you can hope that the dog
will become tired of barking after not getting the attention
it wants. Another way to keep your dog from barking at
night or while you're away, is to play with it before
hand. Hopefully this will expend that playful energy,
calming and quieting the dog. We do offer a full line
of bark control products that can quickly and safely
curb problem barking, helping you enjoy your pet even
more.
reprint courtesy of Innotek Pet-Products |
