How to Stop an Australian Shepherd Barking
So many people wish that their dog would simply stop barking. While some barking may get a little annoying after a while, it is important to remember that barking is how a dog communicates with you and with other dogs. You should not wish to make your dog fear barking. He should be able to communicate as long as he is not communicating non-stop each and every day.
Before you begin any type of training, you may first want to look at when it is that your Australian Shepherd is barking and why he may be doing it. You might not even know that your dog has a problem with barking until your neighbors finally call you to let you know. If your dog is only barking when you are away from the house for extended periods of time, it could be because he is suffering from separation anxiety. If this is the case, there are a few things that you can do to help out.
Many Australian Shepherds love their people so much that they because upset and scared when they leave the house. Because of this, many people will go to great lengths to cuddle with their dog, pet him and basically just make a big deal out of leaving the house. The thing is though, the Shepherd isn’t like a child. He can’t understand everything that you are saying. When you are trying to smooth the situation over, you might actually be making it worse. The best thing you can do is to simply leave the house when the dog isn’t looking. Do not make a big deal out of your departure.
If the main problem is that your Australian Shepherd only barks like crazy whenever a person or dog walks past your house, then you may simply be dealing with a dog who has not been properly socialized. Luckily for you, this is something that you can easily deal with. All you have to do is to walk your dog around the block, in a dog park or anywhere else where he can encounter different people and dogs. By allowing your Australian Shepherd to socialize, you will help him relax when people and dogs walk past the house.
For those who have been trying to consistently train their dog to control the barking and who have not had great success, outside help may be needed. There are many professional dog trainers out there who should have no problem getting your dog to control his barking. In the end, you might find that your Australian Shepherd took longer than any of your other dogs but then again, you may find that the training was a breeze. Every breed and every individual dog within a particular breed class is different.
Just make sure that you are being consistent. Do not let a week or even one day go by where you are not correcting the obsessive barking behavior. The more days you allow to go by where you are not correcting the behavior, the longer it will take to see the full effects of the training. Stick to your guns and you will eventually have a well behaved Australian Shepherd who does not care about barking at every little thing that moves.