How to Stop a Saint Bernard Dog or Puppy Barking
Owning a Saint Bernard is a rewarding experience but it does have its downfalls if you have a dog that has behavior issues such as excessive barking. We all know that barking is your dog’s only way of communication and we love their voice but we do not love to hear their voice round the clock. So how do you stop the barking?
One of the first steps in getting the barking under control is to find the root of the problem. Some dogs bark because they are lonely. Does it seem like his barking start when you leave? Does he whine and howl once he finds he is the only one home or left outside? If this is the case then you can do things to make him feel not so alone. Many people have found great success by simply leaving the radio on. Your pooch gets to hear human voices and it helps to calk him down.
There are certain breeds of dogs that are just natural barkers but thankfully Saint Bernard’s are not. If your pooch is becoming a barker then chances are he is telling you that something is wrong. Check your pet to be sure that he or she is not injured. There may be an underlying reason for him to be causing such a fuss and a trip to the vet can help figure that out for you.
Your dog may also bark a great deal if he is sheltered from people. This means that he is kept from seeing people so he naturally thinks that he is to bark at everyone that walks by. You can try taking him for walks so that he gets to see more then just the immediate family. It will help him to see your behavior around strangers which can teach him that he doesn’t need to bark at everything.
Some people go a different route to help with excess barking which is going with the use of barking collars. These collars emit a shock to the dog when it feels the vibration from the dog’s throat when he barks. This helps a dog learn very quickly that barking is not acceptable. While this is a very effective method for controlling your pooch’s voice box, many people do not like to shock their dogs into submission. This method is not for everyone so do not feel like this is your only option.
You can try working with your pooch with positive feedback. Use treats to praise your dog when he is doing a good job. Work with your dog to teach him when to back and when not to. Praise or reward him when he sits quietly for a certain period of time. He will learn quickly that good behavior gets him rewards. When he is acting out and barking, ignore him to show him that this is not acceptable behavior. Dogs love attention and they want to please us so they will work extra hard to do the things that make us happy.