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Ask Tammy Replies
Why is my dog always barking?
Dogs bark for many reasons: excitement, dominance, fear, boredom, attention.
If your dog is barking out of excitement, redirect his attention away from what is causing the barking and toward you, with food and praise. Pretty soon your dog will start to ignore the distraction and start looking to you for rewards.
If your dog is barking at you for attention, petting, etc. - ignore him and walk away! Praise and give him attention only when he is calm and quiet. Pretty soon he will learn that being polite is what gets lots of attention and not barking.
Some dogs bark just because they are bored! Make sure your dog gets lots of daily exercise as well as interesting toys to play with.
If your dog's ears are upright/erect as well as his body posture being forward and upright, he may be territorial or dominant barking. Seek professional training to teach him not to be dominant and redirect his attention with praise and rewards for the proper behavior.
If your dog's ears are back, and his body is in a submissive position (low to the ground, tail may be tucked under), he may be barking out of fear. Seek professional training to help build his confidence and redirect his attention with praise and rewards for the proper behavior. Dominant barking or fearful barking should not be physically corrected as it can cause the dog to become more aggressive and maybe even bite.
If none of these scenarios fit, your dog may be barking just to tell you something. Take him to the vet for an exam to rule out any physical causes. Another fun thing to do is to teach your dog to bark on command. When your dog barks, tell him "Speak". As soon as he stops, tell him "Quiet". Soon your dog will learn that the word speak means to bark and the word quiet means to stop barking.
Remember, whenever you are working with your dog, use lots of praise ("Good Boy!") and rewards (yummy treats/petting) for the proper behavior.
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