My Dog Training Blog

Excessive barking is a problem to dog owners and in order train your German shepherd to stop barking, this you need first to understand why it barks.

German shepherd dogs are known to bark quite excessively. This is due to their nature as herding dogs and barking is one of the ways they use to round up cattle. Since these dogs are also loyal, they might as well see you as a herd of cattle and thus the need to protect you.

They also bark excessively when they are lonely. You may not realize it but German shepherd are people dogs and they bark a lot when left alone. If this is the case with your dog, then you need to find out a way to keep him less lonely while teaching him that barking is not going to you to spend time with him. Regular daily exercise and stimulating games like “fetch” should remedy the problem.

Separation anxiety also causes your dog to bark constantly. A good way to avoid this is by making your leaving and returning as uneventful as possible. You should prepare the dog to know that you are leaving by carrying out your duties normally without talking to him or making eye contact with him. This is to minimize the amount of contact with him before you leave. When leaving, you should leave calmly without even saying goodbye.

The same routine should be applied when returning. Do not make any contact with the dog for a while. Do your chores quietly for about several minutes then settle down, gently call your dog over, and pet him gently and quietly. This creates a situation where leaving and returning is not a big deal and the German shepherd’s barking should dissipate naturally.

Some dog bark excessively to stimuli such as the telephone or doorbell. If this is the case, then you need to train your dog when to bark and to stop. Attach your dog to a lead and find a helper with the doorbell. When the bell rings, and it starts to bark, give him the command “speak” and after a short while the command “quiet”.

If is continues to bark, then tug on the lead. The tug is not meant as punishment but rather it breaks the fixation of the dog on his barking. Should he respond, praise him and give him a treat. Practice this until when it can bark and stop at your command.

Dogs are territorial animals and can bark if their territory is invaded. The best way is to remove him from these situations. If he barks when strangers approach the house, then put him in an area where he cannot easily see or hear them. If he runs towards the fence barking at people in the streets, then remove him from the front lawn altogether. If he finds no other reason to bark, then it will subside with time.

Health reason can also make the dog bark. The areas of concern include arthritis, teeth and ears especially when the dog is getting older. Regular health checkups by a vet will eliminate these causes.

By: Brett M Windmann

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