Information Gathering - Finding Out the Cause
Ask your neighbours, set up cameras, and/or recorders (ipad), use Apps such as Dog Monitor, Bark n Mad, purchase a barking counter collar or FitBark which records all barking and/or activity your dog does.
Keep a diary so you can record where your dog is when he barks, what time of the day, for how long, and what it sounds like. This is all crucial information that allows you to work out the best approach.
Prevention
Once you have an idea when your dog barks, for how long, where your dog is and possible causes, it’s time for some basic prevention strategies…
Control the Environment
There are many things you can do in your dog’s environment that will reduce excessive barking. It may be as simple as bringing your dog inside the house to prevent them barking at the fence, or closing curtains to prevent vision through a window. Other more labour intensive ideas are putting up shade cloth/black plastic along a fence to prevent a dog seeing people or dogs walking past, or building a second fence or to prevent access to an area of the yard.
For many types of barking, if you don’t control the environment, you will have a very hard time reducing your dog's barking.
Denning/Crating
Sometimes you may have to resort to a short term confinement option to prevent your dog’s access to the yard at certain times of the day. Any area needs to be introduced slowly and positively so the dog loves to be in there. Ask us for help!