My 4 year old beagle is my life...and is terrrific with me and even when I am not home, but when I am home and he hears a noise or someone comes to the door he is out of control. Barking/Howling etc. I am moving into the city and he needs to be quite, as my upstairs neighbor will be upset! What do I do to get him to chill?
[COLOR=black]Thank you for your post regarding your Beagle and his barking. Inappropriate barking can be a very frustrating problem, particularly if you do not have very understanding neighbors![/COLOR]
[COLOR=black]Fortunately for you, you mentioned that your beagle only barks when you are at home. This will make it much easier for you to correct this behavior.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=black]Firstly, I recommend that you read and start using the Alpha techniques to teach your dog that he is lower than you in the pack order. At the moment it's possible that he is being inadvertently taught that he is the Top Dog, and therefore he is in charge of protecting his territory and the other pack members (you). You need to teach him that this is not actually his responsibility, and that you are the Alpha Dog, not him. [/COLOR]
[COLOR=black]Secondly, when you hear your dog barking, I want you to resist any temptation to yell at your dog to stop. Often this kind of reprimand is ineffective because the dog just assumes that you are joining in with his barking![/COLOR]
[COLOR=black]Instead you could try using a redirection method. When you hear your dog start to bark, make a loud, high pitched noise. This noise should startle your dog into stopping what he is doing, giving you the opportunity to praise him and give him a yummy treat. Do this over and over again until the message starts to get through to your dog that his barking is not appropriate behavior.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=black]You could also try teaching your dog the "Quiet" Command. [/COLOR]
[COLOR=black]- Do something that you know will make him bark[/COLOR] [COLOR=black]- Then say "Quiet", and hold a treat in front of his nose[/COLOR] [COLOR=black]- When he stops barking to sniff the treat, feed it to him, and praise him[/COLOR] [COLOR=black]- Do this a number of times, and gradually make your dog wait longer for the treat until it gets to the point where your dog knows that the "Quiet" command means he should stop barking[/COLOR]
[COLOR=black]If you have little success with these methods, you might like to pay a visit to your local Pet Store or Vet and get a Citronella training collar. When your dog barks, the collar will emit a spray of Citronella. Dogs tend to hate the smell, so it will hopefully stop him in his tracks! As soon as the barking stops, remember that you should praise him so that he knows what behavior gets a reprimand (spray), and what behavior gets praise.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=black]In my opinion the Citronella collar is a much better option than a shock collar.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=black]I hope this helps. Good luck with your Beagle and your upcoming move to the city.[/COLOR]
