Dogs must eat. It is natural. He knows he must do it. Dogs must bark. It is natural. He knows he must do it. The dog in a natural environment will be required to fill his greatest need – food. In the commission of this he will be moving for hours to find prey. The dog in the square yard while you are at work will be bored. He sits there listening; there are hundreds of random sounds that activate his automatic alert system. He barks. Barking can become a habit. The dog feels a sense of purpose; he is not letting anything go by the street without warning anyone within earshot (like your neighbour). This behaviour can get you a personal visit from a bylaw officer.
The dilemma is that barking dogs can be a great asset to the home alarm system. They will signal someone coming onto the porch, the kids are home from school, it is very late and there is someone in the alley near your tool shed. The dog that gets into the habit of mindless barking is like the boy who cries wolf, the meaningfulness becomes lost in the repetition. Real barks express the dog’s state of mind. His joyful bark will greet you, distress cry barks will get you to come and investigate, aggressive rapid barks will warn the intruder and excited eager barks tell you he’d love to go on the walk with you.
Dogs need to feel that they have a purpose. You may legitimately have a dog for his sentry ability but if you leave him to himself in the yard all day, his barks will lose credibility because of the frequency.
It is not wrong for the dog to bark. One of my clients has a husband who has Parkinson’s disease. One cold winter morning, he went out to the curb to add a small bag to the garbage. After ten minutes the dog began to bark and act agitated. When the woman looked out the door, her husband lay on the sidewalk; he had fallen and could not move. His coat was draped over the banister and she thought he had returned into the house. Thanks to the dog, the husband was spared an hour or so of “cold fresh air” as he lay helpless on the walkway.
If you are leaving for the day, take the dog for a walk before you go and then he can be sequestered in his room or crate if need be. When you return, take him out again for a walk. He has needs. It’s a two way street. You know exactly why you need him, don’t overlook what he needs from you. Exercise is a big need and most dogs do not get enough. Get out the runners, buy a new pair to add spice, pick a crazy pattern, use a contrasting colour for your laces. You fine, you out there, you dog be good.
Ravinn O. West is kennelmaster and trainer at Ravendale Kennel and Training Centre at Cochrane, Alberta. Her latest book, The Tao of Dogs is available from www.ravinnwest.com You may send questions or comments to her via [email protected]
