Nothing is more annoying and stressful than to deal with constant dog barking. It is a frustrating and futile experience to control this unwanted behavior without a basic understanding of why they bark.

Why do dogs bark? Barking is a natural doggy behavior to convey their moods to you, to get your attention and to show their excitement. It is more than mere noise and linking the vocalization to their postures, tail movements and the facial aspects gives a true picture of what they are trying to talk to you.

Here are some instances where they convey different meaning. High-pitched short tonal bark with swift tail wags when he is in a playful mood. Low gruff bark gradually increasing to howling when somebody is at the door or near the house. Loud bark with raised hackles when he sees another dog or cat. High pitched incessant bark when he is lonely or distressed and so on.

Once you start observing and identifying the causes then it becomes easy to train your dog according to the situation. Reasons for barking can be either due to a fundamental behavior issue or the situations and surroundings contributing to the barking. Natural dog instincts to which they voice should not be curbed.

Here are some proven techniques to stop your dog’s continuous barking, which is unwarranted and not natural:

* Your dog must learn first what is expected of him and what is not. If he barks to get your attention and manipulates you to give in to his needs then it is not good. If you give him a treat or play whenever he barks then it reinforces that behavior and he will do even more in the future. Turn away from him and simply disregard his barks. He may be surprised and bark harder at first by your action but the more consistent you are the effective control it would be.

* Teach him “quiet” or “enough” command whenever he barks. Explore the reason for barking before you hush him. Pat him and praise him immediately when he stops barking. He will learn to be quiet by associating the command with the praise.

* Barking as a means to display dominant behavior: If the dog refuses to obey and continues to bark back to you with aggression, then he believes that he is the leader of the pack. It’s very important that your dog recognizes that you outrank him as the leader an Alpha dog and he is below you. They are well behaved under a leadership and form a strong bond with you based on trust and respect.

* Boredom is another reason for constant barking. Dogs need to be engaged constantly and exercised enough to get rid of their boredom. Take your dog for a long walk every day or spend time with interactive plays like fetching the ball.

* Loneliness and separation anxiety are other causes of constant barking. They bark in an effort to get out of their confinement when left alone. Vigorous exercise before you leave will make him sleep when you are away and with chewy toys and items around will keep him busy till you return.

Bark aka shock collar use to stop dog barking is not human and has long-term psychological implications. Conditioning with praise and reward is the most compassionate approach to any dog behavior problem.