Cesar Millan, the dog Hauchizer, is known for teaching dog owners how to be calm, dominant leaders. Understanding a dog’s psychology, Millan does, is key to correcting any bad behaviors your dog has acquired, such as excessive barking. Millan wants dog owners to realize that their furry friends shed what you put in, so to speak. Dogs can read their owner’s energy like a book. They look to you for leadership, and if you don’t provide that, your dog will take that role, and that’s where the misbehavior begins. Just as a child needs guidance in being a civilized adult, a dog needs guidance in becoming a civilized dog.
Exercise, discipline, affection
When a dog develops behavioral problems, it is the dog owner who needs rehabilitation, not the dog. If you can change the way you relate to your dog, you should be able to correct bad behaviors, including excessive barking. Dogs need exercise, rules, boundaries, and restrictions in addition to love and affection, usually in that order. When you follow this formula, you should be able to correct most behavioral problems in dogs.
constant barking
Nothing could be more annoying than a dog that barks incessantly. It gets on everyone’s nerves and can damage your relationship with your dog, not to mention your relationship with your neighbors. It doesn’t have to be this way, but it does take some commitment from you to fix the situation. Dogs bark to communicate with us. Constant and excessive barking is not normal dog behavior. Your dog may be trying to tell you that something is wrong, according to Cesar Way. Perhaps you are not meeting your dog’s needs.
Reality check
It’s hard not to be flattered when you get home to a dog that enthusiastically welcomes you at the door by jumping, running and barking. Perhaps you feel loved and valued for your dog. But, according to Cesar’s method, dogs don’t naturally greet each other that way. The frantic salute is your dog trying to communicate something is amiss. Perhaps he is bored and lonely. Excitement is your dog’s way of burning off excess energy that is stored throughout the day.
Barking is normal
Barking is one of the reasons some people have a dog in the first place, to warn them when strangers are approaching and to guard the home. It’s completely normal for your dog to bark when a mail carrier approaches, for example, but you’ll want to keep barking in check. You can do this by creating your role as a pack leader. When your dog barks at a stranger, come to your dog calmly, and reduce his energy to let him know that you have this under control and that all is well.
Take action
When your dog’s barking crosses from normal to annoying, you must take action. Tell your dog to stop by using a look he will understand, a sound or a physical correction. Physical corrections are not meant to hit, kick or abuse the dog in any way. Millan does this by turning his hand into a mouth and simulating the bite a mother dog would give her puppy, accompanied by a short sound, such as “ch.” It will probably stop your dog from barking, but don’t stop here. The dog may bark some more. Be patient and continue this exercise until he stops barking completely.
Check your anger
You cannot get a dog to stop barking unless you give calm energy. If you are excited, angry and loud at the dog, you are making the problem worse. Calm yourself before trying to calm your dog.
He goes for a walk
If your dog is barking too much, it is often because of pent-up energy. This is an easy fix. You can release some energy by taking your dog on a daily walk for at least 45 minutes. You can make walking more difficult by running or having your dog wear a backpack made for this purpose. You can also play with your dog more and possibly get agility training or teach obedience games. If you’ve tried everything and can’t get your dog to stop barking, you may need to call a dog trainer to show you how to do it.
