Don’t give a dog a bone to stop barking

Food does not fix the problem. But 99 per cent of people try a bone and it does not work.

Dan Abdelnoor, aka Doggy Dan

A renowned dog whisperer believes owners are looking in all the wrong places when it comes to getting their dogs to stop barking.

Barking dogs are one of the most common noise complaints received by councils around Taranaki.

South Taranaki District Council’s dog barking complaints went from 365 in 2016 to 579 in 2017.

Over the same period Stratford District Council’s doubled, but from a small base of three to seven, and New Plymouth District Council’s, although high, dropped from 710 to 668.

Auckland-based dog behaviourist Dan Abdelnoor, who prefers to be referred to as Doggy Dan, has helped over 25,000 dog owners around the world. He even published a book on the matter titled What the Dogs Taught Me about Being a Parent.

Incessant barking has nothing to do with boredom or food, he said. Barking dogs were lonely and/or protective.

‘‘Food does not fix the problem. But 99 per cent of people try a bone and it does not work.’’

He compared giving a dog a bone when it was barking because its owner was leaving the house to giving a mother a box of chocolates to stop her worrying about her child.

Not only do lonely dogs bark out of anxiety when their owner is not at home, when dog and owner were reunited at the end of a work day, pooches turned into security guards and went on ‘‘border control’’ at the property, sometimes resulting in more barking.

To stop dogs barking and driving neighbours mad, pet owners should be looking to change the relationship they have with their pet and take back the control, Doggy Dan said.

The South Taranaki District Council have procedures in place to help new dog owners avoid excessive barking, by providing them with an education kit and offering assistance along the way.

Its Dog Control Policy states the council issue infringements where necessary and can restrict or remove the right of dog ownership for persistent offenders when a problem cannot be resolved.

‘‘Being a responsible dog owner means ensuring that your dog does not annoy your neighbourhood with excessive barking or howling,’’ said council spokeswoman Rachael Harris.

‘‘It is important that your dogs are properly exercised, entertained and looked after to avoid this from happening.’’

Auckland City Council also has a number of ways to teach your dog who’s boss.

If your dog barks at everything that moves, use short reprimand words. If you do the same every time your dog does something wrong, it will soon understand.

Information on its website recommends praising your dog as soon as it stops barking and strongly advises against consoling a barking dog with treats, as this will reward or reinforce barking.