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Dogs can bark for many reasons, but when they do when they are alone, it is because they suffer from separation anxiety. When a dog is very dependent it feels very lonely when their owners leave home and tries to call them barking non-stop until they come back.
It is important to educate the dog correctly from the moment he arrives home, so he can be alone without problems. But we often have to resort to various tricks during the training to avoid the annoying barking.
Continue reading this PeritoAnimal article on how avoid dog barking when alone and learn to stop the animal's annoying cries and get it to become a stable and happy companion.
Training to Avoid Separation Anxiety
From the first moment the dog arrives home, you should start educating him to learn to be alone without causing any problems. You can leave him alone for short periods, like five minutes, so the dog starts to realize that it's okay because you'll always come back. Once you get used to it, you can start to leave it alone for longer periods.
It is also important that you do it with it. long walks to discharge all your energy and not bark out of boredom or stress, especially on those days when you're going to leave him alone longer than usual. If you hear his barking on the way out the door, he shouldn't go back to caress you, because that way you'll understand that by barking you'll get what you want.
The actions you follow every time you leave the house, such as picking up your keys or putting your shoes on, alert your dog that he is going out and will start to get nervous. One technique for not associating these habits with your going out is to do them once in a while but without actually leaving the house. In other words, you can put on your shoes and sit on the sofa or pick up your keys and let them go. Over time the dog will get used to it and will see this as something normal.
the music and toys
A good way to prevent a dog from barking when it's alone is turning on the television or radio. Just as many people turn on these devices to have background noise and "have company", it also helps dogs. Listening to something other than silence can help avoid the puppy's separation anxiety because it serves as companionship and they don't feel so alone.
There are also some toys to avoid separation anxiety that make the dog entertained when he is alone, such as the Kong, this way you won't pay as much attention to your output. Furthermore, it is a totally safe intelligence toy.
Don't forget to consider the option of adopting a second dog so that your best friend will feel together and at ease when you're not home.
Training
First of all, it's important keep calm when you hear your dog barking. Whenever your furry friend barks in front of you you should try to make him realize that you are not enjoying what he is doing, but in a calm and efficient way.
Dogs understand our body language and are able to learn short commands, so when you start barking you can say a firm "no". It's important not to get nervous or start screaming, as this will only increase your tension and keep barking.
It is also useful to use the positive reinforcement, that is, rewarding you with caresses, prizes or nice words when you do what you said and are calm. In this way, you will gradually associate what you like is that you behave this way.
If at any point you feel that you cannot in any way make your dog stop barking when he is alone, then it is best to consult an ethologist. This professional will help you to overcome the puppy's separation anxiety and stop his barking, getting him to become a balanced animal and helping both to be completely happy together but independent.
