Behavior & Training Questions About Dogs

By Jill Marie O'Brien, CPDT
Director of Animal Training & Behavior Services

Debarking A Dog

Question : We are dog lovers from Bangalore, India. We are, however, having problems with the incessant barking of all of our seven dogs. This is disturbing the entire neighborhood. We want your views with respect to debarking or devocalizing. Is it a complicated procedure? Does it harm the dogs in any way? Does spcaLA have any objections to debarking of dogs?

Answer : Debarking dogs is a common veterinary procedure, but has lost favor among many animal professionals. Debarking is accomplished by performing surgery on a dog's vocal chords under general anesthesia. It involves cutting into the voice box to remove the vocal chords. Debarking is thought to be permanent but many people complain that after a time the barking returns.

Most dogs continue to bark after the surgery, for their behavior is not modified. A debarked dog's bark sounds like a dog with a chronic case of laryngitis. As with any surgery one can only assume there is some level of discomfort. Some of the side effects that I have been told about are infections, scare tissue & the need for additional surgeries.

The best way to address a barking dog problem is to contact a professional trainer and try to identify the cause of the barking. In a multiple dog household, you’ll need to identify the dog or dogs that are the biggest culprits. Often it is one or two dogs that set off the entire pack. Behavior Modification is the most effective and humane way to deal with problem barking. Most dogs bark for a reason, we just need to find out what it is and address it appropriately. A professional should be able to help with this.

Question : My family lives next door to a barking dog. We have tried to make our neighbors understand that we DO NOT enjoy hearing a barking dog all day long. Unfortunately they do not understand that and don't feel compelled to do anything about it. So, I want to know is there anything I can do without entering their yard and putting a muzzle on it? Are there electronic devices that I can install in my yard that would either calm or aggravate the dog so it won't bark? I appreciate any advice you can give on this matter.

Answer : Of all dog behavior problems, perhaps the most distressing is the non-stop barking dog. If you're a dog owner, local ordinance dictates that you have the responsibility to control your dog's barking and keep the peace. The spcaLA offers the following tips to residents having to endure non-stop yips and woofs from neighborhood dogs :

1. Educate Your Neighbor - Remember that most dogs will occasionally bark at other animals or people entering or even passing by their property - that's normal dog behavior. But, if your neighbor's dog is a nuisance and you have a good relationship with your neighbor, kindly alert them of the problem. Some dogs bark seemingly non-stop when their owners aren't home. When the owner comes home, the dog stops barking and the owner never knew that the dog was causing a disturbance.
   
2. Contact Your Local Animal Control - If the incessant barking has not stopped, or you simply do not feel comfortable approaching your neighbor, call your local animal control agency and alert them of the problem. An animal control officer will visit the home to determine if there is a disturbance problem, offer behavior counseling tips, and issue a warning citation to the neighbor if necessary. If the disturbance is not then corrected, the dog barking complaint can end up in court and the dog owner may be fined and/or lose his dog ownership privilege.

If your dog is the problem barker, try to find out why. If your dog is barking whenever you leave him alone, he may be suffering from separation anxiety or just be over-stimulated by passers by and small animals. You may want to consider contacting a canine behavior specialist. If you are home and the dog is barking, let him know that his behavior is not acceptable. Enroll in a good dog training class. This will help you learn the skills necessary to teach your pooch proper manners. Also remember that your pet relies on you for everything, even entertainment and socialization; if your dog is bored and under-exercised he may start a barking habit. Some dogs bark uncontrollably, when they’ve missed their daily walk.

A good trainer and/or behavior specialist can be of immense help in diagnosing a dog’s barking problem and in determining the appropriate training. If it is severe separation anxiety help from a veterinary behaviorist may be required.

Question : My neighbor's dog is driving me crazy. I like my neighbor a lot, and I like the dog even more (I love animals), but I work at home and my office is next to the neighbor's fence. The dog starts barking on the other side of the fence during the day when he's alone and he goes on for hours, making it impossible for me to concentrate. I've talked to my neighbor, and he nods and smiles and seems very sympathetic, but nothing gets done. When he's home, the dog doesn't bark. I think he thinks I'm a nut. What's my next step?

Answer : You apparently want to keep good relations with your neighbor by politely pointing out a noise disturbance problem that he, perhaps, does not believe exists. To convince your neighbor that this is in fact a real problem, video tape or tape record his dog in action. Visit a local veterinarian and obtain business cards or phone numbers of animal trainers in your area. Then, visit your neighbor and present your evidence and suggestions for animal behaviorists. Also, let your neighbor know that if his dog's barking does not eventually stop you will be forced, as a last resort, to call the local animal control organization to help with this problem.

Urinating in the House

Question : My un-neutered 3 year-old dog, which had been house trained has recently begun urinating in several places of the house. He's never done this before. My friend tells me that un-neutered dogs will do this. What should I do to correct this behavior?

Answer : There are many reasons why a house trained dog will urinate in the home: male related urine marking, reaction to fear or excitement, separation anxiety or submissive urination. A trip to the veterinarian to rule out any medical or physical causes is a good place to start. Once that has been ruled out as a cause you should consider contacting a good trainer and/or behavior specialist. They can be of immense help in diagnosing your dog’s inappropriate urination problem if behavioral and in determining the appropriate training program to implement.

If it is determined that the urinating in the house is male related neutering can help reduce the level of testosterone which contributes to the dog’s drive to mark.

If the dog starts to urinate elsewhere, retraining the dog may be necessary. It might be helpful to keep a log for a few days to see if there is a pattern for the inappropriate urination. If you see the dog is about to eliminate you can interrupt the behavior with a loud "NO" or a clap of your hands. As soon as the dog stops, immediately take the dog to the correct potty area and reward the dog for eliminating in the correct location. Never hit your dog or physically punish your dog. This can be damaging to your relationship with your dog and may actually make housetraining more difficult.

Introducing A New Baby To The Family Dog

Question : I am eight months pregnant and am wondering if you can suggest ways of introducing my new baby to our family dog? This is our first child.

Answer : First, you should take your pet and his stool sample to your veterinarian for a thorough examination to ensure your dog is healthy before your new baby comes home. Getting the dog ready for baby’s arrival should start immediately. DO NOT wait until baby comes home to start working with the dog. There are many good books on getting dogs ready for a new baby’s homecoming, better yet work with a professional to help get your dog ready. If your dog hasn’t been to a training class before or it has been a long while you should get the dog obedience trained.

The dog's reaction will let you know how fast to move forward and how trusting to be with him. Be aware that dogs become stressed with the added competition in the house, so reinforce the baby's presence as a positive by providing praise and treats to the dog when the baby is around. It is important that dog believes that the baby’s presence in the home increases his resources and does not deplete them. This includes toys, food and most importantly your attention. Keep as many of your pet-oriented routines as possible. For example, keep the evening walk, the morning game of retrieve and the Friday new chew toy routine. By keeping the dog’s life consistent your dog will be more accepting to the other changes that will be occurring with the arrival of the new baby.

At the first sign of trouble contact a professional immediately. Please don’t wait until issues progress to the point of no return. The most important thing is to have a safe happy baby and a dog that is comfortable and relaxed with the new arrival. If your dog growls around toys or food or is possessive of you or your spouse you will need to address these problems ASAP.

Dogs and children can live happy live together. With a little advanced planning your home will be a wonderful place for both child and dog.

What you should know about outside dogs

If your dog spends his whole day barking and whining for no apparent reason, you may need to rethink your pooch's living situation. Dogs that spend the majority of their lives outside have a higher rate of behavior problems, including aggression towards people and other animals. Dogs that have lived outside with minimal training are at higher risk of ending up in the shelter.

Of the 109 fatal dog bites recorded in the United States by The HSUS between the years 1989 and 1994, dogs that were kept restrained on the owner's property caused 18 percent of bites reported. Chaining, or tethering, refers to the practice of fastening a dog to a stationary object, such as a doghouse or pole, as a means of keeping him or her under control. Animal behaviorists agree that constant chaining makes dogs aggressive and therefore more likely to bite.

Tips for teaching your dog to live in the house:

• It is essential that your dog have a general understanding of obedience commands. Sit, down, stay and quiet are the most useful commands in the house.
• Keep your dog on a line when you are home with them so you are able to get quick control without having to grab at the dog's collar. NEVER LEAVE A LINE ON THE DOG WHEN YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO WATCH THE DOG.
• NEVER leave an untrained dog unattended. Create a safe area for your pet to stay or crate train your dog. This will give you a place to put your dog when you are busy with other activities in the home (i.e. cooking or taking a bath) or cannot be home to supervise your pet.

Reducing the risk of aggression:

• Don't leave your dog unattended in a front yard or a yard with public access. Dogs can become very stressed by all the passing people (some may even tease the dog) and other animals. This can increase the chance your dog will become aggressive or may bite an innocent person.
• Obedience train your dog using fair and fun techniques. Don't hit or be aggressive with your dog.
• Raise your dog to be a member of the family. Dogs that spend their whole lives outside tend to suffer more from stress and have more behavioral problems.
• Avoid playing aggressive games with your family dog such as wrestling on the ground, or out of control tug of war. Play fun games like hide and seek or retrieving a ball.
• Don't teach your pet dog to bite or train them as guard dogs.
• Socialize new puppies to life in the home and to all types of people. Puppies need to learn that all people and children are fun and won't cause them harm.
• Obedience train your dog!