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Dogs like to have work to do, and one job they inherently have is to protect their owners. Unfortunately, this can take the form of barking at inappropriate people, places or times. If your dog has problem barking, you’ll need to identify the problem, and then train him to change his behavior.

There are several reasons that dogs bark. They do it to alert their humans that danger is present. You know that the UPS man is not a threat, but your dog does not. Don’t make the situation worse by yelling. A dog that barks at the mailman, for example, has his behavior reinforced every day – he barks, the mailman goes away. If you then raise your voice to reprimand the dog, he will think that you are yelling at the mailman, too! Instead, teach him to do something else when someone comes to the door, such as lying down, and give him lots of praise when he cooperates.

Stress or fear can lead to problem barking. Again, yelling at the dog will only make the situation worse. He needs you to be calm to let him know he has nothing to fear. Is there another dog in the neighborhood that’s causing him to get upset? Take a little time to see if there is something bothering your dog, and then whether you can eliminate it from his environment.

Many dogs bark because they are bored. If your dog is used to lots of attention, he may feel lonely and frustrated when you are not around to entertain him. This is often the cause of problem barking for dogs that are put outside when their owners are out of the house. They may come to associate being outside with being abandoned, and thus bark incessantly while you are away.

The cure for this one may be difficult for dog lovers – you have to stop giving him so much praise for doing nothing! Pet him and lavish love on him when he has obeyed a command, but otherwise leave him alone. Your dog will begin to realize that he can be okay on his own.

Your dog may bark for attention. If you regularly respond to his barking, maybe he’s doing it just for that reason. The way to deal with this type of problem barking is to ignore him when he’s barking, and praise him as soon as he stops.

Dogs are pack animals, and can become lonely when they don’t get enough attention. They also have lots of energy – if they don’t get to expend it running or playing, they may turn to barking! Make sure your dog gets plenty of exercise and lots of attention at appropriate times.

If all else fails there are experts in problem barking to help you. Don’t hesitate to elicit their help, and any frustration you are feeling with a problem will be detected by your sensitive dog, and will confuse him further.