When the barking has been effectively interrupted, I reward the silence. I simultaneously overlay a word such as "Quiet" or "Enough" so the dog is learning the association and to take a directive from me to cease the barking.
In this way, I can choose how much barking to allow and when to interrupt and teach accountability. By learning accountability to my commands, the dog is not lead to believe that barking is bad, but rather, that he must stop when I request it.
There are certainly circumstances where barking is desirable, so this type of training will give you verbal control over the behavior so you can allow barking based on your discretion. After a session or two of e-collar training for bark control, the dog has an idea of how to respond appropriately to the stimulation. Next, when I put the bark collar on that will automatically activate based on either sound or vocal cord vibration depending on the collar model , he will be clear on how to have control over the sensation.
The dog can quickly learn that when the bark collar is on he must control the barking himself, rather than waiting for a directive from me. This allows safe and fair use the tool when the dog is left alone and we need to ensure quiet surroundings when we can't actively supervise. In the case of a non e-collar trained dog, the steps are a bit different, but there are still steps to go through.
The dog must be taught how to understand and respond to the sensation of a no bark collar. It is not only a mistake to think you can simply put the collar on and walk away, but is it totally unfair to the dog. First off, the collar must fit properly.
Any collar that has contact points must fit snug enough that the points are in continual contact with the skin. If the collar is too loose it simply will not work consistently and the results will be poor. It is important to read the owners manual to make sure you understand the best placement for the collar.
Some collars are activated by sound, some by vibration of the vocal cords. For this reason placement on the neck may be influenced by the location of the sensors in order to get optimal results. You also want to have a clear understanding of the various functions.
Many no bark collars have options for vibration only, vibration followed by stimulation, varying levels of stimulation to choose from and auto-advancing levels based on the dog's barking pattern. Read the manual so you fully understand how your equipment operates.
When you are ready to start teaching the dog how to understand and respond properly to the bark collar, start at the lowest level of stimulation available. Punishment, as a method of training, is often ineffective as dogs often do not associate the punishment the citronella spray, sound or shock with the behaviour.
Positive reinforcement is a preferable training technique as it provides an incentive for desirable behaviour. In this case, you would reward your dog when he stops barking and remains quiet, by offering her a tasty treat or play with a favourite toy. Food treats are good to start with but as training progresses your dog should recognise verbal praise and a pat as a treat. Electronic anti-barking devices inflict pain and distress on the animal and therefore should not be used.
This type of behavioural modification does not tend to be successful because it fails to address the underlying cause of the behaviour. Dogs bark for many reasons: play, fear, separation anxiety, frustration, environmental factors, boredom etc. These devices will not necessarily solve the underlying cause of the barking and will only temporarily mask the problem.
This type of barking is most useful for human owners who keep dogs as a form of protection. Dogs can also bark as a learned response. If a dog barks and then receives attention from you, he learns that barking will help him get what he wants—attention or play. If a dog brings his toy to you, then barks, and you engage in play with the dog, he learns that barking is a good way to initiate play.
If this behavior causes you to scold or yell at the dog, he may construe this as reinforcement as well—any attention beats no attention at all. Barking is a normal play behavior for a dog and can be directed to either a human or animal. In keeping with barking for attention, dogs may also bark in response to anxiety they feel when their owner is not present. Barking may persist for several hours at a time and usually only happens when the owner is not present. For many owners, one of the above causes is reason enough to justify the use of a bark collar.
There is one instance, however, in which a bark collar should never be used to discourage barking. Some dogs that are in pain or that suffer from deafness, cognitive problems or brain diseases may bark excessively. To eliminate these possibilities, always take your dog to the veterinarian for a full checkup before initiating a behavior modification program that includes a bark collar.
Ultimately, the choice to use a bark collar is up to you, the owner. Try alternative methods of behavior modification before you select a bark collar. Your veterinarian can recommend specific exercises to train your dog to stop barking or remain quiet.
While you do want to discourage unnecessary barking, you do not want your dog to stop barking entirely. Barking—within reason—is a natural behavior for a dog, but one that should be monitored closely. Learn to recognize the triggers that cause your dog to bark, and work to eliminate as many of these stressors as possible. While training your dog to stop barking may seem like a time-consuming burden, it can often prove more successful than simply using a bark collar.
With dogs, just as with humans, there is no magic cure for unsavory behavior.
0コメント