There are just some days when Minnie Pearl, our 11 month old American Eskimo dog, wants to bark at everything. It’s usually following a full moon, which I don’t believe is just a coincidence. I was a teacher and many of my students definitely acted differently during a full moon. Adults do too, but they just don’t seem to acknowledge it. Most of the time Minnie Pearl is really good about not barking at everything which is a great result of our training.
We’ve been working very hard on getting her to not bark at random people during our walks. She receives a treat when she doesn’t bark when we pass people on our walks. She’s to the point where she will stop dead in her tracks after she passes someone without barking to receive her treat. It’s quite comical.
I started doing this when she was very, very young, and continue to reward her for not barking at people. I randomize her rewards so I don’t have to give her a treat every single time. Sometimes she gets a head scratch and sometimes she gets an actual treat. It didn’t work overnight, so if you are trying to train your dog not to bark excessively on walks, give it time and be consistent.
I will say this though: There are just some people Minnie Pearl doesn’t care for. I’m not exactly sure why and can only think that maybe they are putting out some kind of energy she doesn’t vibe with. American Eskimo dogs are a protective breed and tend to bark more than some other breeds, so we understand her behavior. Thankfully she doesn’t bark at everything all the time. Many days she’ll hardly bark, but she’ll have a day here or there when she is more “bark-y” than others. Humans display behavior like this too, but that’s a story for another day…..
There are some times when you have to let your dog bark as it’s part of their natural instincts. However, excessive (non stop) barking can be a sign that your dog is in distress and needs either medical attention or just basic love and attention in general.
Are you trying to work with your dog on excessive barking behavior? If so, talk to your veterinarian. They can give you many tips and tricks to try. You can also try some tips from this article from The Humane Society of The United States: How to Get your Dog to Stop Barking.
Sending you light and love and a happy Friday!
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Art by Carolyn J. Braden, Media: Microsoft PowerPoint