Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-12-28
BARKING DOGS.
OLD MAGAZINES.

(From P. j., Washington
Sorry to be so long in answering
the request on how to make q dog
stop barking.
How do I stop my dogs bark
ing?" This was the first question I
asked the Obedience Trainer years
ago. Now, as Secretary of the
Capitol Dog Training Club, it is the
same question l answer most fire.
quently. His answer was then and
1t will hold until the end of time,
"You don't want to make your dog
stop barking. What you want to
teach him is to keep quiet when you
tell him to-" My personal expert
ence goes one step further, how
ever. In teaching dog to keep
quiet on command, he learns also
what to bark at and what not to!
If you make the mistake of allow
ing your dog to run loose. you can
not hope to control his barking. The
following is written for those who
keep their dogs confined las every
one should.
The prime requisite in teaching
the common quiet" or hush" Is
that you persevere. Make up your
mind that the most important thing
you are going to accomplish is to
teach him the command-that the
next few days belong to your dog.
If your dog is in the yard, go out
(using one of the following
methods tell him QUIET, then each
and every time he disobeys the
command, punish him again-EACH
AND EVERY TIME-this is most
important. If you lapse in the effort,
it will prolong the job. The same
punishment should be used when he
is in the house.
The punishment is not severe, it
must be disagreeable to the dog,
however. The punishment must be
ascertained by the individual dog.
You will have to work that out
through the trial and error method.
If your dog has to be pushed out in
the rain to take care of himself,
throwing water at him Is excellent
and is always the first method tried.
Winter makes it impractical to turn
the fine hose spray on him, but a
water pistol is effective squirted full
in his face. After few times OF
this, he will know when he sees you
coming that he has done wrong, but
squirt at him saying QUIET at the
same time even If you miss. He will
think he is wet.
Some dogs like water so try next
swatting his rear quarters with a
newspaper, tell him QUIET with
each swat.
Newspaper doesn't effect some
dogs, either, SO try throwing a piece
of light chain at his feet, but DON'T
HIT HIM. 1t is the sudden "clunk-
ing" that does the trick.
A no-bark muzzle made from an
old nylon stocking is excellent. Pass
the middle of the stocking over his
nose, tie a single knot under his
chin, bring it back up behind his
ears and tie another knot. This
should be put on firmly but not too
tight. Let him wear it about five
minutes. Tell him QUIET from time
to time-talk to him, let him know
what he is wearing it for. Take it
off and praise him-when he dis
obeys the command, put it back on
and increase the time. If he gets
it of consistently, give that method
up and find something else.
The main thing is to make barking
disagreeable for him-not to hurt
him or to break his spirit. Barking
is a habit and unnecessary in our
living conditions today. A dog is
not a good watch dog if he banks at
everything-it is comparable to the
story of the boy who called wolf"
After a period OF time when the dog
catches on to what you want, go
overheard in praise when he doesn't
bark at unnecessary things that he
barked at previously. The praise is
more important than the punish
ment, so don't forget it. Periodically
he will have lapse of memory, so
repeat the method used to keep him
in trim. One of our dogs broken with
the water method will obey by our
just turning on the tap, another
broken by the chain method would
obey when he heard the chain rattle.
Young puppies barking in play
should not be stopped entirely, but
their barking at things should. My
last litter of Shetland sheepdogs
would obey the command QUIET at
10 weeks. I used a newspaper on
them. Some breeds of dogs are more
given to barking than others, but all
lean be broken If you persist.
have no doubt that some readers