Problem: Article: All dogs bark sometimes. But if your dog barks constantly, it could be unwanted. Listen for barking that has a clear reason. For instance, perhaps your dog is barking because someone knocked on the door, or because they hear another dog barking outside. But if your dog starts barking without any apparent cause and continues to do so for many minutes on end, take corrective action. Sometimes dogs bark because they have pain or some medical condition that causes them to vocalize. Take careful notes about your dog's nuisance barking to help your vet make an accurate diagnosis regarding your dog's health and the reason behind its barking. For instance, you should note when your dog barks, where it barks, how long it barks, the tone of the bark (high and piercing? low and groaning?), and any related details pertaining to the period in which your dog engaged in nuisance barking (for instance, perhaps your dog was running around the house while barking). If your dog barks because it sees other animals or people outside, find ways to limit your dog's visual and auditory access to high-traffic areas. For instance, if your dog frequently starts barking when perched on a sofa near a window, move the sofa to a location where the dog cannot jump on it. If necessary, you could also use baby gates to prevent your dog from accessing parts of the house that often receive the most noise from without. It is hard to completely isolate your dog from seeing or hearing others, and eventually your dog will end up barking even when you wish it didn't. Sometimes the best way to correct unwanted barking is to allow your dog to bark two or three times, then say, "Quiet." Walk over to your dog and hold its muzzle. Repeat "Quiet" again. Then, release your dog, walk away from the window or door, and call your dog over to you. Have your dog sit and give it a treat. If your dog remains quiet while sitting for about thirty seconds, give it another treat. As long as your dog continues to sit quietly, feed it treats every thirty seconds for the next several minutes. If your dog starts barking again after you've put the treats away, repeat the "Quiet" command and the other steps above. If your dog does not respond to other techniques, you could try focusing your dog's attention elsewhere. Sometimes unwanted barking can be stopped if you do something surprising or extraordinary. For instance, if your dog starts barking, say, "Quiet" and then start shaking your keys or a bottle full of pennies. The noise should end your dog's barking and draw it away from the window or door where it is likely located. Once your dog's attention is focused on you and away from the sound or sight that inspired its unwanted barking, order your dog to sit. Give your dog a treat every thirty seconds for several minutes. If your dog starts barking again, distract it with another loud noise or surprising behavior, and start giving it treats again. If your dog engages in unwanted barking while out and about, you can equip it with a head halter. A head halter is a sort of strap that wraps around your dog's nose and connects to another strap on the neck. A dog in a head halter might be more relaxed and restrained, and thus, less likely to bark. Never let your dog wear a head halter unsupervised. Some dog owners like to wind their dogs up for amusement by asking leading questions like "Who's there?" when they and their dog hear a noise. Other owners train their dogs to "speak" for food, or bark when they want to go out. These behaviors can encourage unwanted barking in other circumstances and should be avoided. If a dog is allowed or encouraged to bark, whine, scratch, or beg for one kind of attention (to be let out, for instance), they will not be able to understand why it is not acceptable other times. Some dogs engage in unwanted barking as a way to amuse or stimulate themselves. In other words, they bark because they are bored. This compulsive barking is best cured by providing your dog with more opportunities for play and interaction. If you spend large stretches of the day out of the house, have a friend or neighbor visit your dog to let them out and play with them. Compulsive barking of this sort might be accompanied by other behaviors like spinning or jumping while barking. Dogs might also bark regularly out of separation anxiety, a problem which is often relieved through some combination of spending more time with your dog, the use of training aids like thunder wraps, reinforcing good behaviors and anti-anxiety medications prescribed by a vet.
Summary: Look for excessive barking. Take your dog to a vet. Limit your dog's ability to see others. Teach your dog to be quiet. Distract your dog. Use a head halter. Do not encourage your dog to bark. Give your dog more exercise and attention.

In one sentence, describe what the following article is about: Take that one cup of raisins in the original recipe and cut it in half. Now figure out what you want to replace it with! The following options will all go nicely with the raisins, but you can just as easily substitute these ingredients for all of the raisins if you wanted to: Chocolate chips or chunks (white and dark chocolate go particularly well) Chopped walnuts, pecans, or almonds Dried cranberries This thick, rich, and dark syrup matches beautifully with the spiced flavors of a good oatmeal raisin cookie. This fantastic cookie takes all of the joys of a good oatmeal raisin cookie and blasts it with a fresh, spiced, and always delicious burst of sweet Indian spices. Add the following spices and, if you're really feeling culinary, let the raisins steep in a cup of chai tea for 15 minutes as well: 1 teaspoon each of cardamom, cinnamon, ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon each of ground ginger, nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper. Both sweet and savory, the addition of vanilla salt, often sold as "vanilla fleur de sel," will bring out a richness and slight saltiness that will elevate the cookies from simple desert to decadent snack. The texture will stay roughly the same, but you'll get the sweet, slightly tropical touch of coconut flavor that will take any guests by welcome surprise. You can add as much or as little as you want, though at least 1-1/2 cups of oats is best to help the cookies keep their shape. You won't need the hand mixer, and can instead mix by hand. Add the following ingredients together and mix until it forma a paste, then mix in everything else like normal: 1/2 cup applesauce 4 tablespoons almond butter 4 tablespoons ground flax seed
Summary:
Add a little more than just raisins to the batter. Add 1-2 tablespoons of molasses, removing the corresponding amount of brown sugar, for a more tangy, maple taste. Spice up your cookies with an invigorating chai spice blend. Add 1 tablespoons of a vanilla salt, or triple the salt in the recipe, and add dark chocolate for an incredibly subtle treat. Consider adding in a cup of shredded coconut in place of a cup of the oats. Make vegan oatmeal raisin by substituting out the butter for flax, almond butter, and applesauce.