Is your Spaniel driving you crazy with an annoying bark? Are you desperate to stop your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel from barking?
The constant sound of a dog barking is not only distressing for you and your neighbors, but also your dog.
While barking is a natural thing all dogs do, dogs do not need to bark to be happy.
In fact, excessive barking may be due to a specific problem or issue. Your Spaniel should not be barking excessively. If they are you need to understand the reason why, so you can resolve the issue.
There are many reasons why a dog may bark. In fact, some breeds bark more than others.
Lets take a look why your cavvy may be barking and see what we can do to stop them.
Toy breeds are known to be barkers. Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are part of this group. So, it’s not uncommon for them to bark.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are devoted lap dogs. While this may be a desirable trait, it has its pitfalls.
As companion dogs, they like to be around people and can suffer from separation anxiety. This can be a major cause of distress which can be a trigger for barking.
Dogs are pack animals. What’s important is for your Cavalier Spaniel to know you are the pack leader and not them.
This goes for all dogs, not just Cavaliers.
If your Spaniel is not entirely clear from your actions that you are the pack leader, this could cause an issue. Barking excessively may be an attempt to show dominance.
Barking can be a sign pent up energy. If you do not exercise your dog regularly enough this could cause them to become excessive barkers.
A good idea would be to exercise and play with your dog more often. This should help get rid of any additional pent up energy and reduce the likelihood of troublesome barking.
There are two main types of bark. And it’s worth understanding the difference between the two.
The first type of bark is a bark is used as a distress signal.
Either your dog wants something or something is wrong. These types of barks are usually higher pitched. These shouldn’t be ignored or punished.
The second type of bark is a greeting bark. These types of barks tend to be deeper and more aggressive. This is the bark that causes the problems.
This is when a dog is barking at you just getting home, a mailman walking down the street, or seemingly for absolutely no reason at all.
I’m sure you’ve been there, curled up in front of the TV and a dog suddenly appears or makes a noise on your favorite show. Your dog goes wild, barking at the television set uncontrollably.
Barking is mainly a response to some sort of stimulus. It’s a form of communication.
Remember, to curb barking you need to identify the reason or trigger.
There are many ways to stop a dog from barking. But the simplest way is to have confidence, being persistent, authoritative and becoming the Pack Leader.
Correction & Persistence are key.
You must be committed to attempt to correct the behavior. Remember, it is important to follow through with your correction.
Whether you use a look, sound, or physical correction you must follow through and ensure your dog understands that you are the pack leader.
After you correct your dog, you must stay there until the dog is completely calm. If you correct the dog and then leave the dog alone, it will continue barking.
You must stay calm throughout this process. Keeping yourself calm and collected will help speed up the process. Remember dogs react to your emotions.
This may seem a simple solution to your problem but by showing dominance and following through your dog will understand that you are in command.
Usually the above method is all that is required. Remember, you need to be the PackLeader. Becoming the pack leader isn’t a complicated process, anyone can do it.
We have compiled 10 top tips or actions, which you can start implementing today to attempt to stop your dog from barking.1
Your Spaniel needs to feel comfortable. Remember, smaller Spaniels such as Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are bred as lap dogs. They like sitting on settees or on comfortable beds. Find the right space in your house for your Spaniels and they will feel safe and calm.
A tired dog is a relaxed dog. Walk and exercise your Spaniel as frequently as possible. Remember, larger Spaniels such as English Springer Spaniels & Cocker Spaniels are Gun Dogs that were bread to hunt.
User a good quality dog food and always ensure plenty of fresh water is available for your Spaniel. Remember, don’t overfeed as this can cause other issues such as obesity.
Spaniels are very intelligent animals and need to be stimulated mentally. Leave plenty of toys and bones around the house for your dog to keep them entertained.
Consider hiring a dog walker. Having your dog walked a few extra times a day is a great idea. As well as receiving some extra exercise, your Spaniel will also get used to meeting new people and other dogs.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are prone to separation anxiety. Take this into account when leaving the house. Verbally say goodbye to your dog prior to leaving the house to give them time to adjust to you leaving. A pat on the head goes a long way too.
If you have crate trained your Spaniel, then you can use your crate to help with behavioral training.
If your dog is barking uncontrollably simply send them to their crate and place a sheet over the crate. This will calm the puppy or dog down and likely cause them to stop barking.
You may be able to stop barking by gently closing the dog’s mouth. You can do this with your hand or gentle leader.
Another way to close the dog’s mouth is to train it to give presents to guests. This is obviously a great method if your dog tends to bark at visitors.
Some people like to leave the TV on or music on the Radio for their dogs.
There’s even dedicated TV channels for dogs now.
Just remember, sometimes another animal will appear on TV and your Spaniel may react, so choose the channel wisely.
I’m sure you’ve heard of Herbal Tea. Just like for humans, there are proven benefits of herbal remedies that apply to dogs also. Why not try a herbal treat for your Spaniel?
All of these methods are safe and will not harm your Spaniel. So, if your Spaniel is barking excessively try these methods out. It’ll make living with your furry friend the wonderful experience it should be.
What if you just can’t stop your Spaniel from barking? You’ve seemingly tried everything and nothing works?
Some people may tell you to get another dog for companionship. This is just compounding the issue. You need to learn to treat your current dogs barking issues before introducing another dog.
People may also suggest using more extreme measures, such as a bark collar.
Please do not do this under any circumstance. These are collars that punish the dog when they bark. We think they are completely unnecessary and would not advocate their use to anyone.
If none of the methods above are working for you, why not seek professional help from a dog training expert?
If you truly are stuck and are serious about stopping your Spaniel dog from barking immediately then we suggest looking into specialist dog training programs.
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