How to Stop Your Dog Barking

How to Stop Your Dog Barking Excessive barking can be frustrating to deal with as a dog parent, b...

How to Stop Your Dog Barking

Excessive barking can be frustrating to deal with as a dog parent, but there are ways to alter these behaviours. 

It is important to remember that barking is a completely normal behaviour and that in many situations it is normal for dogs to bark. However, excessive or abnormal barking can be disruptive to daily life. We’ve listed some tips and tricks below that you can try to reduce abnormal barking behaviours. 

It is first important to identify your dog's trigger for barking. For example, the vacuum cleaner. There are several different methods that can be used. Using a blend of these techniques can also be useful. 

Getting your dog more comfortable with the trigger/desensitisation:

This method involves gradually increasing your dogs exposure to the trigger in a safe manner. To do this you start with doing only the first part of the trigger and rewarding no response. In the vacuum example, this would mean regularly starting the action of opening the cupboard or plugging in the vacuum (reaching a point just before there is a reaction) then rewarding the dog. Gradually over time you should be able to get slightly further with the action with no response. This is the same technique that can be used to reduce firework reaction - start playing firework noises very quietly for short periods then gradually increase exposure. It is important to remember that this method requires your dog to be in a calm and safe environment and takes a lot of patience and practice. 

Work on a quiet cue:

It is possible to teach your dog a quiet cue. To start teaching this, when your dog stops barking you say ‘quiet; once and firmly then give them a reward. With practice, you should be able to start saying the quiet que during barking (it is sometimes easier to start when barking is tapering off), then rewarding any silence. 

Distraction:

You can distract your dog with something more interesting, such as play or anything they really enjoy. It is important to make the distinction between reward and distraction here, so that they don’t think they are being rewarded for barking. Over time, they should become less sensitive to the inciting causes. 

Calming behavioural supplements:

Some dog parents report that calming supplements can make a difference with overall demeanour and behavioural responses. For example, Omni’s ‘Stress & Anxiety’ supplement contains compounds like L-tryptophan, Passionflower, and L-theanine in order to utilise their calming properties. 


While these tips can help a lot of dogs, it is always useful to consult your vet on any behavioural issues in case there may be any clinical reasons for their behavioural changes. They may also be able to recommend a behaviourist to assist you.

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FAQs

But aren’t dog’s carnivores?

Dogs are in fact nutritional omnivores as demonstrated by a robust scientific study published in the reputable journal Nature (1,2) in which it was shown that they have 30 copies of the AMY2B gene responsible for digesting plant-based foods.

They have also evolved relatively long intestines (21) (almost as long as humans) and relatively flat surfaces on their molars (31, 22) which they use for digesting and chewing a whole range of foods.

The common misconception that dogs are carnivores probably arises from the fact that they are classified in the order Carnivora but so are plenty of other species like bears, skunks, racoons who are omnivores and even the giant panda who thrives on a plant-based diet (20).

Is plant protein digestible to dogs?

Absolutely yes, studies which have looked at how much protein dogs can absorb from plant-based and fungi-based foods like soya and yeast demonstrated over 75% digestibility which is on par with meat-based foods (23, 24, 34, 35 & 25).

Both these protein sources also contain all 10 essential amino acids (36, 37) that dogs need to thrive.

Isn't there too much fibre in plant-based food?

The average amount of fibre in a commercial dog food diet is between 2-4%. omni’s plant-powered recipe has a fibre content of 3% which is on par with meat- based diets.

In our survey with over 200 dog owners, 100% reported that their dog’s stool consistency was either ‘normal’ or ‘perfect’ and there were no reports of any digestive upsets (data on file).

Can I mix omni with other meat-based diets?

We are proud that our recipes are nutritionally complete and so include everything your dog needs to thrive. This means omni can be fed as a sole ration. We also fully support a 'flexitarian approach' like meat free lunches or using omni as a mixer.

Every little helps to bring some of the health and environmental benefits of plant-power to meal times. Mixing omni with meat/fish will help to add variety into your dog’s diet whilst adding in healthy ingredients with a relatively low carbon footprint.

Can plant-based food provide the essential fatty acids dogs need?

All the essential fats and oils that dogs need, including omegas 3 and 6 are found in a variety of both meat and plant-based foods (31, 28).

omni’s recipe is rich in plant-based sources of these nutrients so your dog will get all the essentials they need.

I hear a lot about feeding raw meat, isn’t that better?

Feeding raw meat to dogs has become a very popular trend in recent years, but most vets will warn against this practise. This is because the cooking process is vital to help kill off dangerous bacteria like E coli, Salmonella and Campylobacter (9) that have necessitated several food recalls from the market and caused serious illness and even death in both dogs and their owners (40, 41, & 42).

There are also several worms and parasites that are only killed off when raw meat is cooked. Dogs are dogs, not wolves and thanks to their domestication over thousands of years, thankfully don’t need to hunt to get their grub nor do they need to eat raw meat, it's just not worth the risk.

References

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