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Keeping a dog in the house is a complex and responsible process that requires not only patience, but also serious knowledge. It is important to start raising a puppy in time and from the first days to teach him to the new rules of life with a person. If this is not done, the behavior of the dog will interfere not only with you, but also with other family members and even neighbors. The question of dog barking and howling becomes especially acute. Often the dog howls if something bothers her, in this case the problem must be solved on the spot. But what to do if a dog howls from anguish, how to overcome this habit and can you fight with a howl if you are not at home? In this article we will try to answer the most pressing questions and find proven and effective methods for solving the problem.
Why does the dog howl?
To solve a problem quickly, efficiently and for a long time, you need to clearly know the reason for its appearance. This will help eradicate the bad habit.
- Restroom. Everyone knows that a dog needs to be walked twice a day, these are the natural needs of the animal. This is the minimum that should be observed. A dog is considered to be a fairly well-bred pet, especially if it was taught from an early age not to crap in the house. That is why the dog will endure to the last, signaling about his desires. If the dog howls, think how long have you walked your pet?
- Thirst and hunger. Another natural animal need is the desire to eat and drink. And if without food you can somehow stretch, then the lack of fresh water in the drinking bowl is a serious cause for concern to the dog. It is necessary to feed an adult dog twice a day, puppies are fed more often, because their stomach is small enough. Access to an unlimited amount of fresh water should be constantly. Especially, if the dog eats not a natural food, but a dry feed.
- Disease. Will you be able to spend quiet days without a break if something bothers you? Well, of course not, and the dog is no different in this from man. Very often, a dog howls if it is worried about itching, parasites, dermatological diseases, stomach pain, fleas, and there may be few disruptions in the body.If it is impossible to find the cause of a prolonged howl, pay attention to other changes in the behavior of the animal, possible symptoms. Do not postpone the visit to the vet, even if the dog does not bother, the animal should be shown to the doctor every six months.
- Breeding instinct. During the period of heat in bitches and hormonal surge in cables, it is very difficult for animals to suppress the call of nature. That is why the dog can howl without finding an orchestra for mating. The owner should take care of this in advance.
- Yearning. Dogs are very much attached to the owner and his family. If you do not find the time to communicate with the animal, if you have gone on a business trip or have been delayed at work longer, the dog will howl, this is a natural reaction of the animal. Very often dogs howl after one of the family members leaves the life - for them this is also a great sorrow. Pet may yearn for lost puppies. The dog is a very sensitive and emotional animal.
- Boredom. Some dogs simply cannot spend time alone, especially for those pets who have to wait for all family members at home until the evening.Then the dog can bother the neighbors - the dog howls almost non-stop, just because there is nothing to do.
The dog cannot tell what worries it, therefore the pet shows any physical discomfort and psychological anxiety with the help of howling. But to understand the reason for this behavior is the task of the owner.
How to wean a dog howl in your presence?
If the adult dog is howling, carefully examine the pet, follow its behavior, you may notice other symptoms - refusal of food, weakness, pain in urination. Inspect the dog's coat for fleas. If you have recently been in nature or the dog often walks in the grass, a tick could catch him.
A dog that howls in your presence, needs you - physically or morally.First of all, you need to take the pet to the vet and understand the possible cause of the dog's anxiety. If no diseases and abnormalities have been identified, then the matter is in simple boredom. Perhaps you are at home, but do not devote enough time to your pet. Postpone the case, spend at least an hour with the animal - go for a walk, play with the ball, and just caress your pet.
How to wean a dog howl in the absence of the owner?
When you are nearby, you can besiege the dog and threaten him with a stern voice. But what if the dog howls throughout the day while you are at work? After all, even on weekdays, some neighbors are at home, often these are old people and children who need peace. Yes, and a howling dog is under severe stress, which does not bring him anything good. How to teach a dog not to howl in your absence?
First of all, you need to make sure that the dog will not experience natural physiological needs. Before leaving for work, the dog must be taken for a walk, feed the dog, give him enough water that will last until the evening. It is necessary to purchase alternative drinkers that are difficult to turn over, or accessories that pour water automatically.After all, if a dog overturns a bowl, the animal will remain without water until the evening, which is simply unbearable in conditions of high air temperature. Having taken care of all this, you can be calm - the pet will not need anything.
The dog must clearly know that you are not in danger when you leave the house. Therefore, try to get ready for work in a good mood, do not show the animal anxiety or fear. Otherwise, the sympathetic pet will worry and howl until you come.
From an early age you need to teach the puppy not to howl in your absence. First, you can try to go not for a common door, and for the interior. Leave the pet in the room, do not let it run out in front of you, give the command "Place", which the dog should already understand well. Next you need to be outside the door and listen. If the dog starts to howl, we go in and show our discontent with a stern voice, scold the pet. If the dog is silent, after a while we praise the animal, encourage it with a tasty delicacy, affection and a good attitude. Time intervals should be gradually increased, from 30 seconds to one hour.Further we carry out similar training with the general entrance door. The dog will quickly understand what you want from it - it must be silent when you are not at home. Do not enter any system, you need to alternate the intervals of your absence, so that the dog does not know when you will come next time.
If there is no time to practice (and it may take several days to wean the dog to howl), you can purchase special impulse collars. The principle of their operation is not complicated - they react to the vibration of the throat, therefore, they work not only when the dog barks, but also when a howl is heard. With undesirable behavior (noise), the electrocollar transmits a weak electrical impulse to the dog. It is not painful, but unpleasant for any animal. This is a rather aggressive and stressful way to teach a dog to order, but sometimes it is only effective. Another way to wean a dog howl is to have a second pet. Two dogs are unlikely to find time for boredom, so the animal will no longer howl. If finding a friend for a dog is not an option, be sure to leave the dog at home a lot of different toys so that he knows what to occupy himself in your absence.
If the dog is howling, it means that something is wrong with the pet, the pet shows its physical discomfort or moral anxiety. You should not treat war with disdain, you need to find the reasons and bring up the animal, because you are responsible for those who have tamed.
Video: how to wean a dog howl and bark when she stays at home alone
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