| Brookline Labrador Retriever Rescue Helping Labs Find Their Fur-Ever Homes |
Hi Sparky,
I have a 5 year old lab. She is very hyper but the main problem is constant barking. She barks for absolutely everything although
she is very loved. Is there any advice you can shed on how to deal with this? No matter how much exercise or treats or anything
we do, she still barks constantly.
Please help,
April
I have a 5 year old lab. She is very hyper but the main problem is constant barking. She barks for absolutely everything although
she is very loved. Is there any advice you can shed on how to deal with this? No matter how much exercise or treats or anything
we do, she still barks constantly.
Please help,
April
| March 2009 |
| February 2008 |
| March 2009 |
Hi April,
I’m glad you came to me, the Great Sparkdini. I’m always happy to help out troubled
canines and their human buddies, too!
So your Lab barks a lot, huh? Hmmm….maybe she just has a lot to say! If people can be
talkative, why can’t dogs? Believe me, I’ve met some very talkative people. Yak, yak, yak. It’
s all they do. I think some of them just love the sound of their own voice. It’s blah, blah,
blah….all the time! But when I try to join the conversation, it’s “Quiet, Sparky!” What’s up
with that? Do they think I have nothing intelligent to add? HA! It’s more like they’re afraid
that my comments will make them look dumb! After all, I am a very smart (and really good
looking) dog! Hee-hee! But I digress. I certainly didn’t mean to imply all humans are
dumb. I’m sure you’re a very smart lady. After all, you were smart enough to write to me!
So let’s see how I can help you.
I’m glad you came to me, the Great Sparkdini. I’m always happy to help out troubled
canines and their human buddies, too!
So your Lab barks a lot, huh? Hmmm….maybe she just has a lot to say! If people can be
talkative, why can’t dogs? Believe me, I’ve met some very talkative people. Yak, yak, yak. It’
s all they do. I think some of them just love the sound of their own voice. It’s blah, blah,
blah….all the time! But when I try to join the conversation, it’s “Quiet, Sparky!” What’s up
with that? Do they think I have nothing intelligent to add? HA! It’s more like they’re afraid
that my comments will make them look dumb! After all, I am a very smart (and really good
looking) dog! Hee-hee! But I digress. I certainly didn’t mean to imply all humans are
dumb. I’m sure you’re a very smart lady. After all, you were smart enough to write to me!
So let’s see how I can help you.
You said your Lab gets lots of exercise which is way cool. Some dogs don’t get enough exercise and that can lead to all kinds of
problems. We dogs have a lot of energy and we have to use it for something. If it’s not used for walking and chasing tennis balls and
stuff like that, it might be used for chewing the table leg or ripping the stuffing out of the couch or….you guessed it, barking. Now, we
all know there are plenty of good reasons to bark, such as to tell you we have to pee, to let you know Grandma is here, or to chase
away that man in the brown suit who is always dumping boxes on the front porch. What is that guy’s problem, anyway? Why is he
always running up the driveway and dropping stuff on the porch? I know he’s being sneaky because he always runs away as soon
as he drops the box and rings the doorbell. And doesn’t he own any other clothes?! Every day it’s the same brown shirt and brown
pants. BORING. Just once I’d like to see him in blue or green or even black! Oh, sorry – I got distracted again. It’s just that I’m a high
stylin’ dog and things like that really bug me. Anyway, back to the barking. As I said, there are good reasons for barking. But
sometimes we puppers bark for other reasons…like we’re bored, we’re frustrated, we need to burn off some energy, or we just want
attention. I know what you’re thinking. “How do I stop that kind of barking?” Was I right? See – I told you I was a smart dog!
Exercise is usually the answer for boredom, frustration, and needing to burn energy! If your dog is getting plenty of physical exercise,
you might want to try some mental exercise – you know, stuff to make her think! You could play games like “find it” – where you put her
in a stay and then hide treats in another room and tell her to “find it”. She’ll have to use her nose and her brain to find all the yummy
treats. That will help to tire her out. Then maybe she’ll be snoring instead of barking! Or you can play hide-and-seek where you hide
and call her to find you. My foster moms used to get so excited when I found them. It really wasn’t that hard, especially since they kept
hiding in the same places – in the closet, behind the chair, or in the shower. But I played along and pretended I couldn’t find them for
awhile so they’d think they’d found the BEST hiding places! Hee-hee! There are also toys you can use for mental stimulation, such
as the Buster Cube. It’s a plastic cube that you put treats in. When your dog pushes it and rolls it around, the treats fall out. Jackpot!
She has to keep pushing it and flipping it over to get the treats out. A toy – cool! A toy with treats – way cool! A dog that’s too busy
playing to bark – super cool!
It’s also possible that your Lab is barking because she wants attention. So, I have to ask…what do you do when she barks? Do you
keep telling her to shush? Do you pet her or play with her? Do you give her treats to keep her quiet? If so, she has you well trained.
Hee-hee! If a dog is barking for attention and you give her attention when she barks, well, she’ll probably keep barking! If that’s the
case, it may be time for some training – of the dog, I mean! There are lots of ways to train your dog. Some people have luck teaching
a ‘quiet’ or ‘settle’ command. If you think that’s what your Lab needs, I’d recommend looking for a good trainer to help you out. I’m
pretty much an expert on toys and treats, but not so much on training! Hee-hee!
Thanks for writing, April. I hope some of my suggestions help and you and your Lab are soon spending lots of quiet time together!
Anyone else have a question? The Great Sparkdini has the answer! Hee-hee! Drop me a line at AskSparky@comcast.net.
Hugs and Sloppy Kisses,
Sparky
problems. We dogs have a lot of energy and we have to use it for something. If it’s not used for walking and chasing tennis balls and
stuff like that, it might be used for chewing the table leg or ripping the stuffing out of the couch or….you guessed it, barking. Now, we
all know there are plenty of good reasons to bark, such as to tell you we have to pee, to let you know Grandma is here, or to chase
away that man in the brown suit who is always dumping boxes on the front porch. What is that guy’s problem, anyway? Why is he
always running up the driveway and dropping stuff on the porch? I know he’s being sneaky because he always runs away as soon
as he drops the box and rings the doorbell. And doesn’t he own any other clothes?! Every day it’s the same brown shirt and brown
pants. BORING. Just once I’d like to see him in blue or green or even black! Oh, sorry – I got distracted again. It’s just that I’m a high
stylin’ dog and things like that really bug me. Anyway, back to the barking. As I said, there are good reasons for barking. But
sometimes we puppers bark for other reasons…like we’re bored, we’re frustrated, we need to burn off some energy, or we just want
attention. I know what you’re thinking. “How do I stop that kind of barking?” Was I right? See – I told you I was a smart dog!
Exercise is usually the answer for boredom, frustration, and needing to burn energy! If your dog is getting plenty of physical exercise,
you might want to try some mental exercise – you know, stuff to make her think! You could play games like “find it” – where you put her
in a stay and then hide treats in another room and tell her to “find it”. She’ll have to use her nose and her brain to find all the yummy
treats. That will help to tire her out. Then maybe she’ll be snoring instead of barking! Or you can play hide-and-seek where you hide
and call her to find you. My foster moms used to get so excited when I found them. It really wasn’t that hard, especially since they kept
hiding in the same places – in the closet, behind the chair, or in the shower. But I played along and pretended I couldn’t find them for
awhile so they’d think they’d found the BEST hiding places! Hee-hee! There are also toys you can use for mental stimulation, such
as the Buster Cube. It’s a plastic cube that you put treats in. When your dog pushes it and rolls it around, the treats fall out. Jackpot!
She has to keep pushing it and flipping it over to get the treats out. A toy – cool! A toy with treats – way cool! A dog that’s too busy
playing to bark – super cool!
It’s also possible that your Lab is barking because she wants attention. So, I have to ask…what do you do when she barks? Do you
keep telling her to shush? Do you pet her or play with her? Do you give her treats to keep her quiet? If so, she has you well trained.
Hee-hee! If a dog is barking for attention and you give her attention when she barks, well, she’ll probably keep barking! If that’s the
case, it may be time for some training – of the dog, I mean! There are lots of ways to train your dog. Some people have luck teaching
a ‘quiet’ or ‘settle’ command. If you think that’s what your Lab needs, I’d recommend looking for a good trainer to help you out. I’m
pretty much an expert on toys and treats, but not so much on training! Hee-hee!
Thanks for writing, April. I hope some of my suggestions help and you and your Lab are soon spending lots of quiet time together!
Anyone else have a question? The Great Sparkdini has the answer! Hee-hee! Drop me a line at AskSparky@comcast.net.
Hugs and Sloppy Kisses,
Sparky
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