Curing excessive barking dog behavior: what's natural and what's too much?

One of the natural characteristics of dogs is that they bark. Short of speaking English, or whatever their owner's native language may be, barking is the quintessential dog-speak. Barking is natural to every dog on the face of the earth.  Dogs bark for a number of reasons. They may bark to alert their owners to an intruder. Sometimes they bark for the sheer pleasure of howling, responding to another canine across the street, or just to let you know dinner time is long past.

Usually, when your dog barks, he's got good reason to do so. He barks to fulfill his dog duties, typically to your benefit. He may be an avid devotee of barking by virtue of his hopes in gaining your attention. Barking is also a dog's way of marking his territory.

In dog speak, several loud barks serve to inform the neighborhood that he's on the job. Other dogs are warned off your territory and potential intruders are put on notice. Barking dog behaviors are subtle indicators of the ideal pet.

While the barking dog behavior is natural and in fact, desirable, when, where and how do you draw the line between normal and the excessive?

The syndrome of barking dog behavior is one of the most difficult behaviors to manage. You want to get along with your neighbors and you don't want your pet to be a nuisance. What constitutes too much barking?
Read the rest of this entry