Barking Excessively (Part 6): How Your Dog Can be Tricked to Be Quiet (Set-Up for the Plan)
It is stated that a dog that has been trained has is no different in intellect from a child between the ages of three and seven. At first, this trait might seem admirable, but once you stop and ponder over that, having the intellect of a child from that age group is not really an advantage in any case.
A dog that has intelligence knows when his owner is home or not. Therefore, the dog will know whether he will be punished for bad behavior or if anyone will even notice it. It doesn’t matter how well the dog has been trained, his mind is still able to experience jealousy, happiness, worry, loneliness, fear and boredom, among other feelings that we don’t realize the animal can experience.
Your pet may be a shining example of a dog great behavior, as long as he is aware that you are still around to react when he steps out of line. However, for the dog that is truly intelligent enough to construe your absence as the right time for it to misbehave, you will have to realize that you will have to maintain the illusion of being home, even if you’re not!
You might ask, “How? Even if I’m not Home?”
It is actually not very hard to find the solution, but making it work can be harder. The secret is dependent upon making your pet think that you’re not home. Once you set the situation up, it is easier to accomplish. Simply get in your car and drive out to a nearby curb, get out of the car and walk as quietly as possible back to the house.
When you are setting the scene up, make sure to not underestimate your dog’s intelligence. If you miscalculate, he might turn it around and think that this whole situation is a farce or a game, just so he can have fun.
Furthermore, when you drive off in your car, don’t think that your pet will be fooled by you just shutting your door and feigning that you have left. Your dog is keener than you think. In order for him to believe that you are truly gone, he must hear the sound of you starting your car and driving off, and as the sound fades off in the distance, he will believe that you are actually gone.
When you are returning quietly, ensure that your dog does not hear you or get alarmed by keeping your footsteps or your keys completely quiet. Remember that dogs can hear things a lot better than we can and he will be on to you and realize that you haven’t actually left.
Setting up a Trap
If you have a dog that likes to hang out in the back yard, and you successfully attempted to sneak back into your home quietly, just sit back and wait. As soon as your dog begins barking, go into the backyard with your squirt gun, some tin cans or even water balloons to throw near him. Do this as many times as you can so that your dog can be trained to believe that even though he doesn’t hear you or see you, that you are actually near enough to make sure he doesn’t bark.
If he is a dog that likes to remain indoors, you should engage every family member to school your dog, as in, all of the members should quit the home together and go to the car. At least one person should stay near the front door, as long as they are not seen, while the rest get into the car and drive off. As soon as the dog barks, the remaining person should come in through the door and surprise the pet with a loud verbal command and use whichever item has come in handy thus far: tin cans or a water gun.
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