::ASK HOTDOG::

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Barking problem
Q:	Brownie, my Cocker Spaniel always barks when neighbours walk pass my door. I tried to stop him but he just refused to listen. Thankfully, the barking stopped whenever I showered him with treats. However, I am rather worried that Brownie's persistent barking may cause a strain in the relationship with neighbours. Any advice?
A:	The big mistake: showering treats on Brownie when he barks. To Brownie, barking now has become the greatest joy and acknowledgement by its pack leader. An encouragement indeed! Understanding why Brownie bark is the major step to solve your problem. Most dogs will bark with their might when strangers approach. And when strangers left, their barking ceased. Because of this, dogs have associated barking as a power to drive threats. The next time Brownie barks when your neighbour appears, grip him from the scruff of his neck, shake him and say ‘NO'. Praise him if he does not bark in your neighbour's presence. If the barking persists, grip him from the scruff of his neck again, say ‘NO' and confine him. The next solution is put him on an anti-barking collar , and watch how Brownie is conditioned to stop barking.

Q:	I have just bought an 8-month-old Westie. She likes to barks non-stop whenever we leave her alone in the kitchen. Her barks went even louder when we left for work. Why? This is killing us. If this problem persists, I may abandon her.
A:	Dogs can be trained. If you abandon her, you are not giving your Westie pup and yourself a chance to experience the gift of love. Dogs cannot talk and barking is the only way your Westie communicates. A pup needs attention. It needs to be acknowledged by its pack leader and feels belonged in the group. Your Westie probably felt like an outcaster whenever it's away from you. Your Westie has separation anxiety. Fortunately, separation anxiety can be solved when trained well. Simply give your Westie a treat when you confine her in the kitchen. When she barks, ignore her. When she stops barking, praise her. Before you leave for work, give her a chew or a treat toy filled with its favourite treats. An alternative way to treat excessive barking is to use an anti-barking collar. Every time your Westie barks, the collar emits a herbal spray, conditioning it to stop barking. Practise either method with faith and patience. Your Westie will learn in a matter of time.

Q:	When dogs bark in the middle of a quiet night, does it mean they are barking at an unseen object? Beta, my Shih Tzu always barks in the middle of the night. My dad said she was alerting us as she had seen my grandma's spirit. Is that true? I am getting the creeps!
A:	Rest assured that Beta is only responding to sounds inaudible to humans. A dog can locate a source of sound in six-hundredths of a second, and it can hear sounds four times further than a human can. Dogs can hear high-pitched sounds in the ultrasonic frequency range inaudible to humans. To you, it may seem like Beta is barking at unseen objects. In fact, Beta could simply be responding to the direction of sound it pinpointed such as the rumble of a distant thunder. And because of dogs' responsiveness to distant high-pitched sounds, dog trainers have also exploited this nature with whistle training.

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