Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Bark Dog Training, Dog trainer, Devils Lake, ND.
01/14/2025
Since I started training dogs in 2020, the most frequent requests for training I get are for:
1. Frustration/Over-Arousal/Impulse Control behaviors
2. Reactivity
3. Resource Guarding
1. FRUSTRATION/OVER-AROUSAL/IMPULSE CONTROL behaviors
These are dogs that jump on people, are mouthy, vocalize (whine or bark), or hump people/things...
These dogs can be destructive, chewing up shoes or furniture, or digging in the yard...
These dogs get zoomies... while cute, zoomies are not a comfortable state for your dog...
These dogs escape - they rush out of their kennel or out the front door, jump the fence or push through the gate...
These dogs pull on leash walks or bite the leash. They thrash the leash or toys or pillows...
These dogs can be pushy about food/treats OR won't take food/treats at all...
The best part about these dogs?!?
A large part of these "bad" behavior can be solved by just making some simple changes in the dog's daily life:
- reducing causes of the frustration
- ensuring the dog is getting enough sleep
- finding an outlet to meet the dogs drive needs, physical/exercise needs, and mental needs
- creating a calm, less stimulating environment where the dog can feel safe and secure
- establishing a predictable routine for the dog
- developing clear boundaries and expectations that the dog can understand
If training is needed it typically focuses on:
- teaching the dog to be calm and to be okay doing nothing
- teaching the dog to be patient in all areas of life
2. REACTIVITY
These dogs often bark, lunge, pull, jump, whine, growl, snarl. They fixate on things (dogs, people, critters), they won't take food or treats, and they don't hear commands when in this irrational state.
Correcting reactivity takes a LOT of dedication and consistency in training. We manage the "trigger" to limit the reactive behaviors. We reduce frustrations as much as possible. We teach the dog a way to communicate how they are feeling and we respond and respect their communication to change their emotion to the "trigger."
This is one of the most beautiful and rewarding changes to see in a dog 🥰
3. What are Resource Guarding behaviors?
These dogs hoard, bury, growl, snarl, posture, snap, nip, lunge, bite or freeze when in possession of a valuable item - food, bowl, toy, their bed, a human, or anything else they find valuable.
Resource guarding is stopped by simply building trust with the dog around their valuables.
While the training is simple, depending on how deeply engrained the fear of losing the valued item is determines how fast or slow this process goes.
For older dogs, building trust can take time and patience. For a young puppy, resource guarding can be resolved within a couple of interactions if addressed right away!
For more information on training: https://www.bark-dogtraining.com/home
