Old Trainer: How to work with your dog and his bark

Dear Old Trainer: Barney, our Beagle/Hound mix, loves to bark, especially when anyone comes to our house or when neighborhood dogs bark. He barks at the dog park too or when we go in the car. We asked our vet and he said the only way to stop him was to cut his vocal cords, but we’re not sure about that. Do you agree?

Jan, Brisbane, California

Old Trainer: No, what you cut is any further contact with that vet. He is either a quack or is willing to mutilate your dog just to line his pockets. I checked with all three vets I use and they agree. And in language a lot stronger than I can use in a newspaper.

Never go back to that vet.

Excessive barking is so common I get letters about it every week, even though it’s easy to put an end to it.

Beagles and Hounds are vocal breeds, so barking is in Barney’s DNA. And he’s not breaking the rules because you didn’t teach him not to bark.

At times dogs bark because of a health issue or when trying to alert humans to a problem (neighbors discovered the bodies of OJ Simpson’s wife Nicole and her friend Ron Goldman because her Akita kept barking), but the barking you describe is just Barney having fun.

Barking has a vital role in protecting the pack. Barney’s alerting you an intruder has invaded your territory and warning the stranger he’ll fight to protect the people he loves. Same when neighbor dogs bark. The instant one dog senses a threat he alerts the pack by barking. It’s an excellent survival technique, one right out of Darwin.

And it’s fun, which is why dog’s wag their tails while they do it. One game I play with my pack is to get them all barking at once. They love it as much as any game we play, and they always stop on command.

You goal is not to stop Barney from barking, it’s to train him to bark to warn you or express happiness, then stop on your command. A barking dog makes any intruder think twice.

Curbing excess barking is easy. All it takes is patience and determination, and you do it the way you stop any bad habit — anticipate it and interrupt the thought process the instant it starts.

Have a rolled-up newspaper, big enough to make a lot of noise, ready for use by the door and next time Barney barks, whack your leg — make as loud a sound as you can — with the newspaper, grasp his muzzle softly in your hand, look him in the eye, and say “that’s all” in a voice that means business. Don’t yell, say it in a normal voice.

If he stops for even a few seconds, pet him and praise him. Repeat the lesson every time he barks and pet him each time he stops on command.

If he does not respond after a few sessions, touch him on the neck with the paper after you whack your leg. Be strict with stopping him after one bark and he’ll learn, but you must be resolute. He’ll know whether you are determined and won’t stop until you show him you are.

Loving on him when he does it right is as important as being firm.

This story was originally published February 29, 2020 at 5:00 AM.