My puppy has recently gotten into the habit of attention barking at me (and my roommates) when he wants our attention. I think it might have to do with the fact that another dog has entered our home - a service dog puppy in training. They get along great but I think my dog might be jealous he doesn't have my undivided attention anymore. Are there any tips or strategies to help end the attention barking?
Thank you!
What I do for my dog when he gets jealous with other guests in our house. To stop him from barking at me or other family members. I set aside some time with just him and myself or the rest of the family. Give him something special just for him like a special toy or treat that he only gets when you set aside time for him.
What worked with my own dog was completely ignoring him when he was barking for attention. After all, dogs owned by deaf people don't bark for a reason. If there is no reward, there will be no barking.
Of course the situation changes when we are hosting a dog that barks a lot, but still, our own dog will not ever bark at us for attention. He will bark to ask to open the door or if he heard something weird outside.
It is much easier training a puppy and I believe it will be challenging to change a behavior that is set already in the dog.
This is called demand barking and may occur when he thinks it’s time to eat, if he wants you to play, if you’re not petting him, or any other time when the dog isn't getting his way. Take a zero tolerance stand and ignore until barking ceases. This may take a while at first but don't give in.
Ignore him until he is silent for a short amount on time, and reward him as soon as he is quiet. You can also purchase a product called pet correct. It is a red can that contains compressed air. Simply hide it behind you and press. The sound will distract your dog from what he's doing & stop barking