Barking is one of the most common complaints from dog owners and their neighbors. Tamar helps Scout, a West Highland terrier, curb his yapping. When Scout starts barking, Tamar distracts him. She startles Scout into silence with one squirt of water from a spray bottle, saying, "That's a good shush." Then, she gives Scout a treat to reinforce the fact that it's good to quiet down. The next time he starts barking, Scout only has to see the water bottle to stop.
With a little practice, Scout learns to shush when told. "The force that drives a dog with any behavior is what they associate with pain and pleasure. He was associating a lot of pleasure with barking. I needed to change that," Tamar says. "So giving him the surprise spritz with water was, like, 'Ooh, I don't like that.'"
Using different voice levels can also help quiet a barking dog. "Your voice is one of the best tools you can have of communicating if you're happy or not happy with them," she says.
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