Despite their miniature size and outward harmlessness, Pomeranians can show aggression, which they express in the form of annoying barking. They bark with or without reason, at their own people and at strangers, out of joy and sadness. At first, this circumstance is amusing, but later the barking of the Pomeranian Spitz becomes boring and begins to irritate the owners, neighbors and passers-by on the street. In order for a dog to become “controllable” and not bark constantly, you need to know why it grows so noisy and how to wean it from a bad habit.
Does a Pomeranian bark a lot and often?
Dogs barking is their way of communicating with humans and other animals on a verbal level. Behind the familiar sound is information that pets try to convey to humans. It is for this reason that domestic animals bark much more often than wild animals.
Dogs make sounds of different ranges and timbres. A roar, a squeal, a howl escapes from the mouth. Any intonation is accompanied by movement of the ears and tail. By carefully observing your pets, it is easy to guess what they want.
The Pomeranian's bark can be rough, shrill and vary in timbre. After listening, the owner understands what happened to him:
- Frightened - the tail is tucked, and the barking turns into a random squeal.
- The dog is cold or bored - a quiet howl.
- Aggression - barks rudely and abruptly.
- Danger - short loud sounds, gradually turning into a growl.
- The desire to play is joyful barking, squealing and yapping, similar to that of a puppy.
The Pomeranian Spitz is very active and vocal, reacts to any sound, even from the next apartment. He sleeps lightly, the baby jumps up and barks at any rustle.
Reasons why your Pomeranian barks
How talkative a dog is depends on a number of factors - breed, heredity, size. Pomeranians are small dogs, and they (unlike large ones) constantly bark loudly and loudly.
The dog needs frequent communication with its owner. He barks incessantly, asking his owner for as much attention as possible.
Another reason is the loneliness that a pet faces when it is locked in an apartment all day. The Spitz communicates its boredom and desire to do something with a loud bark.
The third reason is the special character of the breed. They need affection, love, understanding, so German Spitz barks ask to be stroked, scratched and caressed.
Despite their miniature size, dogs have a guard instinct, so they use their voice to report approaching danger.
Another reason for loud barking is the pleasure of playing. If a dog stops when ordered and stops barking, this is normal. More often than not, the Pomeranian does not calm down right away and you need to show some character to keep him quiet.
Owner mistakes regarding dog barking.
The first and most common is barking reinforcement.
If you own a dog that barks excessively, think about how often you pay attention to it when it barks (“Shut up!”) and when it is silent. As you remember, negative attention is also attention, and it serves as reinforcement for behavior. This problem is especially acute in the case of demanding barking, when the goal is to attract your attention. The more often you swear at such a dog, the more frequent its barking becomes. You are violating the Golden Principle and rewarding bad behavior with your attention.
The second mistake is teaching the dog the “voice” command.
There is nothing wrong with teaching this command itself. When a person understands what he is doing and what awaits him. What awaits him is that the dog learns that barking earns good rewards and begins to bark even when it was not asked. Suddenly something goes wrong. Professional trainers know about this effect and simply ignore such barking (in smart words, they subject it to an extinction procedure), but ordinary owners often react to it. That is, they reward with their attention. With all that it implies.
If you are not prepared for the fact that your dog will periodically bark at the most inopportune moment and you (like other people) will not be able to react to this in any way, do not teach it “voice”.
The third mistake is creating conditions in which barking is simply inevitable.
For example, do not leave good toys for the puppy, but give him the opportunity to find noisy entertainment for himself. So, there are owners who, when leaving home, leave the bored dog the opportunity to look out the window... and bark at cats, dogs and people passing by, at passing cars and at flying birds. Great fun! Is it any wonder after this that the dog turned into an empty nester? Remember: if you don’t give your puppy “good” entertainment, he will certainly find “bad” ones, and one of them may be barking.
How to stop a Pomeranian from barking: useful tips
Many dog breeders make mistakes when raising a puppy - they praise for barking. After some time, his “talkativeness” begins to cause inconvenience. To stop your Pomeranian from barking frequently, do not encourage this behavior in any situation. Use long-term methods:
- when communicating with a pet, they avoid screaming, using it only as a last resort;
- education and training are involved from a very early age;
- use natural food supplements to neutralize aggression (with valerian, chamomile).
You can resort to quick methods:
- tactile - do not stroke, do not show tenderness to the orange, but lean towards it and fixate it so that it understands that the barking needs to stop;
- sound - make hissing sounds towards the dog;
- long walks - they help reduce aggressiveness and noisy behavior.
The optimal option is chosen depending on the specific situation and the place where the annoying noise from the Spitz occurred.
On the street
During walks, a Pomeranian may perceive surrounding people as aggression and begin to bark at passers-by. This behavior is explained by too rare and short walks. To discourage barking on the street, follow a number of recommendations. They take with them a treat that is especially desirable for the pet, but is rarely used. The dog must know that it is in the owner’s pocket, because sometimes they let him smell it. The Spitz is distracted from passers-by and waits for the desired treat.
It is necessary to teach your Pomeranian the “Sit!” command. It is said every time people pass by.
A tin of coins can help attract your dog's attention. They take it for walks and use it when the little Spitz's voice begins to cause inconvenience to others.
One of the drastic methods of getting rid of barking is the use of a muzzle. Some offer something even more radical – an electric collar. The method is cruel, but effective, it is used only when others have already been tried and did not help. The action is based on micro-shocks of electric current in response to vibrations of the vocal cords.
At home
In most cases, the dog barks at home if he gets little attention. You can correct the situation as follows:
- pat him on the back after he calms down;
- arrange a comfortable place for him to rest;
- buy toys;
- walk at least twice a day.
Experienced dog handlers advise using several practical techniques if you cannot “calm down” the Pomeranian Spitz.
- Distract with a treat when there is noise outside the door.
- Teach the command “Quiet!”
- Repeat the exercise several times - ask someone to ring the doorbell and throw a treat on the floor so that the dog takes the call calmly.
- Demonstrate an indifferent attitude towards the pet when it barks (turn away from it, crossing your arms over your chest). Give praise and treats when he stops barking.
- Constantly control the greeting bark, teaching it to sit quietly until the owner approaches.
When the owners are not at home
Most Pomeranians start barking as soon as the door closes behind their owner, in an attempt to win him back. Several techniques can help you avoid this. Even during the training period, the dog owner should not contact the dog, talk or “say goodbye”. The Pomeranian is seated at a distance, and when he tries to get closer, he is pulled back and returned to his original place.
With the help of actions, you can explain to the dog what behavior is undesirable. To do this, they leave the apartment and return the moment she stops barking. Gradually, the time of absence is increased, reinforcing the skill with encouragement.
You can train to behave quietly on command. First they give the order “Voice!”, then “Quiet!” and do not allow barking, holding the mouth and giving a treat. As soon as the dog understands what they want from him and begins to follow the command, he is treated and praised.
The owner's return home
Dogs are always waiting for their owner. They greet you at the door because they have perfect hearing and can distinguish footsteps from many others. Because of their excellent sense of time, pets accurately determine when a person returns home. From overwhelming feelings, the small dog begins to bark loudly and continuously, jump on the owner’s chest, and get underfoot. This behavior is corrected using the commands “Place!”, “Sit!”. When meeting a Pomeranian, you should not talk or communicate too emotionally, so as not to trigger a similar response. It is not forbidden to silently take the baby in your arms and stroke it.
Barking at guests
When guests come to the house, the Pomeranian Spitz often behaves not very friendly - barks at them, growls. He perceives strangers as violators of the boundaries of the home space that is under his protection. In his opinion, guests are intruders who threaten family members. The animal experiences stress, its protective instinct turns on, so the dog becomes wary after the doorbell rings.
For such Pomeranians, you need to keep your favorite toy ready and teach them to pick it up on command after a guest appears in the house. The mouth will be busy and the dog will physically not be able to bark.
The Spitz must be trained in the commands “Sit!”, “Wait!”, “Quiet!”, which are pronounced when guests enter the house.
To loud noises and other irritants
Pomeranians show anxiety and react sensitively to various noises: the sound of a working elevator, a car, an opening door in the entrance and a meowing cat outside the window. The dog begins to bark out of anxiety or fear of the unknown. She can get used to the sounds if she records the “collection” on a voice recorder and plays it back, observing the Pomeranian’s reaction. At the same time, the command “Lie down!” is given. and are treated to a treat. Gradually the dog gets used to it, they train it, further increasing the volume until they achieve a calm reaction to various noises. The training takes several weeks, after which it is repeated if new sounds appear that bother the pet.
Modern means and devices to prevent barking
Currently, there are many means to stop a dog from barking.
Anti-bark collar
There are two types of such collars - with electric shock, and with a special liquid. A shock collar has a special battery built into it that delivers a small current to the dog as soon as it starts barking. This collar is equipped with a safety lock that regulates the power of the shock.
A collar with liquid is more humane than the first. As soon as your four-legged dog begins to bark, special lemon water splashes out, which is absolutely harmless to the pet, but has an unpleasant odor. The dog falls silent in surprise. And every time, as soon as he starts his “conversation,” water constantly splashes on him. The dog analyzes and begins to understand the reason for such an unpleasant smell, and gradually stops barking.
Ultrasonic device
The next invention is a special device that emits ultrasound, which is unpleasant for the hearing of a four-legged animal. This is a small box that can be installed both at home and outdoors.
Muzzle
This is the simplest and at the same time the most effective method, preventing the dog from freely eating and drinking, but at the same time preventing it from barking in vain.
Medications
These are all kinds of tablets, herbal infusions and decoctions that soothe and balance the emotional state of the pet.
Ligament surgery
And finally, the last and most inhumane method is cutting the vocal cords. This procedure completely deprives the animal of its voice.
For example, I am not at all a supporter of all of the above methods for preventing barking. I believe that they are very dangerous, cruel and unacceptable. All these remedies are for those who do not love their animals and do not want to devote time to teaching them correct behavior. All these devices make the four-legged animal not trust its owner and be even more afraid. But I wrote about them because they exist.
For me, the best way to stop a dog from barking is constant training with your pet. Yes, you will have to “sweat a little.” But this will be direct communication that evokes emotions. Your four-legged dog will try to bring you joy, and you, in turn, will praise him for his success. What could be better?
Of course, the most effective training occurs in very young puppies, at the age of 2-3 months. It is much easier to train a puppy to stop barking than an adult dog. But difficult does not mean impossible.
