barking.

For some people, having a yippy dog can be a dealbreaker. Or just really, really annoying. But one owner of a Shiba Inu in Japan is either brilliant, lucky, or a little bit of both. She demonstrated for a TV audience her dog's ability to -- get this -- change the volume of his bark based on her command. While we should be reeling from how impressive this is, we're just as equally blown away by how cute it is. Like, look that at that face! That face! ...

Laertes, Flickr Meet Mary Burch, American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen director and Paw Nation's expert columnist addressing your questions on animal behavior. Dr. Burch has more than 25 years of experience working with dogs, and she is one of fewer than 50 Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists based in the United States. She is the author of 10 books, including the new official book on the AKC Canine Good Citizen Program, "Citizen Canine: 10 Essential Skills Every Well-Mannered Dog Should Know." Q: Why does Gus, my 2-year-old German shepherd, bark when the doorbell rings on a television show? We've never even had a doorbell, so it's not like he's expecting someone. Is it just the ...

Watch Videos Related to This Article alex-s, Flickr Amy D. Shojai is a certified animal behavior consultant and the award-winning author of 23 pet care books, including "PETiQuette; Solving Behavior Problems in Your Multipet Household" and "Complete Care for Your Aging Dog." We adore dogs but why do Max and Fluffy bark at all hours, gnaw the kids' new shoes or (gasp!) hump the pastor's leg? While aggravating dog habits make owners show their teeth, clueless humans also raise the dog's blood pressure. Here are seven common things you do to make your dog howl. Misunderstanding His Bark: Dogs use barks to communicate alarm, excitement and boredom -- and owners annoy dogs by ignoring ...

Pekie, Flickr Meet Mary Burch, American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen Director and Paw Nation's new expert columnist addressing your questions on animal behavior. Dr. Burch has over 25 years of experience working with dogs and she is one of less than 50 Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists based in the United States. She is the author of ten books including the new official book on the AKC Canine Good Citizen Program, "Citizen Canine: 10 Essential Skills Every Well-Mannered Dog Should Know." About five weeks ago, I adopted from an animal shelter a Pekingese who had been abandoned. The dog, Devon, who is 3 years old, is very lovable with me and is great with kids, but it took him ...

Photo: TheGiantVermin/Flickr By Mary R. Burch, PhD, American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen Director A: While there are a number of reasons that dogs bark, five of the most common reasons are: Alerts -- as in when a stranger is coming down the driveway. Warning the owner that a stranger (e.g., a delivery person) is coming into the yard may be a good thing. However, loud agitated non-stop barking accompanied by snapping at the living room window and knocking over the floor lamp can be nerve-wracking for the dog owner who was experiencing a peaceful evening. Excitement -- as seen during an active play session. They want something -- "Look at me, come and play," "I want to go ...

Sometimes, a dog has to speak its mind. Photo: TheGiantVermin/Flickr Barking that is a behavior problem may result from one of several different issues. The key is to first identify the cause of the barking and then to change your dog's triggers. Loneliness BarkingWhen loneliness is the cause of incessant barking, giving your dog more attention may solve the problem. In a family situation, encourage family members to take turns playing with your dog and taking him for walks. When he is left alone, provide toys for him to amuse himself.Sometimes more attention won't solve the problem. If your dog has developed a habit of barking, place some pennies in a can and tape it shut. When he barks, ...