WHY DOES MY DOG DO THAT?
CASE REPORT: The Dog Who Barks Too Much
by Nicholas Dodman, DVM

ACK Family Dog March/April 2006

Quite recently, Mr. and Mrs. White brought Lady, a 3-year-old spayed female Shih Tzu, to the Behavior Clinic ^ the Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine to seek advice on how to contend with die dog's excessive barking. The Whites said Lady had been on edge since they brought her home at 8 weeks of age. They noted, for example, diat she was frightened of any loud noises—especially the rustling of plastic bags—and was afraid of the dark. It emerged during the interview that Lady was also socially phobic, bom toward strangers and dogs and, as she had become older, had learned that by using aggressive tactics, such as growling, barking, lunging, and nipping, she was often able to drive the bogeyman away. It was, for her, a strategy that worked. She had a lack of confidence and was fearful.
As usual, prior to unveiling the therapeutic treatment plan, I discussed widi Lady's owners the likely cause of her problems and, as usual, the two culprits of nature and nurture, working in synchrony, were the topics of discussion. It is true, I told die Whites, environment is probably more important than genetics when it comes to fearfulness, and what happens to a dog during the sensitive development between 3 and 12 weeks of age Ip can set her up for success or failure for the rest of her life.
THE FAIREST LADY
We embarked on the behavior-modification program comprising several facets. I advised the Whites to provide for Lady at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise daily. A tired dog is a good dog. In addition, I asked the Whites to switch Lady's diet from what they were feeding—the canine equivalent of rocket fuel—to one much less propulsive! I also asked the Whites to improve their communication with Lady using one-word commands to direct her behavior, followed by immediate reward for the desired response. Also, I recommended they did not try to resolve her problems by coddling her. The final behavior advice involved countercon-ditioning—specifically, training her to engage in some behavior like going to her bed and lying down, instead of Blunging at visitors. Finally, because I wanted to make Lady feel better as soon as possible, I recommended that she be given a modest dose of Prozac once a day with her food.
The first communication I had with the Whites following this appointment was six days later. Mrs.White was positively
effusive with the good news of Lady's improvement. She reported that Lady was more relaxed and more affectionate, and that there was less tension in the house. She also said that growling and lunging at people had decreased significantly. This alone, she thought, was a major breakthrough.
Sixteen days after commencing the program, Mrs. White had yet more encouraging news to report. Visitors were commenting on how Lady was not barking as much. For example, whereas sight of the large dog across the street would previously have driven her into a frenzy of yapping and lunging at the window, she now would sit quietly, calmly observing her nemesis, only occasionally muttering a low growl under her breath. When strangers came to the house, Lady might bark a few times but was easily distracted and would follow direction when Mrs. White said, "No, Lady. Come here."
There could be many factors that contributed to Lady's change, but I believe that the counterconditioning and exercise would not have had an effect that quickly. The dog's change in diet and die anxiety medication, however, could have had an impact. I should say that while Prozac and similar drugs can be used with tremendous success in veterinary patients, there are sometimes side effects. Accordingly, any such treatment should only be given to dogs on die advice of a veterinarian skilled in the art of prescribing such drugs.
That said, Lady is much happier and more confident, and with this regime will only get better. For once in her life she is on target and not barking up the wrong tree.

Nicholas Dodman is a veterinarian and behaviorist. He is the author of If Only They Could Speak: Stories About Pets and Their People.