Managing Finnish Spitz Barking
The Finnish Spitz is a lively, vocal breed originally developed to hunt and alert handlers to game. Barking is deeply ingrained in this breed's DNA. While endearing at times, excessive barking can become a nuisance. This guide covers managing barking in your Finnish Spitz to maintain a harmonious household.
Understanding Barking in Finnish Spitz
To control barking, you must first understand why it occurs. For the Finnish Spitz, barking stems from:
Alerting Instinct
- Barking served to alert hunters to prey. It remains a strong instinct today.
- Tend to bark at sights, sounds, or movements they find intriguing. Highly responsive to environmental stimuli.
Communication
- Barking allows them to express needs, emotions, desires. It's a primary communication method.
- Barks when excited, hungry, bored, anxious, playing, greeting, etc. Each bark tone means something different.
Loneliness
- Prone to separation anxiety due to close bonds with owners.
- May bark excessively when left alone as a distress response.
Boredom
- Requires frequent mental stimulation and exercise to remain happy.
- Barking can indicate pent up energy and boredom.
Compulsion
- Some develop obsessive, compulsive barking habits. Barking releases endorphins that self-reward the behavior.
Knowing the motivation for barking allows you to address the root cause through targeted training.
Managing Alert Barking
The Finnish Spitz has a strong instinct to alert bark at sights and sounds. Strategies to reduce excessive alarm barking include:
Desensitization
- Gradually expose your Finnish Spitz to different stimuli while rewarding quiet behavior.
- Start with mild triggers like footsteps or rustling leaves. Reward for looking at the stimulus without barking.
- Work up to more exciting triggers like people passing by or dogs walking. Continue rewarding calm responses.
- Perform training sessions daily until your dog learns cues mean being quiet, not alarm barking.
Teach 'Quiet' Command
- When your dog begins barking, say "Quiet" calmly but firmly.
- The moment they pause barking, even just briefly, reward with high-value treat.
- Repeat until you can get your dog to go from barking to quiet with the single command.
- Be consistent! With time, you can stop nuisance barking with a simple "Quiet" cue before it escalates.
Reduce Visual Triggers
- Block views out windows or fences where common triggers occur. This removes the visual stimulation.
- Teach your Finnish Spitz to move away from the window when barking rather than stare. Reward disengaging.
- Close curtains or blinds to hide outdoor views if barking is a problem in certain rooms.
Alert Collars
- Collars like the Gentle Spray Bark Collar humanely interrupt alarm barking by emitting a spray of air.
- The surprise of the spray distraction gives you a chance to redirect your dog to a quiet, settled behavior.
- Never use collars that shock, choke, or harm dogs. Focus on positive reinforcement training.
Curbing Boredom Barking
A Finnish Spitz left alone with nothing to occupy its quick mind will vocalize demands for attention. Curb boredom barking by:
More Exercise
- Ensure your Finnish Spitz gets 60+ minutes of vigorous daily exercise to burn mental and physical energy.
- Go on varied walks, hikes, runs. Play fetch. Take training classes. Engage their intelligence.
Enrichment Toys
- Provide puzzle toys like Kongs stuffed with food for mental stimulation.
- Rotate novel toys to pique their curiosity and problem-solving skills.
- Hide treats around the house and teach them to hunt for them.
Training Sessions
- Practice commands, tricks, and other engaging training activities before you leave to tire them out.
- End on a positive note with a Kong or chew toy to reinforce settling down.
Day Care or Walker
- Take your Finnish Spitz to doggy day care 1-2 days a week for play time and socialization.
- Hire a dog walker if your schedule does not permit exercise during the day.
Meeting your Finnish Spitz's needs for energetic activity is key to preventing bored barking at home.
Separation Anxiety Barking Solutions
Finnish Spitz tend to be quite attached to their owners. Barking due to separation anxiety may occur when left alone, along with other symptoms like destruction, pacing, and agitation. Ways to ease separation stress:
Desensitization Training
- Practice short departures and absences from your Finnish Spitz, starting with just stepping outside the door for a few seconds. Slowly work up to longer durations.
- Greet low-key upon return. Gradually teach them to relax when left alone.
- Show this is "normal" vs. a big departure that warrants anxious barking.
Enrichment Activities
- Provide food puzzles, new toys and other enrichments to occupy them while you are gone. Highlight these special items are for alone time.
- Food puzzles will release kibble slowly over time, making them last.
Crate Training
- Teach your dog to view the crate as a safe den space with positive reinforcement training. Never use as punishment.
- Providing an enclosed space to settle sometimes helps alleviate separation stress.
- Place special chew toys or food puzzles in crate.
Medication
- In severe cases, an anxiety medication prescribed by your vet can help reduce barking and destructive behaviors. Used alongside behavior modification for best results.
Patience and meeting their needs for exercise and enrichment prevents most Finnish Spitz from developing separation woes and barking. But some individuals may still require medication. Consult your vet if severe.
Handling Compulsive Barking
In rarer cases, Finnish Spitz develop compulsive, obsessive barking habits unrelated to triggers. This may require:
Vet Exam
- First rule out any underlying medical issues causing compulsive behavior with a veterinary exam.
Record Barking
- Closely observe context and patterns. Record to detect precise triggers and times.
Consistent Training
- Use desensitization, redirection, and Quiet command training consistently. May require professional trainer help.
Medication
- If anxiety based, an SSRI medication could reduce compulsive behavior when combined with behavior modification.
Enrichment and Exercise
- Ensure your Finnish Spitz receives sufficient physical and mental stimulation. A tired dog barks less.
Compulsive barking has complex causes and solutions. Seek help from veterinary behaviorists for the best outcomes in difficult cases.
Be Realistic
The vocal Finnish Spitz will likely always be a bit "barky" compared to some breeds. But you can absolutely manage excessive barking through training, exercise, and enrichment to achieve a well-behaved companion. Stay patient and committed to bark reduction techniques. With realistic expectations, you can enjoy the playful spirit and loyalty of the Finnish Spitz while maintaining your sanity!