[The terrier’s] conduct when in the presence of rabbits is enough to make a meditative lurcher or retriever grieve….The fox-terrier converts himself into a kind of hurricane in fur, and he gives tongue like a stump-orator in full cry. ∼ James Runciman, The Ethics of Drink and Other Social Questions
It is difficult, if not outright impossible, to
completely extinguish a dog’s desire to bark. Dogs communicate with each
other by barks, growls and howls. In terriers, “giving voice” (the
traditional terrier-man’s term for barking) when aroused was selectively
strengthened over the generations. If a terrier chased his
quarry underground, the only way to find the dog, if he wouldn’t or
couldn’t come out, would be to listen for his barking and then start
digging toward him. A quiet terrier might end up a dead terrier if he got
stuck underground. Even more than some of the other terrier traits we’ve
considered so far, this one is nearly as strong in modern terriers today
as it was in their ancestors. It is also probably the most difficult one
to modify effectively because most owners have unrealistic goals for the
training.
Setting a goal of teaching your dog to never
bark is not fair and not realistic. It is the canine equivalent of telling
a person he can never utter another word again as long as he lives. It
ain’t gonna happen. Barking is the terrier’s native language and is a
normal, healthy behavior that will always be a part of his behavioral repertoire. It
is also a self-soothing technique that some dogs engage in when they
are stressed. Barking is a behavior that causes dog owners much grief, but
it can be altered to an acceptable level if you remember to be as
tenacious as your terrier and stick with your training plan!
Glitch has a lovely voice he uses quite
often!
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