This week you may have heard about Lillian Miller in Florida whose life was saved by her pet Chihuahua cross, called Spaz.

Spaz woke the owner in the early hours by barking, and the owner, thinking the dog wanted to go outside to pee, got up and noticed her living room was on fire. She had taken out her hearing aids upon going to bed (the owner, not Spaz) so did not hear the fire alarm.

This raises an important question – is it okay to have a dog that barks? The answer here is obviously yes, but the reason that sometimes dogs bark non-stop is that in their mind they are the protectors of the den and must deter all potential intruders. By implementing Dog Listener training (aka Amichien Bonding), the dog believes the owner is the guardian, however this does not mean the dog will not bark at all, rather it will now alert the decision-maker.

One of my dogs, Pru, will bark if she sees something she believes is of concern (and being a nervous dog in nature that can be something as seemingly insignificant as a plastic bag). Once I acknowledge her alert and – in her eyes – deal with the situation as I see fit she stops, or at least gives one final tiny woof as if to say “Yeah, and stay out!”

Some people actually feel reassured that their dog is there in case of unwanted visitors (I don’t mean the in-laws). At the same time it is good to know that they trust you to make the decision, and it is entirely possible to achieve that without having to shout, throw things, use shock collars, and generally get everyone well and truly wound up.

One other question did arise as I read the story – if the lady couldn’t hear the fire alarm, how loud was Spaz? 

Source: The Orlando Sentinel