In this episode Kathy will help you identify the root cause of your dog’s excessive barking, and guide you through the eight steps of her Bark Busting Protocol to prevent and rehab unwanted barking, the partnership way.   Pretty much every dog mom has a story of their dog’s over-the-top barking. Kathy certainly has a few stories of her own, and she shares the exact steps she took with unwanted barking with her own dogs in this episode.   So, what are the steps to getting on top of unwanted barking? What’s the real cause of it? And is it possible to stop it after the habit has already formed?   In this episode:   A reminder that barking is normal and natural – but that doesn’t mean it is never problematic Why the first step in overcoming unwanted barking is a shift in our own perspective How to manage unwanted barking and understanding why dogs do it The four main categories of unwanted, over-the-top barking, and Kathy’s 8-Step Protocol   Quotes:   “If we yell at our dogs because they’re barking, they could very well interpret that as agreement and encouragement to continue barking.”   “Dogs bark - it’s their way of expressing - and we love that about them. That doesn’t mean that we have to love their crazy, over-the-top aroused, and inappropriate barking.”   “Instead of yelling or being frustrated at your dog’s excessive barking … be present, role model, and utilize the mirror effect that informs all social mammals how we do things in our family.”   LOVE TO LEARN MORE?  Become a calm and confident Dog Mom with a cooperative, happy dog ... without obedience training, or relying on treats or arousing games, or corrections of any type.    Here are some next steps:   SUBSCRIBE to Kathy’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/DancingHeartsDogAcademy/videos   LISTEN or READ Kathy’s Podcast and Blog on her Website: https://dancingheartsdogacademy.com/   GET STARTED work with Kathy: https://dancinghearts.link/foundation   LET’S CONNECT on the socials for more partnership tips and advice: -Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dancinghearts/ -Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kathykawalec/   LISTEN TO PODCASTS: Subscribe to the Enlightened By Dogs podcast in your favorite app! Don’t forget to leave us a rating and review – it would make Kathy very happy!   Subscribe on  Apple Podcasts | Listen on Spotify Connect on Facebook: facebook.com/dancinghearts/