As I am writing this post from the comfort of my apartment, my dog is driving me completely nuts. He is running all over the place and is constantly barking at the door. The running I don't mind, but the barking I do-- especially because I live in an apartment building with thin walls.

Many people have this problem with their pups, but don't really know how to control the situation (I have not tackled it myself just yet). So I decided to look for information on how to control a dog's barkiing.

I found this article from a dog training Web site that explains not only how to correct a dog's barking, but why dog's bark in the first place. Many breeds instinctively bark when they feel threatened. Others use it as a way of communication. Some smaller breeds simply enjoy "talking."

One thing that I've done on numerous occasions is to gently grab my dog's snout, look him in the eyes and firmly tell him "NO." That prevents the action for a few minutes, but does not seem to work in the long run.

The article pointed out that one of the main reasons dogs are vocal is simply due to nervous energy and not enough exercise. That is most likely the reason that my dog is misbehaving right now-- he hasn't had a chance to exercise a lot in the past couple of days because of the cold weather and my busy schedule.

Correcting a dog's bark is not an easy process, but it can be done with some patience and perseverance.