Q: WMy miniature poodle has an annoying habit that used to be minor, but now it's out of control. He barks when the phone rings and won't stop until I'm off the phone. I don't understand why he does this. He can tell it's making me crazy. I've started yelling at him, but he just backs out of my reach and barks more. -- B.N., via e-mail

A: Anyone who has ever worked taking phone orders for a catalog company can tell you that it seems as if half the dogs in the world start barking the minute their owners get on the phone. Why does this happen? Because the dogs have been taught to behave that way -- accidentally, of course.

The problem starts when a dog barks at you once when you're on the phone. If he did that while you were watching TV or paying bills on the computer, you'd likely not reward the behavior. You'd probably ignore the dog, and the behavior wouldn't be repeated.

But if you're on the phone, you don't want the person on the other end to hear your dog barking, or to hear you yell at your dog to shut up. Chances are you'll pet your dog just to keep him quiet. Before too long, you have a dog who starts yapping every time you pick up the phone because that behavior has been rewarded.

Some people take it even a step further. There are plenty of people who give their dogs treats to shut them up while they're on the phone. This is a big payoff for the dog, rewarding every yip with a biscuit. No wonder the behavior gets worse and worse!

The best way to solve this problem is to never reward it -- don't praise or treat your dog in the short term as a "fix" for behavior you don't want in the long run. But since your dog is already a pest -- and yelling doesn't fix the problem, as you've seen -- ask your veterinarian for a referral to a trainer who can help show you how to undo the annoying little trick you inadvertently taught your dog.

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