Stop Dog Barking Now
Most people want to stop dog barking the minute they hear it. It's loud, it's obnoxious, it's annoying, and it can go on forever! The worst part is when it happens at night and wakes you up!To dogs, barking is natural though!
A dog barking is the same as a human speaking. It's a way for them to communicate vocally. You might want to stop dog barking permanently, but the goal should be to be able to control it. You want the excessive barking to stop so you don't disturb your neighbors.
The first step to stopping dog barking is figuring out what is making your dog want to bark. There are probably a number of different things, so you will want to concentrate on the most common. Then, you will be able to work on stopping the problem.
There are plenty of reasons why a dog might be barking. They might feel isolated or be dealing with separation anxiety. They might be attempting to warn you about (what they feel is) a dangerous situation. They might feel trapped or be attempting to claim an area as part of their territory.
Some dogs bark because it is in their blood to do so. Beagles and other types of hounds have been bred throughout the years to bark as a way to alert their owners. They've also become accustomed to barking as a way to show they want to play with you!
If you are dealing with a puppy that loves to bark, that is perfectly normal. They will do it both to try to prove that they are the dominant ones and because they are extremely excited. You want to be careful not to accidentally reward them for doing this, or you'll be showing them that when they bark, they get attention!
It's very common for dogs to bark at animals like cats and other dogs. If they can see through the slats in the fence, then it is easy to see dogs walk by. Dogs also tend to bark when they feel bored or stressed out.
Hopefully what you're seeing here is that dogs bark in just about any situation. That is why it can be so hard to stop dog barking. You might be able to get them to understand that they shouldn't bark in certain situations, but in not in other situations.
That's why it can be such a challenge!
When you teach your dog that barking excessively is the problem, they will remember that in every situation. That is how you stop dog barking!
Stop Dog Barking Techniques
1. Your dog barks when the doorbell rings or the phone ringsDoes your dog bark whenever someone comes to the door or calls your house? If they do, they're trying to get a reaction out of you. You need to teach your dog to ignore the sound. It's not very challenging to do this. If your dog barks at the doorbell, have a friend go outside and ring the bell repeatedly. When they do this, you need to act calm and ignore it.
Your dog will bark at the sound and be attempting to get some type of reaction out of you. Don't shout at your dog and don't even react to the door. Just like with other training techniques, you will have to do this a couple times over a period of a week or two. Eventually, your dog will understand that barking when the door rings won't get them any attention.
You an also use this behavior as an opportunity to practice alternate training techniques. When your dog barks at the door (or the phone), tell them to sit or lie down. It will divert your dog's attention and stop the barking. Be careful to calmly give the command and only say it once, otherwise your dog will interpret it as you giving them attention for their barking.
This technique to stop dog barking is the same if it happens when the phone rings. just call your own phone and do the same steps.
2. Your dog barks when they want your attention
If your dog seems to just bark for no reason, it's probably because they want your attention. There is a very simply training technique that you can use to get them to stop doing this.
Have a treat in your hand when your dog starts barking. Wave it in front of their nose so they can see it and smell it and say a command word like, "Hush!" or "Quiet!" Your dog will stop barking because of the treat, but they will begin to make the connection that the command, "Quiet!" (or whatever you chose) means to stop barking.
You'll need to practice it like you would with any obedience command, but your goal should be to be able to get your dog to obey without any treat.
Remember, if your dog doesn't respond to the command, you need to ignore them. Don't keep waving the treat around or saying the command. At the very least, they need to learn that when they bark, they will be ignored because of that. In time, that will teach them that barking is not the right behavior.
3. Your dog barks when people or other animals walk by
Your dog sees people walking by a threat to you and their territory. They are barking both to alert you and to warn the intruders. It can be difficult to stop this type of barking because it usually happens outside. So if you go outside to tell your dog to stop, you are doing exactly what they want!
The best course of action is to show your dog that this type of barking is not the correct behavior with negative association. Some people will say that you should do this with a shock collar, but that is not the right way to go about it in my opinion. You don't need to physically harm your dog to help them form a negative association in their mind.
One easy way is to spray your dog with a hose. Even dogs that love the water hate having it sprayed at them. It won't take long for them to realize that when they bark at people passing by, they will get sprayed. If there isn't a hose nearby or if it's really not possible for you to do this kind of thing, you can instead fill a coffee can or some other tin can with coins. Throw it in your dog's direction (don't try to hit them). The loud noise will really annoy your dog.
Repeat this negative association training until your dog realizes that barking at people walking by leads to a loud, annoying noise or a stream of water. Remember, you have to be extremely consistent about this. If you let your dog get away with barking sometimes because you don't feel like spraying them, they won't ever learn.
That's how you stop dog barking!
If you are having a really hard time trying to stop dog barking, there are two other things you can try. The first thing you can do is get a special collar that releases a pungent smell when it senses your dog barking. Since dog's hate the smell, they'll begin to associate it with their barking. The collars can be helpful, but they don't always work.
The most serious measure you can take to stop dog barking is to get surgery. This is expensive and permanent, and should only be a last resort, obviously. Your vet will have information about this surgery and whether or not it is the right way to go.
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