How To Train Your Dog To Stop Barking
Barking is one of the easiest ways for dogs to communicate with the surrounding world. They bark when scared, bored or happy and it’s your job to identify the cause so that you can reduce the amount of barking heard. Remember that eliminating dog barking as every other form of training requires a lot of patience and consistency and cannot be based on punishing your pet for every sound he makes. Don’t scream at your dog or hit him as this will only slow down the entire process and make him more confused as to what you want him to do. Also, remember to move your dog’s den (i.e. crate or a sleeping pad) to a place where he won’t be exposed to stimuli that may cause barking such as loud noises from the street, alarms or ringing phones.
How To Train Your Dog To Stop Barking Part 1 – Tell Him To Stop Barking
One of the simplest tips on how to train your dog to stop barking I know of is to tell your dog to stop barking 🙂 However, it’s not that easy as you will need to prepare plenty of tasty treats first and be very consistent with silencing your four legged friend. Every time he starts to bark say firmly ‘stop barking’, wait for a few seconds and, if your pet remains calm, reward him. As soon as your pet grabs the treat he will have to smell, lick and eat it and will not be able to bark while doing this. Remember to praise him cheerfully for being quiet. Repeat this exercise but each time make him wait in silence for a little longer.
How To Train Your Dog To Stop Barking Part 2 – Alone Dogs Bark Twice As Much
Second tip on how to train your dog to stop barking I recommend is teaching the dog that staying alone is not a big deal. Dogs often bark out of anxiety and specific steps have to be taken to eliminate this bad habit. If you leave your pet for a longer period of time regularly it is worth training him not to celebrate each of your arrivals or grieve when you disappear. Make these events as normal as possible and don’t praise or hug your pet when you leave or get back home. Simply say ‘good dog’ and pat him on the head so that he knows everything is fine.
While staying in home try leaving your dog alone in a room for a few minutes. Then return and get back to work without paying any attention to him. If he jumps all over the room and barks trying to express how happy he is pretend not to see this and act as though he wouldn’t be there. Your pet will mimic your behavior and if you won’t make a big thing out of leaving him alone he won’t do it either.
How To Train Your Dog To Stop Barking Part 3 – Have Your Ever Used A Water Gun?
I love this barking control method as it’s quite funny, does no harm to your pet and works really well. Arm yourself with a water gun and shoot your dog straight at his face whenever he starts barking. It should be so shocking to him that he will instantly stop barking. Remember to say firmly ‘quiet’ while doing this as we want him to associate that word with the unpleasant feeling of being wet. Be consistent in implementing this great tip on how to stop your dog from barking and you should see the first results within a week.
Looking For More Information On How To Train Your Dog To Stop Barking?
If you want to find out more ways to eliminate this annoying habit check out the Dog Behavior section above where we discuss a variety of other barking control methods.
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