How to Stop a Dog or Puppy From Barking
All dogs bark. Barking is a normal dog activity. Most dogs don’t know when their barking is inappropriate unless they are taught. Some barking is a good thing, such as communicating that they need to outside to potty or when they are hungry. Some dogs bark excessively. These are the dogs that need your special guidance. Most of the time, barking is a symptom of another problem.
Dogs bark for many reasons:
· Communication
· Fear
· Dominance
· Bored
· Loneliness
· Stress
· Lack of exercise
· Lack of socialization
· Lack of attention
Training your dog or puppy not to bark:
· Assess and address why the dog is barking.
· Make sure his basic needs met – has the dog been fed and watered? Does he need to go outside to potty? Are there any other basic needs that are not being met?
· Remove the symptom for the barking:
o Communication – try to figure out what the dog is trying to tell you. Is he hungry, is there a visitor approaching your home? Find out what he his saying to you. Take care of the need if you can. If there is no need to take care of then stop the barking.
o Fear – address what is making the dog fearful. Does he have a safe place to retreat to such as a crate or comfortable bed for when he is scared?
o Dominance – You need to make it clear that you are the pack leader not him.
o Boredom – Supply a variety of different types of toys to keep the dog busy. Keep a new supply put away so when he gets bored of the toys he is playing with, you can exchange them for new ones.
o Stress – determine what is causing the stress and stop it. Does he have a stress free place to retreat to such as a crate or comfortable bed?
o Lack of exercise – all breeds need some amount of exercise. Walking, dog parks, and playing fetch will help your pup to burn off some of the energy need to bark excessively.
o Lack of socialization – dogs are pack animals and need companionship with other dogs and/or human beings. They need to be part of a family pack.
o Loneliness – dogs are pack animals and need at least 1 hour of your attention daily, with small scratches in between (just to know you still love them).
Distraction:
The best way to stop a barking dog in the act is by distraction. Distract the dog from the reason he is barking by either clapping your hands or using a tin can with pennies in it. The sudden noise should immediately stop the barking. Reward him with a treat and praise when he stops barking. Repeat as needed. This is not a quick fix. It will take a great deal of time and patience, but with consistency and love this will work.
Barking when you are away from home:
· Use a crate to confine to one room.
· Place the crate in the back of the house.
· Close the blinds and curtains.
· Cover with blankets.
· Give your pup toys to play with while you are gone.
· Play the radio or music in the background.
· Don’t make a big deal out of leaving the house or coming home.
· Don’t give up! It takes weeks of training to break old habits.
Don’t:
· Hit, kick, or smack the dog
· Yell at or punish the dog
· Throw anything at the dog
· Strangle the dog (even though you may feel like it!)