Barking is a very much accepted and a usual behavior among dogs. However, your neighbors do not seem to accept that fact very well. It seems unfair and improbable also to wish your dog could just fall silent. Here are some tips that could help you in lowering down your dog’s barking.
How to Stop Dog Barking
- Find the reason for your dog’s extreme barking. Getting rid of the cause will make you more successful in keeping your dog quiet. Most of the time, a dog barks because he is in a condition where he thinks that barking is more rewarding for him than keeping silent. A dog that barks too much is neither stupid nor crazy but is merely responding to the situation he is in. So, the most sensible thing to do is to get him out of that situation and teach him that being silent is more rewarding.
- Always have in hand your dog’s favorite food. Start by praising your dog when he starts barking like saying, “Good boy” then say, “What’s wrong?”
- Tell your dog, “No, no”.
- Then, let your dog sniff on the food. Your dog’s usual reaction will be to hush down as he has become more interested in getting the food that he has just sniffed.
- Praise your dog for being quiet by saying that he has been a good dog. Then, let him have his treat after 3 seconds of being quiet.
- Show off another treat to your dog once he starts barking again. Now, do not let him have the food until a longer time has elapsed, say 5 or 6 seconds of being quiet. After some time, your dog should learn that being quiet is more rewarding than barking.
- Scold your dog every time he does something wrong. If your dog barks for even just a short time, as you are showing him off the food, say “Quiet” louder. Then give him the treat right after he stops barking.
- Add 3 seconds to each quiet-time intervals every time. Start with 3, 6, 9, 12 seconds and so on. It is promising to continue up to 2 minutes of quiet time in your first training session with your dog. This might mean an important progress of stopping your dog’s unnecessary barking.
Warnings
- There are breeds of dogs than normally bark more than others. Try to check if your pet’s barking habits are natural.
- It may take some time to curb your dog’s habit of extreme barking. Be sure to stay calm and patient. Gradually, your dog will learn to bark only when it is suitable.
- If you still have some trouble stopping your dog’s barking, consult a certified veterinarian who is an expert in animal behavioral problems.
More Tips:
Sometimes, you may feel that all your efforts are just not worth it when you find out that your dog just has not learned anything after all your tries. If you are looking for more advanced techniques in modifying your dog’s behavior, we recommend you Daniel Stevens’ book “Secrets to Dog Training” available here: http://www.kingdomofpets.com/dogobediencetraining/
