Knowing how to stop a dog barking is one of the most important parts of being a dog owner. It can be really annoying if your dog keeps barking and no matter what you do you can’t get them to stop. It can also be frustrating for your neighbors too, of course, especially if your dog barks all day while you’re out or barks late into the night. And it can also be very embarrassing for you if your dog constantly barks at passing strangers or other dogs when you’re talking them for a walk or to the park.
And so it’s important that you very quickly train your dog not to bark at the wrong or inappropriate times. Luckily, once you know the techniques and tricks, it’s not too difficult. So if you follow the advice in this article and those associated with it, you’ll soon know how to stop your dog barking in just about any circumstance.
How To Stop A Dog Barking – The No. 1 Tip
The number one secret to stopping a dog from barking is to make sure that the dog views you as the pack leader. Dogs are pack animals and are used to following the leader, who’s responsible for keeping the rest of the pack safe. And if you don’t assume the role of pack leader then your dog soon will, and this will make all areas of dog obedience training much more difficult.
Other Tips To Stop A Dog Barking
Some other general tips for training a dog not to bark are as follows:
Stay Calm And Relaxed
No matter how annoying and frustrating the dog barking gets, always try and stay calm and relaxed. It’s no use getting angry and shouting at your dog. This will just be totally counter-productive. Not only will your dog feed off your negative energy, but the reason that your dog is barking is probably because they percieve a threat. If you start to shout at them, they’ll think you’e joining in with them and that there must really be something to be worried about and so they will just bark all the more.
Give Your Dog Attention And Exercise
Another reason that a dog may bark a lot is because they’re bored or have just got too much pent-up energy they need a release for. So make sure you give your dog plenty of attention, and that they get all the exercise they need. A well-loved and tired dog is much less likely to have a barking problem.
Don’t Reward Bad Behavior
Make sure that your dog never gets any reward for they’re inappropriate barking. This doesn’t mean you should shout at them or scold them or threaten them with physical violence. It just means making sure they don’t think they’ve done the right thing or something that’s got your attention. So try ignoring them and not giving them any attention when they bark, for example. Or if they’re barking at the window, close the curtains or blinds so that they can no longer see out.
Reward Good Behavior
Reward your dog for showing the behavior that you want. So if you’re ignoring your dog while they’re barking, make sure you give them absolutely no attention at all until they stop completely. Then reward them with a treat or lots of petting and attention. At first, reward your dog for even very short periods of no barking, and over time gradually increase the length of time they must refrain from barking until they get their reward.
Desensitize Your Dog
Get your dog used to whatever it is that’s causing them to bark. For example, if your dog barks every time a friend or member of your family comes to the door, get one of them to help you by gradually approaching your door. As they do so, feed your dog treats. If they start barking, stop feeding the treats. You’ll probably have to repeat this process many times until you get to the stage where you friend can come right to the door without your dog barking.
Teach Your Dog The “Quiet!” Command
Teach your dog to understand the “Quiet!” command. When your dog starts to bark, hold a treat under their nose and say “Quiet!”. If they stop barking, give them the treat and praise them. Keep doing this until your dog learns to stop barking on your command. Once they do so, gradually train them to do it without needing a treat.
Summary
Knowing how to stop a dog from barking is very important for a responsible dog owner. Follow the tips in this article to learn the best ways to do this.