How to stop a dog barking: the best doggy guide
How to stop a dog barking: the best doggy guide
Of all the bad dog behaviors out there, how to stop a dog barking has to be one of the most frustrating issues to deal with.
think about it…
If your dog has a problem with his barking, it is unlikely that you will be able to control his barking. This could result in his howling to keep you up at night, his barking interrupting your favorite TV show, or even his unnecessary barking to wake up the little ones from a nap.
Barking is also scary for some people who are not familiar with dogs. And your dog’s constant barking can frighten friends and family who come to visit you at home. This is not fun for anyone.
Or even worse…if your dog keeps barking day in and day out and you live near other people, your neighbors might call the police to make a fuss.
It’s heartbreaking, but distracting noises are a big reason to get dogs out of their loved one’s homes.
Barking can be a huge problem and a huge frustration for the dog owners I work with
But here’s the good news. There is no barking problem, no matter how big or small, that can’t be fixed!
Today, I will give you some valuable tips, tools, and resources that you can use to stop unwanted barking behavior starting today.
Let’s start with the basics…
Find the simplest way to stop barking without harming your dog or puppy
First of all, we have to determine why your dog is barking, because the solution we use depending on your dog’s barking problem will not always be the same.
After all, you’d never use the same approach to stop a kid from yelling for help while the kid yells at you for more chocolate, right?
You know, the reason your dog barks is because he’s not happy about something.
What is he not happy about?
Now, I am going to share with you 4 of the most common reasons why dogs and puppies bark.
This is not an exhaustive list, but most dogs and puppies fall into one of these categories. Once you’ve decided which best describes your dog, take a look at a plan of action to end it once and for all.
It sounds like a plan?
I should add here that many years ago (when I was new to dog training), I thought that barking could be handled the same way. Now I’m a few years older and wiser, and I can see the error of my ways.
I have realized that it is much easier to stop barking if you first understand correctly why your dog is barking. Then apply the appropriate solution. It makes sense, right?
So these are the main reasons why your dog will bark and how you can start making things better for you and your dog.
1. Barking because your dog wants something
This type of barking occurs when your dog wants something, like an annoying baby.
He wasn’t happy he told you so. So, it could be because he wants to get in, let him out of the box, get some food, or he just wants to get your attention.
Does your dog ask you to hurry up to dinner? yes? Well, this is what I’m talking about.
How does this fit?
Don’t reward bad behavior.
The key here is that you shouldn’t reward any bad behavior. For example, if your dog is barking outside to get in, don’t let him in (I know this is tempting and you don’t want to disturb the neighbors). If you reward him with what he wants, it will happen over and over again.
Think of it as a short term pain for some long term gain!
Wait and ignore the dog until he calms down, then open the door. You will receive messages very quickly.
Imagine a child yelling at you to do something… would you give it up? No… I hope you wait until you calm down. It’s the same approach.
(Now if you’re thinking “Well, that won’t work in our little Rover, because it never gives up,” there are plenty of other tips and tricks that will convince even the most barking dogs that it’s best to stay still, which I added at the end.)
2. Barking because your dog thinks he is in danger
This type of barking can occur indoors or outdoors.
However, to keep things simple, let’s imagine it indoors. Your dog hears a sound and jumps, then runs to the window and starts barking at people outside your house.
Of course, your dog can bark at other dogs, a sound he hears, or something as small as a bird in a tree.
Whatever the case, imagine that your dog doesn’t have to respond with a bark.
And what we want to communicate to our dogs is… “No need to bark.”
But first, let’s see where it all went wrong! Now what usually happens here is:
Your dog is barking…
You yell at him something (in a very reliable way)… only to find that your dog is barking even louder again, and things start to escalate!
Eventually, you end up yelling and your dog barking at you, “I’m barking as loudly as I can!”
Sound familiar?
How to fix this problem…
Keep calm and check.
What happens is that your dog reflects your energy. So instead of weaning your dog, it’s better to calm him down.
When you bark, say something like “thank you” in a very soft voice (as if you were whispering in someone’s ear).
Then if he continues to bark, look out the window and say “thank you” again very calmly before leaving. (Now I know this may sound strange, but it makes a lot of sense for your dog – I promise!)
What you just did is check for danger (even if it’s just a bird in a tree) and calmly communicate using your body language, tone of voice, and energy so you don’t have to worry.
If he continues to bark after doing this, you can take him outside very quietly for a few minutes.
Of course, with every dog training, the more your dog cares about you, the better! (Something I will explain later). So if your dog is not paying attention, we need to take a few steps back and get his focus and attention first!
3. Barking when your dog is left alone
This type of barking is generally known as “separation anxiety barking” because your dog becomes anxious after a separation.
I must add here that this stress is not only due to barking, but can also manifest itself in destructive behavior, chewing, self-harm, running away, and excessive digging.
The good news is that the following approach will eliminate the cause and stress of the problem. So, all these problems will be gone.
Now, I should point out that this barking is not a “naughty behavior” as many people think, and it has nothing to do with boredom, which is why using a shock collar to try to stop this behavior is such a cruel idea. Let me explain.
Imagine that you are sitting at home taking care of the little one and suddenly you see a child on the street! what are you going to do
Of course, you’ll rush in and take him out.
But… what if the door is locked and you can’t get out?
Do you relax and unwind and drink tea? of course not. You scream for help and call your child back, or you try to break free so you can get back in.
This is why your dog is stressed.
You know, when our dogs think they’re in charge, responsible for our care, they automatically get nervous when you’re gone. That’s why this only happens when you’re not there.
Here’s what to do…
Be the group leader.
Now in this regard, I would like to give you an overview of what to do and what not to do.
The main thing is to realize that your dog or puppy’s barking has nothing to do with boredom! This means that trying to keep your dog occupied by leaving out the bones and lots of chews and toys full of peanut butter is not likely to work.
In fact, it can make it worse, so be sure to take it.
Really, if the problem is solved, everyone will say, “Hey, your dog is barking – leave the bones!”
Instead, what I will focus on is giving your dog a message that you are the leader of the pack and don’t have to worry about where you are.
Now, one way to do this is to leave your house quietly and then come home quietly and ignore your dog. (I know this might sound a little harsh to some of you, and maybe not what you want to do, but this tip is all about doing what’s best for your dog and how to stop the barking!)
Remember, too, that they are animals, just as ignoring a cat or goldfish when you enter your home won’t bother your dog.
In fact, it is one of the main ways you can help your dog relax when you are not around.
This gives your dog the message that you are in charge and not him, and as we explained above, this will help him to stop worrying about you in your absence. When you’re ready, you can always summon your dog for you, on your terms, for love and a cuddle.
Now of course there is a lot more to being a group leader. This is an important key to owning a happy and obedient dog, which I will discuss later.
4. Excessive barking
The fourth type of barking is excessive barking.
The best way to think of it is to imagine several children playing. When kids start having fun, they get excited and start screaming and then start screaming for joy.
They aren’t naughty, but they can be super annoying, which is definitely something you’ll want to stick with.
Now of course with kids, yelling at them doesn’t work! And…the same with dogs.
If your barking gets out of hand while racing on the field, here’s what to do…
Use calm procedures.
First you have to go in and take control of it calmly without uttering a word, and then show calm energy by doing it calmly.
Here’s how it works…
Quiet Freezing:
- Squat down.
- Hold your dog’s collar using your fists under your chin and palms up.
- Say nothing, turn your face away and breathe deeply and slowly.
- Hold for a few seconds until he calms down.
- Then editing comments stopped…
- It will be quieter.
Barks when left alone
One of the most common barking problems I encounter when working with dogs is the separation anxiety we discussed above. Since this is such a big issue, I’d like to focus on this issue for a few minutes.
understand why
The first thing I will explain is why most dogs bark when left on their own. Often times, we assume or think that this is our dog’s way of showing us that he is bored or just naughty; But this is far from the truth.
In fact, a good way to test the boredom theory is to ask yourself if your dog gets bored when you’re at home…
If he is calm and relaxed most of the day, your dog will probably not be bored! (And dogs are not naughty for fun and for giving up.)
Two main reasons
The two main scenarios that cause your dog to bark are triggers to bark and separation anxiety.
They are very different scenarios. Trigger barking is where something causes the dog to die and the dog doesn’t stop. He is tense and keeps working.
In fact, separation anxiety doesn’t need a trigger for your dog to bark. He only gets nervous when you leave and barks all the time.
In the podcast, I fully explain what happened in these two cases and explain what the solution is.
Other techniques
There are many ways to deal with the problem of barking but most of them do not address the root cause of the problem. In some situations, they can definitely help and are worth a try, however, I would only recommend them in combination with the basic solutions I put them together. They cannot work alone.
Here is a short list of some of the things that affect your dog’s barking when he is alone…
- Practice – did it help, was the answer?
- Environment – The effect is to make your dog comfortable.
- herbal medicine vs. Medications – do I recommend it?
- Music and TV – Can They Help Your Dog?
- Inside vs outside – which dog is better – big or small space – which is better.
- Why your ruthless method is just trying to quit smoking.
- Bark “no use”.
The Art of Keeping Calm: How to Prevent the Boston Terrier from Barking
Believe it or not, there are breeds of dogs that are more prone to bad barking habits than other breeds. That is why I am writing the following article which focuses on the Boston Terrier…a dog known to be very gentle.
However, every dog may have a barking problem.
And just because I’m using a specific breed in this example, doesn’t mean the techniques I’m going to share with you won’t work for other dog breeds.
So regardless of whether you have a terrier, bull or collie with a barking problem, I hope you can use my example and apply the tools and techniques I am about to share to help your dog deal with his barking problem.
Let’s jump right into it…
There are many reasons why dogs bark
Some dogs are very enthusiastic, some are protective, and sometimes dogs just want something.
In the video below, I’ll show you how to prevent a Boston Terrier from barking.
Here’s some background information before we proceed…
In this video, Little Bella barks to get attention, she’s excited and trying to get my dog to play. What I love to watch in this video is how the Peanut, my biggest dog, behaves.
Her body language and energy gave me clues as to how best to handle this and many other situations.
Here is a quick overview of how peanuts treat different types of bark
1. Noisy dog
Sometimes, as in this case, if your dog is barking too much for attention and pleasure, Peanut will ignore him and keep ignoring him until he gives up. The beans remain completely calm and relaxed during the whole process. Help Bella calm down.
2. Space Invaders
If the dog behaves rudely and barks at him, he will quickly warn the dog to back off and get rid of him. However, once he did that, he was as calm as possible. Relax and calm.
3. Dangerous situation
If a dog barks vigorously and there is a potential threat, Peanut will walk quietly and calmly and make way for another dog. Sometimes he walked more than 100 meters before lying down. Often, when another dog sees this, he will relax and calm his nerves.
