How do I stop my dog from barking?

A common question for most dog owners is how do they stop their dog from barking. One of the best solutions is to encourage your dog to take a time out in order to calm themselves down

This can be achieved by the command “bed” to give them their needed time out

When it comes to your dog barking we need to understand that although we want to eliminate barking that can be disruptive, we are never going to eliminate barking all together

To stop a dog barking in certain situations we need to identify the reasons behind their actions and when they occur

 

STEP 1: WHY IS MY DOG BARKING?

 

There are many reasons why a dog will bark, whether that be they are excited or bored and everything else you can think of

A huge contributor to this can be they have too much energy that needs to be used. This can be harvested by increasing your physical activity with your dog. Perhaps taking a longer walk or walking more frequently

Not only physical, but mental stimulation can have a significant impact on your dogs overall desire to bark. Why not take the time to learn a new trick or try some brain games with them

STEP 2: MY DOG BARKS FOR ATTENTION

A common reason for your dogs desire to bark is simply for attention. If they feel they are not getting enough from you they crave. They will then bark knowing that the result will be for you to shout at them, which is infact the attention they desire. Try to ignore their barks but be conscious of why they are doing it and up the attention you give them

Try to ignore their barking until they stop, then give them gentle praise. This will ultimately teach them that their barking is not going to get praise and over time they should learn to stop

When your dog is naturally quiet of their own accord, praise them, let them know that this is the behaviour that you want from them

 

STEP 3: MY DOG BARKS WHEN PEOPLE WALK PAST THE HOUSE

Do you find that your dog barks when people walk past your house? This is very common and can be assisted by covering the window or door in question so they are unaware of any such passer by

Should you be aware that there is a chance your dog is about to start barking you can try to distract them before the event happens.

Engage their brain with some of the simple techniques you have bonded over like sit or stand. In addition you could just give them attention by playing with them.

They will more than likely still be aware that someone has passed by and if this has happened without subsequent barking make sure to give praise

STEP 4: MY DOG BARKS WHEN PEOPLE KNOCK ON THE DOOR

Does your dog bark when someone comes to the door? They will be doing this for one of two reasons we find. Eithe rthey are excited for the visitor or they are trying to warn and ultimately protect you.

A little more complex yet brilliant technique is to desensitize your dog no the sound of knocking at the door.

Simply record the sound that triggers them, wait until they are calm and play the sound on a low volume.

As with all training, if this is succesful and there is no bark, reward this. Continue to increase the volume always rewarding the positive result

Your dog will soon begin to associate the noise with positve thoughts and over time we should see the that barking has stopped

 

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