How to Stop barking dogs

Posted on December 19th, 2011 Written by +Brian Benson Email Author

When your dog barks excessively or inappropriately, in most cases, this is because you have put him in a situation where he finds it more rewarding to do the barking than stay quiet. He finds that by barking, he gets your attention or when he barks he gets what he wants. This makes perfect sense considering the situation you have placed him in. In fact, acting otherwise would mean the dog is stupid. The solution therefore is to reverse the situation in such a way that being quiet is more rewarding than barking and gets better results. Below are simple steps on how to stop barking dogs – a useful guide for dog owners.

Why Dogs Bark

Most problem barking is caused by boredom. When dogs are given more than the usual attention, they never get to learn how to behave and stay quiet when left on their own. When you spoil your dog by giving him treats and petting him whenever you wish, this slowly gets into the dog and he starts feeling that this is the way he should be treated. When you withdraw this attention, it is likely that the first sign you will get from him is continuous barking. For example, if he is unhappy outdoors and barking gets you to bring him in, you are teaching him that barking gets results. Lavish attention where the dog does not need to earn it forces the dog to think that he is the center of the world and deserves everything he gets. When you fail to provide this attention, you can expect him to bark until he gets what he wants.

Praising and Petting

When a dog does something good, he is generally rewarded by praising and petting him. Dogs are very responsive to this kind of behavior and gladly repeat the same thing to get that attention. However, when you start praising and petting the dog for doing nothing, then you have crossed the line. If you are used to patting and praising him just because you are bored, it’s time to stop. The only time you should touch your dog is when he has responded to your command. For example, when you give the command “Sit” and the dog responds favorably, a pat on the head is enough. Slowly, teach him to sit longer and stay in situations. When he fails to do that, avoid tapping or praising him with terms like “good dog”.

Out of Touch

As you stay longer without touching or patting him, the dog will learn that it is ok to be “out of touch”. It’s now time to take this “out of touch” experience to a different level. Get him some chew toys and keep the dog distracted and then slowly and quietly leave the room. Before the dog has time to notice and feel uncomfortable about your absence, come back in and resume your normal activities. When your dog attempts to come and greet you, ignore him and don’t say anything. Avoid even glancing at him. By doing this, you are showing the dog that your separation from him was completely unimportant to you and slowly he will learn to have that mindset. Repeat this as often as you can.

Stop Goodbyes

You are now ready to go to work and leave him the whole day all alone. Feed the dog and ensure that he is settled by providing a means of entertainment such as a chew toy. When you are all set and ready to leave, sit down with a newspaper and ignore the dog completely. Take a few minutes of calm and quiet separation, after which get up and walk out of the door. Don’t say goodbye to the dog or even look at him. You are simply leaving for work and this not a big deal. Upon your return, again ensure that it is a quiet and calm return. Again, this is no big deal and therefore you do not need to pet or greet the dog. Go through your normal daily activities and when you see that the dog is settled and the excitement has gone down; give him the command to “Sit.” When he responds, pat him on the head. This was simply a normal day and he should not expect undue attention and you do not expect him to be overly excited or start barking.

Create Distractions

Sometimes, a dog will bark for no apparent reason, especially when you are away. In such cases, try to create distractions that will break those barking periods. For example, when outside, try throwing pebbles on the window or ask the neighbor to make a phone call. Ensure the phone is in another hidden room. Doing this repeatedly during the day will break barking periods and will slowly let the dog get distracted and forget barking.

Exercise

Dogs need to be exercised regularly; a 30-minute walk everyday will do the trick. When they are not given this exercise, the get bored and may need to vent out that energy. They may become problem barkers in the process to burn all that pent-up energy. When you take time to play with your dog, you are also in a good position to better communicate with him. You can take such opportunities to teach him simple commands and good manners. You also get to learn about your dog during such play times and help you better live with your dog. It is a well-known fact that dogs that regularly exercise with their human owners usually have less behavior problems. Since barking is a behavior problem, it might just be what your dog needs to finally give you and your neighbor some peace of mind.

Health Problems

Dog health is a consideration for barking dogs. When dogs are physically uncomfortably, either by being sick, injured or due to old age, they will tend to be problem barkers. You need to take your dog to the vet at least once a year to ensure that he is in good health. You should also regularly clean and groom him, vaccinate him and ensure he is free of ticks, mites and fleas. Regularly inspect his teeth, ears and paws.

Remember also that changes in maturation such as moving from puppyhood to adolescence to adulthood and finally aging will mean adjustments in the environment, type of food and amount of food you give him. These changes are usually gradual and need keen attention. By adjusting the needs of your dog as he ages or as his health changes, you will allow him to live a more comfortable life and less likely to have behavior problems.

Pinch Collars

This is one of the low-tech solutions used to train a stubborn dog to behave. It is an approach that has been used for decades by expert dog trainers and has proved effective. The whole idea is to make a dog uncomfortable using the collar the same way a dog would give sharp small bites to its puppies on the neck. When a dog starts barking uncontrollably, you utter out a “hush’ command and at the same time tug the collar which will stop dog barking. Upon silence, treat the dog and fill the silence by uttering the “good dog” anecdote. The pinch collar thus provides an interruption which is followed by a silence that provides the opportunity to praise the dog for maintaining silence.

If you want to silence a barking dog with a pinch collar, ensure that you only use it for that purpose. Don’t try to use it as a punishment since it hurts the dog and may be confusing to the dog on the proper way to behave. If you cannot control yourself with temper, then get something else that does not cause pain, otherwise you may find yourself unnecessarily hurting your dog even for making subtle mistakes.

Environment

Sometimes dogs will bark when they hear a certain sound or see something. Others will bark at something they fear. Take time to learn why your dog barks. For example, does he back while looking outside the window or at certain times of the day or night? If so, consider screening off the disturbing view or shielding him off the noise or environment he fears. For example, some dogs are fearful of delivery trucks or vacuum cleaners. You can therefore ask the delivery people to use a different route or keep the dog in another room while you vacuum.
You can also provide specific training to lessen a dog’s fear. For example, if your dog frequently barks while vacuuming you can gradually introduce the dog to the machine and turn it ON for only short periods. Reward him when he stops barking and gradually increase the time you leave the vacuum cleaner ON. In your training sessions, you can also incorporate the feared object or noise and let the dog learn to adapt to that environment while you offer commendation. If the dog is still terrified of his fear, then don’t push it and simply move the dog away to a place he feels more comfortable.

Talking to Your Dog

This is another way you can learn on how to stop barking dogs. When training your dog to stop barking excessively, it will take time, work and consistency. Shouting at the dog to stop barking is not going to help. In fact, it will encourage the dog to bark more since he will assume you are joining in. Always remember to speak calmly and firmly without yelling. When you shout at your dog to “Shut Up”, he is not going to understand what you are saying. Learn to calmly tell the dog to “Be Quiet!”

How do you get him to understand that “Quiet” means he needs stop barking? When he starts barking, quietly and with a firm voice, utter the words “Quiet!” Wait for him to stop barking or until he runs out of breath and then praise him by patting him or by giving him a treat. Never reward a barking dog. Eventually he is going to figure out that “Quiet!” means that he should stop and he will get a reward (ensure it’s a great treat). Alternatively, you can use voice commands such as holding your finger to your lips. Signaling at the dog is very effective since dogs are more likely to pick up signals faster than voice commands. By teaching that being quiet is more rewarding than barking, he is more likely to respond to you in such situations.

Surgical Debarking

When all training fails and there seem to be no way of stopping problem barkers, then you have the option of vocal cordectomy. This is surgically making an incision in the dog’s throat and cutting away at the dog’s vocal cords. After the surgery, the dog will still be able to bark, but it will now be softer and much lower in pitch. Vocal cordectomy is meant to muffle barks but is extremely controversial because of the psychological effect it might have on the animal. In fact, it might be difficult to find a veterinarian who is willing to do that surgery. So before you put your dog on the surgeon’s table, ensure that you have exhausted all possible means of resolving the problem. Even after surgery, it is likely that the underlying behavioral issues have not been addressed. So you may simply have taken the noise away but the underlying anxiety, fear and other problems will continue to plague the animal.

By spending time and money to train and understand your dog, you are better able to solve behavioral problems. These tips on how to stop barking dogs are meant to provide a useful guide for dog owners who are struggling with problem barkers. They have proved effective in resolving the problem. Training dogs at a young age to understand and obey commands will also largely ensure that as the dog matures into adolescence and adulthood, he will maintain good manners and respond to commands given. When you take what you say seriously, the dog will also take it seriously. Using a deep calm voice and being consistent in both rewarding and punishing a dog will have a great impact in how he responds to instructions. Once you do that, you are well on your way to enjoying a bark-free relationship with your trusted companion.