How To Train A Dog Not To Bark
Many people face the problem of excessive and annoying barking from their canine companions thus they find themselves searching how to train a dog not to bark. The frustration is understandable but barking is a way for dogs to communicate and a very natural thing to do. How ever when it comes time to stop your dog should be obedient and do just that. First thing to do is find out why your dog is barking. There are countless reasons for dogs to bark. It could be boredom, wanting attention, fear, loneliness, sensing danger, excitement, what is it for your dog? It's important to find out why because it will change how to train your dog IE. does your dog bark when you get home or bark at strangers?
Fish gotta swim, Dog's gotta bark.
I think it is highly unrealistic and rather unfair to expect your dog to NEVER bark, what you want to do is control their barking and keep it in an appropriate range as well as have them obey when it's time to stop. Many people see an alerting bark as a good thing but again you always want to have control of your dog.
In the training below you will find many methods to help train a dog not to bark.
Fish gotta swim, Dog's gotta bark.
I think it is highly unrealistic and rather unfair to expect your dog to NEVER bark, what you want to do is control their barking and keep it in an appropriate range as well as have them obey when it's time to stop. Many people see an alerting bark as a good thing but again you always want to have control of your dog.
In the training below you will find many methods to help train a dog not to bark.
Training
Boredom Barking
Allot of dogs bark out of boredom, a dog with nothing to do may decide to occupy his time barking at whatever walks by the fence. So, whether your home or not you should always take care of the basics. Make sure your dog has a safe environment, food, water and plenty to do. One great toy/treat is a KONG which you fill with difficult to remove treats. Make sure whatever you leave for your dog to do is safe with out supervision. Many dog treats, toys and activities require supervision as they could potentially become a hazard.
Barking When You Get Home or Leave Home
If your dog is getting very excited and barking when you come home or when you leave then the best thing to do is NOT give place to the behavior. Dogs can continue to bark thinking we approve because of how we react. When we make a big deal out of leaving or when we come home we are enforcing the behavior and they will continue thinking that it IS a big deal. When they behave this way the best thing to do is ignore them when you get home, it may seem mean but don't worry. Once they realize that your not getting all excited, or reacting to their barking they will follow suite. Go through something similar when you leave, don't make it a big deal. Make sure they are in a safe area and have something to occupy their time like a safe toy and simply go. The experience turns more positive when you leaving means they get to have fun with a kong. As always it is going to take some patience and consistence on you & your households part.
Barking For Attention or Begging
Barking to get inside, to get a treat or just your attention is also often rewarded by what they want. So you will have to learn not to give in to their loud demands. The idea is once they realize things like barking at the door doesn't make it open they are not going to do it anymore. How ever if they all ready know that this normally will work it may take awhile for them to give up and just ignoring might not be enough.
Another way to deal with them is to move them to another place. This is what you could call a human punishment or consequence.
For Example:
Your dog is in a enclosed play area outdoors, while your having lunch outside as well. They are barking to get out. If they continue to bark you can move them inside. When they stop barking inside you can move them back to the play area.
Repeat if necessary, you will make progress and get the barking under control. How ever this will not necessarily happen overnight, it may take them a long time to figure out barking no longer works. You should reward them when they don't bark (like coming back outside in our example). You can also put in the negative consequences for not obeying your 'Stop, Quiet, Quit (whatever you choose) command. These consequences do NOT have to conflict with training based on positive reinforcement. I certainly do not recommend striking or abusing your dog. How ever there is nothing wrong with using some negative consequences such as the following scenario.
You and your family are having a nice evening and maybe sharing some snacks. Now everyone's enjoying their time but Fido smells the food and he wants you to share. Your not focused on him so he barks. You tell him 'Quiet' but he continues. A humane negative consequence could be having to go to another room or outside till Fido is quiet. Then when they are no longer barking reward their quiet by letting them rejoin the room to try again. If Fido became quiet after being given the command, give him praise! It's your job to let him know what behavior is acceptable and what isn't.
Barking At Objects/Sounds
In addition to the above methods, if you have a dog who barks at something like ringing telephones, gun shots or alarms then work on desensitizing them to it. Letting them know it is a normal sound, not a big deal. To do this you will want to always reward good behavior as usual. Try playing the sound repeatedly (a recorder will work well here) and do not yell or get excited. If your dog is barking out of fear of a sound do not comfort or cuddle them as this will only enforce their behavior. Often its best to ignore the behavior and act completely normally so your dog gets the message that it is no big deal.
Another great tool to combat excessive barking is distraction. One way is to make a strange sound that is short and sharp. The trick is you don't want them to connect the sound with you but rather connect with their barking. Another form of distraction is giving your dog other things to do. This not only means chew toys, interactive toys, etc. but exercise, refocus their energy.
Train Your Dog To Bark
A good exercise is to teach your dog to bark on command with the word Speak then while hes barks say ''Quiet'', when he stops on command give him a treat. It may seem counter intuitive to teach a dog to speak when you want him to stop but it helps him to associate Speak=Bark and Quiet=Stop barking, yummy treat and is a great exercise that you and anyone in your household can do at any time throughout the day. Well, perhaps not all the time. It may not be the best exercise to practice if someone is trying to get some sleep.
Allot of dogs bark out of boredom, a dog with nothing to do may decide to occupy his time barking at whatever walks by the fence. So, whether your home or not you should always take care of the basics. Make sure your dog has a safe environment, food, water and plenty to do. One great toy/treat is a KONG which you fill with difficult to remove treats. Make sure whatever you leave for your dog to do is safe with out supervision. Many dog treats, toys and activities require supervision as they could potentially become a hazard.
Barking When You Get Home or Leave Home
If your dog is getting very excited and barking when you come home or when you leave then the best thing to do is NOT give place to the behavior. Dogs can continue to bark thinking we approve because of how we react. When we make a big deal out of leaving or when we come home we are enforcing the behavior and they will continue thinking that it IS a big deal. When they behave this way the best thing to do is ignore them when you get home, it may seem mean but don't worry. Once they realize that your not getting all excited, or reacting to their barking they will follow suite. Go through something similar when you leave, don't make it a big deal. Make sure they are in a safe area and have something to occupy their time like a safe toy and simply go. The experience turns more positive when you leaving means they get to have fun with a kong. As always it is going to take some patience and consistence on you & your households part.
Barking For Attention or Begging
Barking to get inside, to get a treat or just your attention is also often rewarded by what they want. So you will have to learn not to give in to their loud demands. The idea is once they realize things like barking at the door doesn't make it open they are not going to do it anymore. How ever if they all ready know that this normally will work it may take awhile for them to give up and just ignoring might not be enough.
Another way to deal with them is to move them to another place. This is what you could call a human punishment or consequence.
For Example:
Your dog is in a enclosed play area outdoors, while your having lunch outside as well. They are barking to get out. If they continue to bark you can move them inside. When they stop barking inside you can move them back to the play area.
Repeat if necessary, you will make progress and get the barking under control. How ever this will not necessarily happen overnight, it may take them a long time to figure out barking no longer works. You should reward them when they don't bark (like coming back outside in our example). You can also put in the negative consequences for not obeying your 'Stop, Quiet, Quit (whatever you choose) command. These consequences do NOT have to conflict with training based on positive reinforcement. I certainly do not recommend striking or abusing your dog. How ever there is nothing wrong with using some negative consequences such as the following scenario.
You and your family are having a nice evening and maybe sharing some snacks. Now everyone's enjoying their time but Fido smells the food and he wants you to share. Your not focused on him so he barks. You tell him 'Quiet' but he continues. A humane negative consequence could be having to go to another room or outside till Fido is quiet. Then when they are no longer barking reward their quiet by letting them rejoin the room to try again. If Fido became quiet after being given the command, give him praise! It's your job to let him know what behavior is acceptable and what isn't.
Barking At Objects/Sounds
In addition to the above methods, if you have a dog who barks at something like ringing telephones, gun shots or alarms then work on desensitizing them to it. Letting them know it is a normal sound, not a big deal. To do this you will want to always reward good behavior as usual. Try playing the sound repeatedly (a recorder will work well here) and do not yell or get excited. If your dog is barking out of fear of a sound do not comfort or cuddle them as this will only enforce their behavior. Often its best to ignore the behavior and act completely normally so your dog gets the message that it is no big deal.
Another great tool to combat excessive barking is distraction. One way is to make a strange sound that is short and sharp. The trick is you don't want them to connect the sound with you but rather connect with their barking. Another form of distraction is giving your dog other things to do. This not only means chew toys, interactive toys, etc. but exercise, refocus their energy.
Train Your Dog To Bark
A good exercise is to teach your dog to bark on command with the word Speak then while hes barks say ''Quiet'', when he stops on command give him a treat. It may seem counter intuitive to teach a dog to speak when you want him to stop but it helps him to associate Speak=Bark and Quiet=Stop barking, yummy treat and is a great exercise that you and anyone in your household can do at any time throughout the day. Well, perhaps not all the time. It may not be the best exercise to practice if someone is trying to get some sleep.
TIPS: DO
- DO be patient & consistent. Yes, excessive barking can be extremely frustrating but it is not impossible to deal with. Allot of it just has to do with getting a good training plan an sticking with it. Stay positive!
- DO have a designated 'spot' for your dog to go to on command (could be a bed, mat etc.). When your dog is barking send them to their spot.
- DO make sure your dog is properly socialized with other people and dogs.
TIPS: DON'T
- DON'T forget things like walks, outings and playtime. A dog who gets plenty of exercise and activity will have allot less energy for barking.
- DON'T scream and holler at your dog every time he barks. He is not going to be able to understand the message you are trying to send. He may even think you are joining him!
- DON'T change the word you use to tell your dog to stop barking. Stick to one word to mean 'quiet' as not to confuse them.
Debarking Surgery, Shock Collars & More
If you are having a hard problem with a dog's barking you may have heard of debarking surgery. It is considered incredibly cruel by many but there are those who think it may just be the perfect, easy, short cut solution. If you are considering debarking surgery I would definitely not recommend it. Not only is it questionable on a humane level but the results (which is usually a quieter, more raspy bark) normally don't last more than a few months. So it is not really a long term solution.
Another solution people turn to when they are getting to the end of their ropes is the Shock Collar. I think the shock collar is not only cruel but not very effective in training your dog well. If your considering a shock collar Id much rather you consider a vibration, spray, or citronella no bark collar. It's not only a more humane alternative but has been proven more effective in studies. Honestly it is not something Id recommend but it's preferable over shock colors and drastic measures such as surgery.
Of course the very best is for your to build a good relationship with your dog and be able to train them to be obedient without having to use a spray or citronella no bark collar but many have found it a useful tool when they feel they are out of options. If you decide to use these, I recommend you train your dog any way so that you can eventually stop using them.
Another solution people turn to when they are getting to the end of their ropes is the Shock Collar. I think the shock collar is not only cruel but not very effective in training your dog well. If your considering a shock collar Id much rather you consider a vibration, spray, or citronella no bark collar. It's not only a more humane alternative but has been proven more effective in studies. Honestly it is not something Id recommend but it's preferable over shock colors and drastic measures such as surgery.
Of course the very best is for your to build a good relationship with your dog and be able to train them to be obedient without having to use a spray or citronella no bark collar but many have found it a useful tool when they feel they are out of options. If you decide to use these, I recommend you train your dog any way so that you can eventually stop using them.
How To Train A Dog Not To Bark Video
