Barking Dogs

Why Dogs Bark And How To Stop Them

Dogs bark for a variety of reasons. They may want to alert you to someone coming to your door. Or, they may want to let you now that it's time for dinner, or time to go out. If they are alone when the bark, it may be something to do because they are bored. In some cases it may be that they want to show dominance over another dog or over other people including their owner. And sometimes it seems like they bark just to hear themselves. Of coarse there will be instances where you would expect a dog to bark, because that's what dogs do.

Barking can also be a function of the breed of the dog. Guard dogs, such as German Shepards, Dobermans, and Rottweilers, for example, are bred to bark when there is a perceived threat. Some sporting dogs such as Beagles and Bloodhounds, and Foxhounds, are bred to bark, or make a barking sound when they are onto and following a scent. The toy breeds tend to bark a lot, and there are some breeds, like greyhounds, that seldom bark.  

There are a few different ways to stop your dog from barking, but in all cases, you should determine why your dog is barking. For example, if your dog barks for no apparent reason, it may be that she's just dissipating nervous energy. You can stop that kind of barking simply by giving your dog more exercise. Tired dogs don't bark.

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Training your dog to stop barking, as in any other type of dog training must be done with consistency and timing. Consistency means that whichever method you use to train your dog to stop barking, you must use the exact same method and use it every time your dog barks. You cannot train your dog to not bark when your friends come to the door, but let her bark when strangers come to the door. Your dog doesn't know the difference, and will get totally confused. The timing means you must apply the training method as soon as the barking starts. If you let your dog bark for 30 seconds before you do anything, your dog thinks that barking for a while is acceptable.

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The first method you can use is to "turn a cold shoulder" to your dog as soon as she starts to bark. That is, turn your back to your dog and ignore her. Don't say anything. You can even walk away from her. When she stops barking, go back to her and give her lots of praise and, if you want to, a treat. If she starts to bark again, immediately turn your back to her again and ignore her. Most dogs don't like to be ignored. It may take her a while to stop barking, but she eventually will. Don't pay any attention to her until she stops. She will soon realize that she gets your attention when she is quiet, but loses it when she barks. It may take a few days, but eventually she will stop barking.

A second method that you can use is to is to let her bark a couple of times to get it out of her system. Then with one hand, grasp her muzzle firmly so she can't open her mouth. With the other hand, grab and hold her collar so she can't squirm away. Give her a command such a "quiet" or "that's enough".  Hold her that way until she calms down, Then give her praise for not barking and let her go. It will take awhile, but eventually she will stop barking on command.

A third method you can use is to rush up to her when she starts to bark, give her a sharp "No" command and with two fingers, rap he on the nose, not hard enough to hurt her, but hard enough so she feels it. As soon as she stops barking, give her lots of praise. Depending on how often your dog barks in a day, some dogs will stop barking on command in less than a day of training.

To learn more about how to stop your dog from barking, click on Stop Barking Now