We all love our furry dog friends, but incessant barking can be a real headache. If your dog is constantly barking night and day, you need solutions to train that behavior out of them. Different strategies work for different dogs, and it ultimately comes down to what works best for them. These strategies cover how to stop a dog from barking using humane methods that address the root cause of the behavior.
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How to Stop a Dog From Barking When You Leave
Dogs often bark when their owner leaves because of separation anxiety. Activities and stimuli can keep them engaged while you are absent. For example, many owners leave the television or radio on when their dog is home alone so the environment sounds closer to when they are home.
How to Stop a Dog From Barking at Other Dogs
If your dog barks at other dogs, you can slowly introduce it to train them not to bark. Have a friend with another dog walk by you and your dog slowly. Feed your dog treats until your friend and the second dog leave the room.
The more you train, the more your dog will focus on you and the treats and less on the other dog. You can also bring a bag of treats on walks to keep its attention while walking past other dogs.
How to Stop a Dog From Barking at People
One way to get your dog to stop barking at other people is to teach them a different greeting behavior. For instance, if your dog barks when people are at the door, you can instead teach it to go to a specific spot or grab a specific toy when visitors arrive.
Sit with your dog in the preferred spot while a friend slowly enters your house. Praise your dog and give it plenty of treats as it sits quietly. Once it is comfortable enough, have the other person slowly and gently pet it while presenting treats.
General Tips to Stop Your Dog Barking
Is your dog still barking when they shouldn’t be? Here are a few tips that can help you change their behavior.
Don’t Reward the Behavior
Dogs bark because they get some kind of reward from the behavior; otherwise, they wouldn’t bother. You need to figure out what the reward is and remove it so the behavior doesn’t become ingrained.
For example, if your dog barks when confined in a crate, you shouldn’t reward it by letting it out. Doing so will only teach the dog that it can bark to get what it wants. Instead, wait until the dog stops barking before you let it out. You can then reinforce the good behavior with a treat.
Desensitize Them to the Cause
If there are specific triggers that cause your dog to bark, you can gradually introduce it to the stimulus to acclimate it. Dogs bark when certain stimuli give them anxiety or interest them, so the more used to the stimulus, the less likely they are to have a bark reaction when they encounter it.
Start with the stimulus far enough away that the dog doesn’t bark, and slowly move it closer a few inches at a time. Give the dog treats and praise for maintaining eye contact and not barking. If they start barking, move the stimulus back until they stop.
Teach a Different Response
One solution to barking is to teach an incompatible behavior. For example, if your dog barks when it needs to go outside, you can train it to ring a bell instead. Start by introducing it to the bell and giving it treats to ring it. Eventually, you should have it ring the bell and give it a treat before taking it to use the bathroom or go on walks. Your dog will slowly learn to ring the bell instead of bark when it needs to go outside.
Keep Your Dog Active
The simplest way to keep your dog from barking is to keep it exercised and active. Tired dogs bark less, and being active gives them something to do to take their minds off barking. For example, you can take your dog for regular walks during the morning and afternoon so it rests more and has less energy to bark.
Dog toys and puzzles can also keep it engaged during the day. Dogs can start barking because they are frustrated or bored, so giving them something to do can channel that boredom into something fun and bark-free.
Walk! ATX Can Help!
Need help keeping your dog active? Then contact Walk! ATX online or call us today at (512) 655-9557 to schedule your first meet-and-greet!