How to stop a dog barking

Humans speak, cats meow, cows moo, dogs bark. These are all natural means of communication but sometimes when our dogs bark excessively it can become a nuisance. If you want to know how to stop a dog barking you should firstly understand that you don’t want to stop barking completely. Imagine somebody forced you to stop talking completely, you wouldn’t like it very much either would you? It is your responsibility to teach your dog to bark only when appropriate.   

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When figuring out how to stop a dog barking we need to find the source of the problem that is causing the excessive barking, when we have found out why the dog is barking so much then we can find a solution to the problem.

There are many reasons why dogs bark excessively:

1.      Attention seeking

2.      Bored

3.      Lonely

4.      Hungry

5.      Happy or excited

6.      To protect their territory from trespassers

7.      To alert you from dangers

8.      Separation anxiety

9.      Barking at other animals

Many times people ask me questions such as “I need to know how to stop a dog barking because my dog is driving me and my neighbors mad!”. One of the most common reasons why dogs bark excessively is because they are neglected by their owners and usually a simple solution to this problem is to just spend more quality time with your dog. Go for walks, exercise, play games, go to the park, anything that will keep you and your dog together to have some fun times together.

Not everybody is always free to spend time with their dog but they still want to know how to stop a dog barking even when they aren’t around. You can try set out things for your dog to do while you are out, try leaving various toys at home, especially those hollow toys that you can fill with foods and treats. These things can keep your dog entertained and give it something to do while you’re gone.

If you want to know how to stop a dog barking by using a command then you should devote some time to train your dog to know when it can and can’t bark. Never reward your dog when it is barking, and never punish your dog for barking either. If one day you reward your dog for barking because your dog is happy to see you and you praise your dog, and then the next day you punish your dog for barking too much and it gives you a headache then this will confuse the dog because then it won’t know whether barking is appropriate or not. When your dog barks say a firm “QUIET” and distract your dog so the barking stops, you could try make a loud noise, blow a whistle, or just shout “QUIET” to get your dogs attention. As soon as your dog stops barking reward your dog with a treat and praise. With consistency your dog will learn to stop barking immediately when the command is given.

A rule of thumb when you want to know how to stop a dog barking is to always make sure that you have properly obedience trained your dog. If possible try to obedience train your dog at a young age. Usually a well trained dog in the early stages of its life tends to have less behavioral problems when it is older such as excessive barking. Always remember to be consistent and positive when trying to correct your dog’s behavioral problems.     

Click here to stop your dog barking problems now!