How to stop problem barking dogs

(continued from Stop Dog barking article)

Lonely, bored, or insecure dogs often develop problem barking habits. This is a bit different from the puppy who just hasn’t been trained to react to the stop barking command. These are bigger issues that need to be addressed. But part and parcel with that is still the need to be able to break the barking habit. And there are some methods to stop barking dogs that will do the trick.

For a lonely dog (does your dog spend the entire day alone while everyone is at work?), the fix is to make sure there are enough interesting things around to keep her mind busy. Often, a radio left on and plenty of interesting toys will help. You may want to invest in one of the many toys that can be stuffed with treats. A dog will focus on his new job, which is to get to the treat.

A bored dog needs stimulation in much the same way. Good regular exercise and play will also go a long way in reducing a barking problem if the underlying cause is boredom.

Probably the most challenging scenario is the insecure dog. If a dog is not secure in the pack (you and your family) and feels that he has to respond to every stimulus as a threat, the chances are pretty good that problem barking will develop. While there are a few options to work on the barking, the real issue is to work on the insecurity. This can only be done by a consistent dog training regime.

If the dog learns to understand that you are the alpha, she won’t feel the need to react to every threat because that’s the role of the leader. But if she doesn’t understand you as the pack leader, she’ll assume the role herself.

And the way this is sorted out is by daily dog training exercises, positive reinforcement and lots of love. So, once that’s in place and the root cause is being worked on, you can then try a few specific methods to stop barking when it’s appropriate.

Sometimes startling your dog to get its attention is the first step in teaching not to bark

In cases where you can’t redirect your dog’s attention by getting her to do something else for you, you need to be able to startle her. That should redirect her from barking and as soon as she’s quiet, give her the command you’ll use to tell her to stop the barking (the example we’ve been using is “enough”). Then reward and lots of praise.

So how to startle your barking dog? Many trainers recommend a can filled with coins or a couple of rocks. As soon as it’s time to stop the barking, shake the can loudly and near the dog. Others recommend a whistle, although that hasn’t worked as well in our experience. Be sure to say the command every time you use your shaker can and the dog stops barking. In time, the can should become unnecessary.

Another reason that dogs bark is to get attention (they can be lonely even if you’re there if you don’t pay attention to them). If this is the case with your dog, then you will need to handle the problem a little bit differently.

Telling a dog to be quiet in this situation will only give your dog what he wants. Negative attention is still attention and to a dog, that’s better than nothing. It’s important that you completely ignore the dog until he’s calmed down. Once he’s stopped barking, reward him with praise, pet him, or throw a ball for him. He’ll soon learn that barking does not get him the attention he wants. Check out this dog training book for a complete description of positive reinforcement training techniques to get your dog to stop inappropriate barking, or any other behavioral issue.

Stop Barking Collars

If you find that these simple training techniques are not effective methods to stop barking dogs, there are other training aids available although they are controversial and we don’t condone them. There are two types of stop barking collars. Shock collars can be programmed to respond to your dog’s bark. They will send a light electric shock into your dog every time he makes noise. This is negative reinforcement training and we suggest you need to need to think about how fair that is. Even if you do get him to stop the nuisance barking, you’ll teach him to be afraid to bark about anything – including those things when barking may be appropriate.

Another type of dog collar will spray a small amount of citronella into the air whenever your dog barks. Dogs really dislike this and once they begin to associate barking with that smell, they’ll figure out no barking equals no smell. This is another “last resort” in our opinion. It may make the dog stop barking, but it will also teach that any barking isn’t allowed – in other words – that your dog isn’t allowed to speak at all.

Dogs bark for many reasons. Sometimes those reasons are legitimate – in some cases it is nuisance barking that needs to be addressed. The best method to stop barking is consistent training from an early age. Consistency is very important. Inconsistency will confuse your dog and barking problems have a better chance of developing.

Methods to stop barking dogs is the most popular question asked of dog trainers. It isn’t rocket science – just consistency and a loving relationship with your dog that will do the trick. If your dog is secure and learns a stop barking command, there should be no barking problems in your family

Back to top of Methods to Stop Barking