One of my “pet peeves” for any dog is barking or whining! Since I live in the city, I hear a lot of dogs barking, which just increases my hatred for pet owners that do not teach a dog the proper time to bark. Leaving a dog outside to bark is not acceptable in any situation, you would not allow your child to yell non-stop so it is not okay for a dog to do so. It is important to correct this bad behavior before it catches on. Many people read those articles online that only have one suggestion, well here are a few proven tips to train your barking dog to stop the barking for good. Since all dogs have different attitudes and personalities, it is important to have a few methods than just the normal one.
- First of all, try stopping the barking or whining dog right away as it happens. For instance, when we got our new puppy, she was a whiner. Basically, when she started to whine, we would gently place one hand of the muzzle (mouth and nose area) and close the mouth. Then in an authoritative voice say “no”. It is important not to yell though as this will scare the dog. Release the muzzle after the barking or whining has stopped. Do this each time the dog barks or whines in front of you. This method works wonderful for new puppies.
- If you have an attention seeking dog that barks when you are supposed to be giving attention to him/her it is important to stop this behavior. There is an easy solution; it just takes time and patience. Basically, when the dog barks at you to get attention, ignore him/her. It seems mean however it is not going to destroy your dogs love for you. Keep strong! Since your dog is trying to get your attention, it is important to give some reinforcement love after the barking has stopped. Once you have ignored the dog and the barking has stopped, not until this moment can you play with him/her. Wait a few moments after the barking has stopped and then play. For persistent dogs that bark and scratch, move into another room or a different chair.
- For dogs that bark at nighttime while you are trying to sleep, it is important to not get out of bed to play with it to tire it out. The trick to this is to get a noise maker that you can make at home. We like to use an empty tin soda can. Place some stones or pennies inside and tape the opening shut. Then, every time your dog barks at nighttime, shake the noise maker. Do not get out of bed though since this is what the dog wants. This is especially useful for new puppies because they are used to have other puppies around at nighttime to play around. The first few nights you will lose sleep however in the long run, it is much better for the entire family!
- Barking at passersby in the front window. As stated above, I wish more people would train their dogs not to bark at people that are passing the window. A dog has a natural instinct (except for my lazy lap dog) to protect ones house and owners. Therefore, a dog that barks at passersby, he/she is trying to protect the house. Just think about it, when a dog barks, you walk pass the house faster which allows the dog to think that intruders will leave the house alone by barking. It is amazing how just a little training can change this barking situation. For instance, try walking down a city street once. When you come to a house with a barking dog, stop and talk to the dog. The dog will immediately stop barking! To stop this behavior, try having a few friends come over a few times and just walk past the house. Then, have the friend stop in front of the house once the dog starts barking. The person can give a treat to the dog or just talk to it. Then, the dog will learn that people that are walking past the house are nice people and that barking is not going to stop the people from entering the house.
- For those dogs that just will not stop barking at people passing past the house, more action may need to take place. Maybe placing the dog in an area of the house that is away from the front window will help out. Or, if it is the mailman that initiates the barking, move the mailbox.
- Another bad barking behavior is when you come home; the dog will bark when you are gone and when you come into the house. This is a tricky behavior because the dog is just loving your presence and wishes for you to come back home. There are a few good solutions that will work on different dogs. Think about it, the dog will bark and you come home eventually. Dogs are smart, they just have no sense of time. Therefore, each time the dog barks, he thinks you come home. So he barks when you are gone to make you come back. To stop this behavior try “leaving” the house and standing just outside the door with your noise maker. When the dog begins to bark, do not enter the house, rather shake the noise maker. The noise will startle the dog and the barking will stop. Once the dog is silent, return inside the house and praise the dog for being quiet. Repeat this as many times as it takes to keep the dog quiet. This will take a few days to get the results, it will not be taught in one day. If this does not work, try leaving a window open when you “leave” the house. Then, when the dog starts barking, try using a water gun and gently spraying the dog when he/she barks. Then, return to the dog inside the house when the barking stops.
- Sometimes dogs will just bark to bark when you are gone. This is the most irritating behavior for pet owners because the time has been taken to try all the other tricks and nothing has worked. With this situation, it is best to crate the dog while you are gone. Large kennels can be purchased to place indoors so do not worry if you have a large dog. It is important to remember that it is not mean to crate a dog! Actually, it is the opposite; dogs love kennels and feel secure. So, crate your dog when you are gone and the barking should stop. If the barking continues after you use your noise maker, try placing a blanket over the kennel. Remember to leave an opening around the front side though so it does not get too hot and so air circulation is available. This will calm the dog and will cause motion to be seen outside kennel. Make sure that you are not gone for the whole day though; a dog does need to use the restroom and stretch the legs.
In addition, you can easily and effectively train your dog using barxbuddy. This is a device that uses high pitch frequency in order to teach and control your dog. This is one of the reliable training devices that pet owners use to train their pets.
