How you go about stopping your dogs barking depends on the
cause. A dog that barks because it is frustrated, or worse, it is suffering
anxiety, needs that issue taken care of. Forcing such a dog to be quiet will
only make a bad situation worse. You will not have a healthy harmonious
companion, but a neurotic wreck.
You should avoid a hard tone of
voice when correcting a barking dog. Dogs always bark for a reason. Remove the
reason and the dog will stop barking. Shouting at the dog only confuses the
dog. If it does keep quiet for a while, the reason for the problem barking is
still there unchanged. The dog may end up with some other unwanted behavior
from a neurosis, such as destroying objects, digging or biting to relieve its
neurotic emotional state.
You should avoid a hard tone of
voice when correcting a barking dog. Dogs always bark for a reason. Remove the
reason and the dog will stop barking. Shouting at the dog only confuses the
dog. If it does keep quiet for a while, the reason for the problem barking is
still there unchanged. The dog may end up with some other unwanted behavior
from a neurosis, such as destroying objects, digging or biting to relieve its
neurotic emotional state.
Using unpleasant devices, such as
shock collars, does nothing to cure the cause of the bad behavior, but
negatively messes with the dog’s psyche, especially young dogs in their first
year. Even though shock collars are effective, I strongly advise against them.
They are the antithesis to a natural and healthy dog-owner relationship. This
is especially so if the collar is set off by something that the dog has little
control over, like yawning. There are times your dog should bark.
Would you put a shock belt on your
child to teach your child manners?
If your dog is marking your
territory, this is normal and what guard dog breeds have been bred for. You
need to get your dog to understand what area it needs to protect. This can take
time, but is well worth the effort, as the exercise will help in building a
bond between you and to establish you as the Alpha Leader.
By asserting yourself as the Alpha
Leader, your dog will soon learn where the territory ends. Your property will
become your dog’s territory, not the pavement outside.
- At first you must go out every time your dog barks. Be consistent.
- Go to your dog. NEVER call a dog to you to reprimand the dog.
- With your presence assert yourself over your dog. Get your dog to back away from the fence, gate or border of what the dog needs to recognise as its territory limit.
- With a firm voice, not shouting, tell the dog “Back,” “No,” “Home,” or whatever is appropriate. Your voice should NOT be a sharp “No!” bark from behind the dog, but a growling “No” facing your dog, with your back to whatever your dog was barking at.
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If you have an aggressive growling dog, or
one who shows dominance, then the dominance/aggression issue must be dealt with
as soon as possible. Be careful. If you are feeling insecure, get help from an
experienced dog trainer.
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Later a simple “No” will stop your dog’s
barking, and it will come to you and understand when to bark and when not to.
It is important that the dog understands you have reacted to its warning bark
and you have judged the situation as “no action.” Your dog will learn and
accept the boundaries you have set and stop unnecessary barking. By
establishing yourself as the Alpha Leader, your dog will accept you as having
the responsibility to guard your home, and your dog’s duty is to warn when
there is really something there, and obviously to help if you really are in
trouble.
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If your dog does not see any potential threat,
then obviously your dog will not feel the need to raise the alarm and warn you.
So there are things you can do to keep your dog calm and relaxed. You can do
things like putting up a fence and covering the fence if it is a “see-through”
fence.
· Dog Training Tip - Teaching Your Dog to Bark and Stop Barking on Command
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It may seem counterintuitive, but teaching your
dog to bark on command can help you control the barking.
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First teach your dog the command “Bark” or
“Speak” and then teach the command “Quiet.” Doing this will get your dog to be
in tune with you and therefore listen to you.
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Set up the training session with a helper. When
you say “Bark” your helper makes a noise, knocking on the door for example. You
may use a hand signal to help emphasise, such as a raised forefinger and flick
it forward as you say “Bark.”
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Put a dog treat in front of your dog’s nose as
soon as s/he has barked, and praise your dog. Repeat until your dog barks on
command.
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The next step is to teach your dog to be quiet
when told. Choose a quiet place and tell your dog to “Bark.” As soon a s/he
starts say “Quiet” “Shhh” or whatever word you feel most natural with and hold
a treat in front of your dog’s nose. Then praise your dog for stopping barking
and give the treat. Repeat until you dog has got the hang of it. This is an excellent
method how to stop your barking dog, as it is done through an active
interactive experience.