How To Stop A Dog From Barking
When I got my first dog of my own, a little rescue terrier/chihuahua mix, I was surprised to see how long she could go without taking a breath between barking.
It seemed like she barked at anything and everything and nothing I did could stop it entirely. She’d bark in her crate all night while I tried to sleep, she’d bark at the neighbors minding their business in their own yards, she’d bark at squirrels, dogs, birds, the mailman, and even Halloween decorations.
These days she rarely barks, (unless cued to “speak!”) and when she does, it’s typically for good reason.
3 Steps to Stop Your Dog From Barking
If you’re in a similar situation, follow these steps:
Determine why the dog is barking.
Manage their environment to prevent barking as much as possible
Reward desirable behaviors and train alternate behaviors
Determine Why the Dog is Barking
Dogs don’t bark for no reason. Dogs bark to communicate their needs and express big feelings. The solution for getting your dog to stop barking depends entirely on WHY they are barking. So before we get to training, let’s figure out the reason:
Alert Barking: This is your dog’s way of communicating there’s been a change in the environment. Examples include: barking when they hear or see the mailman come to the door, barking when they hear a surprise sound, or barking at the doorbell. Alert barking is often accompanied by stiff body language and a tense face.
Attention/Frustration: AKA “Demand Barking”, this is when your dog defaults to barking as a means to get what they want. Can be a result of boredom, frustration, or excitement. Examples include: barking for scraps at the dinner table, barking when you grab their leash in anticipation for a walk, barking to get you to throw the ball, barking when a guest comes over and your dog is happy to see them. This type of barking is often accompanied with loose body language and a relaxed face.
Fearful Barking: This is a distance-increasing behavior, and your dog’s way of saying “I’m scared! Go away!” Examples include: Barking and lunging at other dogs on leash, barking at a guest who they are scared of. This type of barking is often accompanied by stiff body language and a tense face.
Manage Their Environment
Now that we know WHY your dog is barking, let’s talk about ways to better manage their environment to minimize instances of barking. As mentioned previously, the methods for management will totally depend on the reason your dog is barking.
Alert Barking: Remove access to the sights and sounds your dog is barking at. If your dog is barking out the window, consider shutting the blinds or arranging furniture in a way your dog cannot look out the window. Leave on a sound machine or a playlist to muffle outside sounds. Doorbells and knocks at the door are a common trigger for alert barking, so consider having guests text or call you when they arrive instead.
Attention/Frustration Barking: Make sure you’re meeting all of your dog’s needs via mental enrichment and physical exercise. Give your dog an enrichment toy or something to chew at times they’re likely to bark, like dinner time. Make sure to give the toy BEFORE your dog barks and NOT after. Another option is to just remove the dog from the situation entirely. It’s totally okay to give your pup some crate time while you eat dinner if that means they’re not going to practice unwanted habits!
Fearful Barking: Take your dog on walks at off times when there are less dogs and people out to avoid triggers. You can also find alternate exercises to walking, like playing ball in the backyard, scattering kibble for your dog to find around the house, or training a new trick
Reward Desirable Behaviors & Train Alternate Behaviors
Alert Barking: Acknowledge your dog after 1-2 barks by saying “Thank you,” and redirecting with a treat on their bed. Eventually your dog will be conditioned to redirect to you after noticing the trigger rather than escalating into a full-blow barking fit.
Attention/Frustration Barking: Teach your dog plenty of alternate behaviors for situations they’re likely to bark in. Teach your dog to settle on a mat instead of barking at the dinner table, to pick up a toy on cue when guests come over, to sit for the ball to be thrown, etc. If they do bark, ignore them completely until they stop and then cue an alternate behavior before reinforcing.
Fearful Barking: This type of barking is not entirely in your dog’s control. It’s a reflexive response to something they’re scared of. The human version would be if a person afraid of spiders were placed in a room FULL of spiders. That person is probably going to jump, scream, etc. out of pure fear! To eliminate this type of barking, we’re going to use counterconditioning and desensitization to help your dog form positive associations with their triggers. To do so, we pair the scary thing (another dog) with something your dog likes (cheese!) from a distance they feel comfortable at and gradually close in the distance over time. It’s best to seek out a certified trainer for this type of behavior.
Ready to begin training your dog with rewards?
Make sure to grab yourself a treat pouch before class to help with training on the go! We personally love this pouch by RUFFWEAR.
Final Words
Never hit, yell at, or punish your dog for barking.
With plenty of management and the right training plan, you should be on your way to peace and quiet!
by Samantha Hoaglin
