How to Stop a Puppy From Barking

Bringing home a new puppy is a delight--those big, deep eyes and soft nose are irresistible! Your puppy will usually be very quiet for about the first week because he's still a little timid about his new "people" and surroundings. As he grows more confident, you may find his little puppy barks sweet and funny. Remember that puppies don't stay tiny for long, and you could find yourself with a puppy nuisance barker. This is especially true of puppies who are left home alone during the day. Puppy barkers grow into full-grown dog barkers! To prevent this, start from Day One to quell your puppy's barking through positive training methods rather than punishment. Not only is this method humane, it also works better!

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A "clicker" found at pet stores made for dog training
• A bag of small treats, like bits of cheese, dried meat or kibble to use as rewards for training compliance
• A training guidebook on positive training and reinforcement

Tools and Training

1. When your puppy first begins barking in the house or in the yard, teach her what you require of her by holding your flat palm close to her head and saying--firmly but calmly--"Quiet!" or "Settle!" Click the clicker. When she stops barking, click again and give her a reward treat. This helps your puppy learn that good behavior, as indicated by the sound of the clicker, will be followed by a treat.

2. If your puppy barks and then runs away from you, put her on a short leash, both inside and outside, so she can't dodge you. This will teach your puppy that whether she likes it or not, you're the boss. During this step, remember not to raise your voice; your puppy will decide that you too are barking! She'll have to bark along with you. When she's quiet on the leash, click and treat.

3. Once your puppy is old enough to be unsupervised in the yard, don't leave her for long periods of time; this teaches her to bark out of loneliness, boredom and need for attention. This step requires patience: let the puppy out for increasing time limits such as 10, 20 and 30 minutes at a time. Every time she "goes the limit" without barking, click and treat. If she doesn't succeed, gently start the clock over again and give the "Quiet!" command and hand signal.

4. The last step in training a barking puppy is teaching her to ride in the car quietly. Most dogs love car rides, but this can become an ordeal if she's constantly barking at anything that moves while you're trying to focus on driving. Pull over and go back to Step 1 with the "Quiet!" command, click, and treat every time your puppy obeys. Take your puppy on special "training time road trips" so she can get used to riding without barking.

Tips & Warnings

• Understand your puppy's breed. Consult a good dog encyclopedia or the American Kennel Club's website to determine which breeds are more prone to barking (see Resources below).
• Puppies who are unresponsive to training can be given the "Alpha Roll." YOU are the Alpha (leader), not her. when she's barking non-stop, roll her gently but firmly onto her back (a submissive posture) look her directly in the eyes, and say "Quiet!" or "Settle."
• Citronella collars have varying success. When your puppy barks, a whiff of citronella is sprayed near her nose. While not harmful, this is unpleasant. This is called "negative reinforcement," or punishment - it doesn't work well in training.
• Train your puppy using both voice and hand signals; as she grows, she will come to understand what you want her to do regardless of your signal.
• If you have small children, make sure they aren't teaching the puppy to bark by being loud or encouraging the puppy to chase them.
• Extending your "no-bark" training program to include doorbell barkers using voice and hand commands, clicks, and treats.
• NEVER yell at or hit a barking puppy; this will only teach him to be timid around you.
• The overwhelming majority of dog trainers don't recommend "barkless" collars that give the dog an electric shock when he barks. These collars are now considered as cruel.
• Barking puppies that grow into barking dogs in your yard will become "nuisance barkers." Most cities have ordinances against barkers and you'll be paying some stiff fines and have strained relations with your neighbors.
• Trying to drive with a barking, jumping around puppy will not only result in some hefty traffic fines, but is also very dangerous for you, your passengers, and your puppy.

Resources

• Adams Dog Training
• American Kennel Club