How to Stop a Dog from Barking

Gentle spray bark collar

A dog that barks too much can be difficult for both you and your neighbors.

Instructions

1. Training is best done when the dog is a young puppy. You can discourage random barking by shunning the pup when he/she barks inappropriately and rewarding the barking that you want (such as when someone comes to the door). Try not let excessive barking pass as something "cute" just because the puppy is adorable. Actions a cute puppy does now will remain when the dog grows up and may not seem so cute anymore. Rewards can be whatever the puppy likes most, like food, a toy or just praise. Some trainers actively discourage barking when they don't want it by negative feedback. If you use this route, start with the most gentle discouragement like a sharp "no" or a sound like "ssstt". Avoid resorting to violence -- even a tap with a newspaper -- as you are encouraging the pup to act aggressively back to you.

2. Be consistent. Don't let your dog bark uncontrolled every now and then when you don't want it just because it is inconvenient to reward or discourage. If you can be totally consistent with your training, it won't take all that long to get your point across. If your occasionally let pass what you don't want, the dog will feel free to try it again and again since sometimes he/she is successful. The success becomes a random reward in itself.

3. Another technique that works for some people is to actually TEACH your dog to bark. That is, if you put a label on the bark every time your dog barks -- maybe just call it 'bark!' or 'speak!' -- until the dog associates the barking to the tag. This can be fun for both of you. Once he/she knows how to bark on command, you can then counter-command the dog to make the barking stop. Maybe just say "enough", and hold the muzzle gently closed -- then reward with play, "good boy" or a treat. Once you can make a behavior start by command, you have a lot more control in stopping it. You are making the lesson into a game that you can use later to stop unwanted barking.

4. There are dog collars that can give small electric shocks as discouragement. I prefer to use these only as a last resort and for behaviors that are critical and life-threatening. I consider them over-kill and some dogs can react badly to them. One use of the shock collar I agreed with was with a dog that kept running into the street. After two mild electric corrections when the paws left the curb, the owner knew the dog would be safe from this kind of accident for the rest of his life. I, personally, do not recommend using such a strong correction for barking unless maybe you've tried every other form of training and you are facing legal reprucussions.

5. There is a collar on the market that I do recommend, however. The citronella spray collar is perfectly safe. If you cannot dissuade your dog from barking with rewards and basic training or you do not have the mobility to do that kind of training, this collar is voice activated and will shoot up a spray of citronella in front of the dog's nose. Usually the surprise value is sufficient to stop the dog from barking. For some dogs, a few sprays is enough to stop excess barking. Others require more. But be careful of over-using this collar as some dogs may get used to it and not care any more.

6. 

   I've had a lot of success with training and with the citronella collar. Sometimes both have had to be used. There are other methods of training an excessive barker. Remember that some breeds are more prone to bark a lot than others. And if you have one of these it will be a little harder since it is in the genes. Be patient. Try to rely more on positive feedback and rewards than the opposite. If you are persistent and consistent, you are likely to be able to reduce the amount of barking your dog does.

Tips & Warnings

• Different trainers use different methods. I always prefer positive training to negative. Sometimes certain behaviors such as barking, aggression and marking require different forms of training than tricks, obedience and, say, sports like agility. The suggestions here are ways to curb barking that I have had a lot of success with. Feel free to check into any other forms of training as well.

Resources

• How to scale dog teeth
• How to exercise your dog
• How to keep your dog claws short
• How to handle an aggressive dog: the story of Cally