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Step 1
Prevention is the ideal solution to stop puppies from barking. Some puppies bark from stress when they are separated from their owners. Other puppies bark from boredom because they don't have enough stimulation. Teach your puppy that it's OK to be left alone by gradually leaving them alone for short periods of time each day.
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Step 2
Teach your puppy that they have their own cage, pen or area where you will visit them. Don't allow your puppy to roam your whole house. When your puppy is alone in their designated area and starts to bark, wait until the puppy is quiet before giving it your attention.
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Step 3
Give your puppy his daily food through a tough rubber toy for a few weeks. To stop puppies from barking, this will need to be done in your absence. A rubber "kong" filled with puppy food and given to the puppy to eat while you are not around will teach your puppy to stop barking in order to eat. Enter the room only when your puppy is not barking so he will associate the food reward with being quiet.
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Step 4
Toys are a great way to stop puppies from barking. They are distracted by a favorite toy that will keep them busy until you come back.
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Step 5
Leave a radio on while you are out to serve as a distraction to keep puppies from barking. Another effective method is to record your own voice and allow it to play back for your puppy while you are away.
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Step 6
Don't shout or scream at puppies to stop puppies from barking. This usually excites them more and reinforces the bad behavior. Reward silence, not barking. Throw something that will make a noise to startle your puppy (like a large bunch of keys) and distract their attention so they will be quiet. When your puppy stops barking, wait for a minute before you praise it for the silence.
