How to Stop Unwanted Barking For Dogs
A dog who barks constantly can be an annoyance to your neighbors and everyone in your house. Not every training method to stop unwanted barking is effective for every dog. You may need to keep trying them in turn until you find the one that works for you and your dog. If you don't have results within a week, try another method.
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Instructions
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Understand why your dog is barking. Dog's bark to get your attention. In some cases, he needs to get your attention to let you know there is an intruder. These are the times you want to reward, not punish, your dog for barking. Short of that, if your dog is barking to get your attention, the pay-off for your dog is your attention, even if it is negative attention. If your dog barks, ignore him. Within a week he will learn that barking is not an activity that will draw attention from you.
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Watch a dog who is barking carefully. If you see that the dog is baring his teeth or growling, do not attempt to stop him from barking by spraying him with water or shaking a can of pennies. These methods will only further exacerbate the situation. Seek professional help if you see a dog who is barking, showing his teeth or growling.
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Make sure your dog has plenty of things to do while you are away if the problem barking has to do with boredom. Purchase toys that involve finding treats by manipulating parts of the toy, or fill a Kong with peanut butter to give him something to do to keep him busy.
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Bring your dog inside. Never tie a dog up outside, it's the most cruel punishment you can mete out to a dog. Dogs are social animals, if they are left tied up outside most of the time, they will bark out of desperation and boredom.
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Try a citronella collar. The collar will sense the barking and emit a mist of citronella. Dogs do not like the smell of citronella and will associate the unwanted scent with barking. Citronella collars are available online and in pet stores and are perfect for when you are not there.
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Train your dog to bark. Train him to "speak" and when he does, reward him. Then, train him to be "quiet" or "enough." This way, he will only bark when asked to do so. If your dog is barking when someone is at the door, tell him "enough" after one or two barks, reward him for stopping the barking and ignore him if he continues.
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Tips & Warnings
Enroll your dog in an obedience class where he will learn "speak" and "enough" if you are having trouble training him yourself.
Never use spray or noisemakers as these will only make the situation worse.
References
Resources
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