Does a dog's barking drive you crazy? Your dog can bark for a number of reasons, and barking is a natural dog behavior, just like talking to people! All dogs will bark (or yodel if you have a basenji), but there are things you can do to minimize annoying barking.
Knowing why your dog barks will help you better manage your environment and teach him to shut up when necessary. Let's take a look at the different types of dog barking and what you can do with each of them.
Barking Warning
The barking signal is your dog saying, " Hey! There's something there! I see something! Others may first hear a dog barking in the street or in a nearby yard, and they will respond:"I hear you!" Many dog owners appreciate it when your dogs warn them that someone is approaching the front door. If you have a dog that barks at everything outside the window, it can be very frustrating.
Warning barking can be especially difficult for those who live in apartments or have close neighbors. And living in an apartment often means that the dog will hear more sounds outside and without proper acclimatization and training will bark to warn its people.
Six Ways to control a Dog's barking
Here is a list of six techniques that can help your dog not to bark. While everyone can succeed, don't expect miraculous results overnight. The longer your dog practices barking, the longer it will take for its shape to change.
Some of these training methods require you to know why your dog is barking.
Don't forget to always keep these tips in mind during your workouts:
Don't yell at the dog to shut up, it sounds like you're barking along with it.
Make your workouts positive and optimistic.
Be consistent so as not to confuse the dog. Every member of your family should apply training techniques every time your dog barks inappropriately. You can't let your dog get away with inappropriate barking in some cases and not in others.
To remove the motivation
Your dog gets some kind of reward when he barks. Otherwise, they wouldn't have done it. Find out what they get from barking and remove it. Do not allow the dog to continue barking.
Example: Barking at passers-by
If they bark at people or animals passing through the living room window, control the behavior by closing the curtains or placing the dog in another room.
If they bark at passers-by in the yard, bring them into the house. Never leave your dog outside unsupervised day or night.
Don't pay attention to the barking
If you think your dog is barking to get your attention, ignore it until it stops. Don't talk to them, don't touch them, don't even look at them; your attention only rewards them for being loud. When they finally shut up, even to catch their breath, reward them with a gift.
Recommended Artice: How to tame a dog to its placeTo succeed with this method, you must be patient. If you bark for an hour and finally get so upset that you yell at him to shut up, next time you'll probably bark for an hour and a half. They will know that if they bark long enough, you will pay attention to them.
Example: Barking in a confined space
Placing the dog in a box or in a closed room, turn your back and don't pay any attention to them.
As soon as they stop barking, turn around, praise them and make a gift.
When they realize that silence gives them a gift, increase the amount of time they must remain silent before being rewarded.
Remember to start small, rewarding them for being silent for just a few seconds, and then move on to longer periods of silence.
Make it fun by varying the amount of time. Sometimes they are awarded after five seconds, then after 12 seconds, then after three seconds, then after 20 seconds, and so on.
Reduced sensitivity of the dog to stimulation
Gradually accustom the dog to what makes it bark. Start by encouraging them (which makes them bark) from a distance. It should be far enough away that they don't bark when they see it. Feed them lots of delicious treats. Move the stimulus a little closer (maybe just a few inches or a few feet to start with) and feed the treat. If the irritant disappears from the field of view, stop giving the dog treats. You want your dog to know that the appearance of an irritant leads to good (tries)!
Example: Barking at other dogs.
Let a friend with a dog stand out of sight or far enough away that your dog doesn't bark at another dog.
When your friend and dog come into view, start feeding the dog treats.
Stop feeding treats as soon as your friend and dog are out of sight.
Repeat the process several times.
Remember not to try to progress too quickly, as it may take days or weeks before your dog can pay attention to you and treats without barking at another dog.
Ask your dog about incompatible behavior
When your dog starts barking, ask him to do something that is incompatible with barking. Teach your dog to respond to barking stimuli with something that prevents them from barking, such as lying on your bed.
Example: someone at the door
Throw the gift on their bed and tell them to go to bed.
When they confidently lie down in your bed to win a gift, raise the bet by opening the door while in your bed. If they get up, close the door immediately.
Repeat until they stay in bed while the door is open.
Then increase the difficulty by asking someone to ring the bell while your dog is in bed. Encourage them if they stay put.
Keep your dog tired
Make sure your dog gets enough physical and mental exercise every day. A tired dog is a good dog, and it is less likely to bark out of boredom or frustration. Depending on the breed, age, and health condition, your dog may need several long walks, as well as a good ball chase game and interactive toys.