3 Steps To Train Your Dog To Stop Barking

Barking is one of the most common challenges among dog owners. While many people wish they could control their dog’s barking, many have have reserved themselves to believing their dog just barks and there is nothing they can do about it but excessive barking can be stressful for dogs and humans alike. Plus, excessive barking can lead to unhappy neighbors or noise ordinance issues and nobody wants that so we’ve put together a simple 3 step guide to help you train your dog to stop barking and get it under control once and for all.

Step 1: Determine The Source

The first step to curbing your dog’s barking is determining why they bark. If you learn their triggers, it will be easier to approach them in a constructive way. Consider when you hear them barking. Do they bark at other dogs across the street? Strangers? The doorbell? Maybe they only bark at other dogs when they are on leash? Or they bark at people wearing baseball caps? Every dog has different triggers, so take note of what it is that gets your dog vocal. This will be important to remember for step 2.

It’s also important to determine why your dog is barking so you can better address it. According to the Humane Society of the United States, there are 6 primary reasons dogs bark:

“Attention/Demand: Your dog may want to eat, go outside, or your undivided attention.

Boredom/Frustration: Your dog may have been left outside day and night, or confined to one room for a long period of time.

Fear: Your dog may be afraid of objects, people, places, other animals, or loud noises such as thunder and fireworks.
Tip: Your dog’s posture can tell you if he’s barking out of fear. Typically his ears are back, and his tail is held low.

Territoriality/Protectiveness: Your dog is barking in the presence of “intruders,” which may include people and other dogs in adjacent yards.
Tip: If your dog is being territorial, his posture appears threatening with his tail held high and his ears up and forward.

Playfulness/Excitement: Your dog may be overly playful and excited when greeting people.

Health Issues: Your dog may have Canine Cognitive Dysfunction or deafness, causing him to bark because he’s unable to hear himself bark.”

It’s important to have your vet examine your dog if there is any question in your mind it may be related to health issues. Once that has been ruled out, do what you can to remove the stimulus. For example, if your dog likes to look through the window and bark, draw the curtains or move them to another room.

Step 2: Desensitize Your Dog

Here is when the real work starts. Once you’ve determined the source of your dog’s barking, the next step is to desensitize them to their trigger.

Firstly, make sure you have a lot of good treats ready. Choose something that is very valuable to your dog. For example, a fragrant treat, piece of hot dog, or bit of carrot. Whatever it is, it should be something your dog likes a lot so they feel it’s worth their while to work for it.

Be sure you are not encouraging them to bark. Many people do this without realizing it. If your dog starts barking and you yell for them to stop, all they hear is you barking along with them. Remain quiet, patient, and wait for them to stop – even if for just a moment and reward them with a tasty treat as soon as they stop.

Next, set some time aside to work with your dog regularly on desensitization. Begin with their trigger at a distance. For example, if your dog barks at other dogs, have the other dog far enough away so your dog doesn’t bark at it when they see it. Feed him lots of good treats and move the stimulus a little closer. In this example, it works well if you have a friend with a dog who can help walk the other dog. As long as the stimulus is within sight, feed your dog treats so they associate the presence of their trigger with good things. Once their stimulus/trigger has moved out of sight, stop feeding treats.

Repeat the process over and over, with regular sessions but remember to be patient and not push for change too quickly. According to the Humane Society, “it may take days or weeks before your dog can pay attention to you and the treats without barking at the other dog.”

Step 3: Teach The Commands

As your dog becomes desensitized to their trigger, the next step is to teach them the words “speak” and “quiet.” It may sound strange, but it’s actually best to teach them to speak first since a barking dog already knows how to do that well.

Give your dog the command, “speak” and wait for him to bark two or three times. Then reward him with a treat and say “speak” again. Repeat the process again and again until your dog starts barking on his own when you say “speak.”

Once he has that down, settle into a calm, quiet environment to teach “quiet.” Give him the command “speak” and then once he starts barking, say “quiet” and hold a treat in front of his nose. As soon as he stops barking to sniff the treat, praise him for being quiet and reward him with the treat.

Repeat this process again and again until you feel confident your dog has learned both commands.

Another way to set your dog up for success is to make sure they are getting plenty of exercise. Many dogs will bark out of frustration or pent up energy so helping them drain that energy will set them up for success.

The most important thing to remember as you begin training is to manage your expectations and be patient. Don’t expect immediate change. Remember:

• Never yell at your dog to be quiet – to him it will sound like you are barking along with him.
• Be positive and upbeat during training sessions. This will make sessions more pleasing and appealing to your dog.
• Be consistent to avoid confusion. If you’re going to start training your dog to stop barking, you need to stick with it every time your dog inappropriately barks and the whole family needs to be consistent. If they get different reactions from different people or situations, your dog will not understand why barking seems to be okay some times and not at other times.