One of the reasons they bark is to communicate, and a bark can mean anything from 'Let's play!', 'I'm hungry', or 'I'm bored', to 'Danger - beware!'.
On the other hand, excessive dog barking can be a real nuisance and needs to be controlled quickly, but before doing so, you need to understand why he's barking.
There are many other reasons why dogs bark, for example, he may be lonely, there may be intruders lurking outside, or children may be teasing the dog.
You may be able to stop your dog barking simply by removing the problem, like so:
Your dog is barking because he's bored or lonely - ensure he gets plenty of exercise, play, and regular training;
Your dog senses a prowler outside - put exterior lights on and check for intruders - that's usually enough to frighten off most intruders, which in turn, will stop your dog barking;
The children are teasing your dog and he's becoming frustrated - stop the children teasing the dog and the dog will stop barking!
Your dog is hungry - feed him!
In the above examples, it was the causes of the dog barking that needed to be addressed - not the dog barking itself! Where the cause of dog barking cannot be removed, we need to find other ways to address it.
It may be necessary to adopt a different approach to a dog barking problem, depending on why your dog is barking. That's why it's important to identify correctly what's causing your dog to barkbefore you go on to address the problem.
Dog barking for a prolonged period usually means that there's something wrong and your dog is trying to communicate with you.
If you can't identify why your dog is barking, and you're confident he's not ill or injured, your dog may have developed the unsociable and annoying habit of barking for the sake of it.
Any continued barking is excessive and unnecessary and is exactly the type of dog barking that we want to discourage.
As we mentioned earlier, different situations may require different methods to stop your dog barking, so it's important to understand why he's barking before you can determine which is the most suitable method to use.
One of the best and easiest methods is to 'teach' your dog to bark and then teach him the "Be Quiet" command to train him to stop barking.
This exercise is easily taught to a puppy, and can also be taught to an older dog, although it may take longer.
Where you have a puppy with an excessive barking problem, you may also find this article on how to stop your puppy barking, very useful.
This method differs from the above in that it mimics the mother's instincts in the wild when danger may be lurking.
Sometimes our dogs bark at visitors, either because they're over-excited, or because they believe the visitor is a threat to his pack. If your dog is barking at visitors, or at the postman, we recommend you follow the link and try the training exercises.
Most dogs enjoy being outside in the garden but, unfortunately, some dogs turn into barking demons when they're let into the garden.
They can drive you (and your neighbours) to distraction, barking at everything from birds and rustling leaves, to their own shadow!
Our article, Barking Mad In The Garden, will help you to remedy this. In no time at all, you and your neighbours will be able to enjoy the peace and quiet of your own garden.
There are many owners who recommend using a barking correction collar to stop excessive and unreasonable barking. This is a device which emits a spray or a mild current each time the dog barks. The dog soon learns that each time he barks something unpleasant will happen to him. This deters him from barking and eventually he will stop completely.
A simple, and cheap, alternative to the correction collar is a water spray - use an ordinary toy water pistol or garden spray bottle.
The methods listed below follow a punishment based approach to prevent a dog barking. We believe that they're harsh and rather drastic - judge for yourself.
Removal of the vocal chords (Vocal Cordectomy or Surgical Debarking). This 'remedy' is only used in extreme situations where chronic dog barking cannot be controlled. The operation doesn't normally remove the bark completely; it simply reduces it to a hoarse bark or croak. However, the noise levels are considerably reduced.
Some owners have actually resorted to taping their dog's muzzle closed.
Smacking the underside of the dog's muzzle every time he barks.
Staring into the eyes of a barking dog until the barking stops and the dog goes into 'submissive mode'.
Muzzle your dog. Although this may stop your dog barking, we believe using a muzzle in this way can be cruel and lazy. There are more suitable methods available.
A tin can, or a bottle, containing pebbles or coins, is shaken vigorously at the dog each time it barks. Dogs don't like the sound it makes, and although the Rattle Bottle may work, we don't recommend using this method without first seeking professional advice from a qualified dog trainer or animal behaviourist as it could turn your dog aggressive if not used properly.
Whacking your dog on the nose with a rolled up newpaper when he barks? We don't think so!
Personally, we believe some, if not all, of these methods to be a little over the top as they are too aggressive and we don't recommend them. Apart from being harsh (and in some cases, cruel) they're also only short-term 'solutions' as they will only work when the owner is near enough to the dog to administer the 'correction'.
Always Use Reward Based Training Methods
Wherever possible, we recommend you avoid negative, punishment based approaches and use more positive, reward-based training methods instead.
If you regularly use punishment based training methods you may be creating other behavioural problems in your dog, for example, biting or aggression, particularly towards the person dispensing the punishment.
Dogs learn by association - that's why if you're going to give your dog a correction you must 'catch him in the act' to allow him to understand why he's being corrected.
Imagine your dog gets yelled at, or feels pain, each time the postman, or a visitor comes to the door. Your dog may begin to associate these punishments with visitors to your home and may become aggressive to all visitors as a result.
Reward based training is much more effective, and is kinder to your dog.
Always Acknowledge Your Dogs Barking
Always let your dog see that you have been alerted to the 'problem' that he's just brought to your attention.
If he's barking at the door or window, for example, go and check. If there's nothing to be alarmed about, reassure your dog by stroking him.
Use the "Be Quiet" command and add something like, It's okay', or We're safe' - use whatever words you feel comfortable with, but use them consistently.
As you are reassuring your dog, take hold of his collar and gently guide him back to where you were sitting.
In your dog's eyes, he's alerted you to a potential problem and you (as his pack leader) have investigated, have decided that there was no danger, and have responded appropriately.
If you don't investigate the problem, your dog may continue to bark until he's confident that you have taken control of the situation.
If he sees that you're not in control (ie, not dealing with the problem) he may assume the role of pack-leader and the dog barking will continue - probably even louder!
Don't Give Your Dog Attention When He's Barking
You may be fuelling your dogs barking problem by giving your dog attention when he barks. Think about it - do you shout at him, or grab hold of his collar?
Yes? That's attention!
The worse thing you can do to try to stop your dog barking is to shout at him.
Unfortunately, as frustrated dog owners, this is sometimes exactly what we do!
To your dog, shouting simply sounds like you too are barking thus, in his eyes, reinforcing his decision to bark in the first place. Shouting will only encourage dog barking - perhaps more loudly and with renewed energy!
If your dog is always trying to get your attention, question whether or not you're spending enough time with him. Do you give him enough exercise? Do you play with your dog?
We recommend you give your dog at least a 1-hour walk and 15-20 minutes play each day to burn off his energy; more if you have the time - wear him out!
Remember to give your dog attention, praise, and reward, only when he's quiet and well-behaved to reinforce his good behaviour.
If, after trying some of the above methods you still haven't managed to stop your dog barking, we recommend you consult your vet. If your vet gives him the all clear, then we recommend you contact a professional dog trainer, or animal behavioural therapist for advice.
They may recommend that your dog boards with them for a few days to allow first-hand observation of his behaviour to help them to determine suitable therapy.
Alternatively, they may prefer to work directly with you and your dog to help remedy your dog barking.
Dog barking is natural canine behaviour. One of the reasons they bark is to communicate, and a bark can mean anything from 'Let's play!' to 'Danger - beware!'...
We're often asked questions like these, so we thought it might be useful for our visitors if we answered them here, in an article about excessive dog barking...
There are several methods that may be used to stop your dog barking. However, not all methods may be suitable for your dog; what works for one dog may not work for another. We've listed as many different ways to stop your dog barking here....
One of the easiest ways to stop dogs barking is to train the dog to respond to the "Be Quiet" command. It sounds contradictory, but the aim is to train your dog to bark and then teach him to stop barking...!
Does your dog turn into a barking demon when he's let out into the garden? Does he bark, constantly, at the sound of people and other dogs passing by, outside your house or garden? Then this helpful article, on how to stop dogs barking in the garden, is for you...
Is your dog driving you mad with his attention-seeking antics? Attention-seeking behaviour in dogs can manifest itself in many different ways - barking while you're on the telephone, jumping up at you when you're trying to get through the door, pawing you when you're trying to read...does any of this sound familiar?
Follow the above link to find out how to stop dogs barking for attention...
You can easily stop dogs barking by using a barking correction collar. It's a device which fits onto your dog's collar and, depending on which type of correction device you buy, can emit either a noise, a mild electric shock...
You can use an ordinary water gun or spray bottle to stop dogs barking, just fill it with water, lemon juice or a combination of both and follow these simple steps...
Most dogs enjoy being outside in the garden but, unfortunately, some dogs turn into barking demons when they're let into the garden.
