How can I stop the dog from barking?

How can I stop my dog ​​from barking? Many dogs are constantly barking and often bring their owners into uncomfortable situations.
Neighbors complain, children are scared or you have trouble conversing with other dog owners because the dog is barking all the time. Some dogs also tend to barking when left alone and annoy all neighbors.

Some dog breeds are more prone to frequent barking than others. But the tendency to barking is also directly related to the excitement and nervousness of the owner. Dogs feel the feelings of their owner exactly and the attitude is directly transmitted to the dog.

Today, we want to put together a guide for you and your dog that will help you stop the constant barking of your dog. Of course, it’s not about the dog not being allowed to bark at all, so do not punish the dog for barking or scold him.
In order to stop the dog from barking, it is important to first determine in which situations the dog’s barking occurs. Then you can find out the reason why the dog is barking.

Stopping the dog’s frequent barking requires a lot of consistent training, especially if the dog has had the problem of constant barking for a long time.
It is important to practice daily with the dog in any situation where the barking occurs and is not desired.
If you train your dog with consistent training and patience, you will surely find that your dog learns faster than you thought at the beginning.

Stop the dog from barking at the door

Many dogs bark at the door when the doorbell rings.
The dog is barking to wake up his pack, so to speak as a warning call. Some dogs bark at the front door or yard fence to defend their territory. When intruders approach, they are warned with barking not to move near the alien pack.
Of course it is not pleasant for us humans if the dog barks every time the doorbell rings. But sometimes it can be convenient, so you can not miss hearing the bell anyway.

In order to stop the dog from barking at the door, it is important to convey to the dog that the behavior is undesirable or not necessary. For the dog it is a vital task to protect the pack from possible danger.
Therefore, you should understand the dog and never punish him for barking. If the dog defends the pack, that is its natural instinct.
Dogs need a leader in their pack, who takes over tasks such as to protect the pack from strangers.
If the human being – from the eyes of the dog – can not sufficiently fulfill the tasks, it takes over the task himself. The dog does not behave unaffected because he feels superior or better. It is a biological instinct to protect the pack and the dog must follow it. The behavior is thus even ment to honor the person who seems to be unable to be a strong leader of the pack.

It even causes great stress for the dog, because he has to take care of everything. Therefore, it is important to show the dog that you can be a strong pack boss and the dog is allowed to relax and take over the tasks of the lower ranked animals.
Anti-Barking products such as spray collars or pet shock collars are therefore not only completely inadequate and often ineffective, but also show the inability of the owner.

Stop your dog’s barking – what you have to do:

To stop the dog from barking, it is important to be quiet.
Some owners give a command such as ‘stop it’ or ‘no’ every time the dog starts barking. However, they start a conversation with the dog and aggravate the situation.
Dogs do not understand our language enough to interpret the meaning of this command. Therefore, if you do not practice a specific coordination of the words ‘stop it’, the dog always only understands “woof”.
This can be particularly fatal for the barking, because then the dog believes that its owners ‘barking’ and feels encouraged in this behavior. He even wonders if he is punished for barking and misunderstands the situation.
So it can happen that dogs even get scared of their owners. Then they feel even more urged to protect the pack and so the cycle is intensified.

That’s why it’s so important to be a pack leader for the dog. It’s not about showing power, but protecting the dog so he can relax and leave the tasks like barking to the pack leader.
Of course, this does not happen by itself, so we have listed the following methods and training steps for you and your dog.

Barking at the door

Prepare a situation in which a person is invited to visit. She should ring the doorbell a few times to stop the barking. You should practice with your dog several times a day and then rest or walk for a while.

Method metal bowl – Stop barking
This method is not suitable for very frightful dogs and extremely fearful dogs. All other dogs should cope well with the short fright of the noise.
Put a metal bowl behind the door. Ask the person to ring and throw a keychain (or something similar) into the bowl at the exact moment the dog barks. The noise will frighten the dog and connect the fright with the behavior just shown.
For the dog to combine the noise of the keychain with their barking, it is very important to always hit the right time. If you throw it only a moment later, the dog can no longer establish the connection.

You yourself behave calmly, so that the dog can concentrate. As soon as the dog is quiet for a moment when it rings, it immediately gets a big reward. The dog should not feel like barking after a few repetitions.
The next day you have to train again, because the repetition is important. After a few days the dog has understood that it is uncomfortable to start barking at the ringing.

To reward the dog, always speak with a high, joyful voice.
It is best to use a word such as “fine” or “good boy & girl”. You can always say the word at the right moment and then give it a treat. Once the dog has connected the word with a treat, he will already understand the word as a reward for the behavior in the current moment.

Method dog bed – Stop your dog’s barking
Some owners wish that the dog should wait in its place, when the doorbell rings. To do this, send the dog to its bed or basket with a calm, steady tone when the doorbell rings. Once the dog has laid down, it gets a reward there.
If you give your dog the certainty of having the situation under control, it will relax in his place and send the pack boss ahead. That’s the goal of stopping the dog’s barking.
In the beginning, it is enough for the dog to move or sit in the direction of its place. Immediately give a reward when you are satisfied with your dog’s behavior.
If the dog has been practicing this for a while, he will wait there for its treat when the doorbell rings.

Barking at other dogs

Some dogs bark at other dogs when they see them while walking in the streets. This can be very annoying for the owner and it bothers the other dogs and owners as well. Therefore, with these steps we want to make the dog stop barking at other dogs.
In order to be able to stop the dog barking at the other dogs, we also need a situation with strange dogs for practicing. Keep the dog on the leash that should be as loose as possible and walk past the other dogs several times as you teach the dog that you have full control and that everything is ok.
Your dog does not need to worry about the other dogs, you can just walk over with him. If the dog wants to start barking, you can either tap it lightly in the side or you steer his nose off with a treat. Be sure to give treats only at the right time – when the dog is quiet. Once the dog turns to you, say your reward word and give a treat.
Repeat this exercise as you pass other dogs. If your dog turns to you and the other dogs without any care, he trusts you and for him the situation is relaxed.
Repeat the stop barking exercise for a few weeks with each dog you meet. Your dog will turn to you and you can start to chat with other dog owners again.

Stop barking when left alone

Some dogs keep barking when left alone. This is a stress reaction because they miss their pack very badly.
It is not normal for a dog to be separated from its pack. Dogs always stick together in the pack, so the dog has to learn, that its ok to be left alone for a while.
Sometimes the dogs have also learned that people come back through the barking, then they keep trying.
Depending on how long the dog has had the problem of barking when left alone, it may take a little while to learn to be alone. The most important thing is that the dog was out for a long walk before you leave him alone and was given something to eat if possible. Then it is easier for him to relax and stay calm.
In order to be able to stop the dog’s barking when left alone, we need a situation in which the dog is barking. First, prepare yourself as if you would like to leave the house. Put on jacket and shoes, grab your bag and then go out the door and wait outside for a little.
The dog will watch you excitedly and will start barking after a while. Listen carefully to the barking. If the dog takes a short break after a while, open the door immediately and greet and reward your dog.
With this method, the timing is again very important and error-prone, because you have to open the door first.

Train at least 10 times a day by leaving the house in between and doing as if you were going away. Important: Do not leave your dog alone for the duration of the training, otherwise the silence can not be learned.
In order to make progress, a continuous learning process is best for your dog. To stop your dog’s barking when staying alone, you need a lot of patience with your dog.
However, if you practice often enough, the dog will eventually become indifferent and he will only look up sleepy when you leave (again) the house.

Extra tips:
Stay calm and relaxed, that translates to the dog. If you teach him to have everything under control, he can relax as well. For very agitated and nervous people, relaxation exercises such as meditation are well suited to be a relaxed, safe pack boss for your dog.

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