Stop Your Dog’s Bad Barking Behaviors – Forever!

Excessive barking is the plague of dog owners everywhere but it is fairly straightforward to erradicate problem barking once you know how to deal with it. While it’s natural for dogs to bark under certain circumstances, some dogs are a bit overzealous with this vocalization. It’s very frustrating, to say the least, and one of the top reasons that dogs are abandoned or dropped off at animal shelters.

As I stated earlier stopping bad barking behaviors is actually quite easy to accomplish. First of all, it’s key that you remember that you’ll never stop your dog from barking completely. This is a natural behavior for them and deeply bred into them over generations. If you never want to hear a dog bark, then perhaps you would be wise to find a more appropriate pet which would be more suited to you. Dogs are going to bark when they are startled, when they are afraid, when they see other dogs. These types of behaviors should not be discouraged.

Some owners attempt this through the use of shock or spray collars which I am totally against. These apparatuses are very cruel. They deliver an electric shock each time the dog barks. While the manufacturers will tell you that the shock is comparable to that of a static spark that you’d get from walking across carpet and touching a metal surface, this is not true. These collars are known to malfunction, shocking your dog repeatedly without cause, or delivering such severe jolts of energy that they cause first and second degree burns.

A much more effective way to stop bad barking behaviors is through simple distraction. For example, if your dog continuously barks at an unfamiliar person who you’ve invited into your home, tell them “no” in a firm tone of voice, then offer them a distraction, such as a toy, to divert their attention. It’s important that you do not yell at or punish your dog for barking. This can be very confusing for them. You must be consistent. Each time your dog barks at an inappropriate time, you must offer the same reprimand, and the same distraction. As with all training and behavioral correction, "consistency is the key".

Praise them when they play with their toy instead of barking, in a light and excited tone of voice. As your dog begins to learn what you want, they will stay silent in anticipation of your praise and their reward, as dogs love to please their pack leader: you. Repeat this process of reprimand and reward as long as is necessary to teach your dog when it’s okay to bark and when it’s not.

Teaching a dog what is acceptable to you and what is not acceptable to you is of paramount importance if you want to spend many happy years with your new companion. Owning a well trained dog is one of the best feelings in the world. You only get out of your dog what you are prepared to put into it so chose a training regime that suits your lifestlye, which you can stick to. However you decide to train your dog please focus your efforts only on positive reinforcement training methods for the welfare of the animal.