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Dogs bark, it’s a natural thing for them to do. But what happens when occasional barking turns into excessive barking? In order to stop dogs from barking we need to figure out why they are barking in the first place. Dogs bark for many reasons, it’s their main form of communication. Check out our tips on how to stop excessive barking in dogs.
Causes And Solutions To Stop Excessive Barking In Dogs
1. Territorial Barking: Protecting Your Yard
One of the most common types of barking in dogs is territorial barking. This happens when you have a visitor come to your house or your yard. Your dog may see this person as a threat to himself or his family. He will bark in order to try to intimidate, what your dog believes, is an intruder. At times, this type of barking may be beneficial. For the most part, it would be something you would want to stop.
With training and consistency, you can teach your dog that it is ok for people to come into your yard or your home. If your dog sits in front of the window barking at everything that goes by, an easy solution would be to block his view. Put something in front of the window or close the curtains or blinds. If you are at home you can start training your dog not to bark when he sees something on the street.
This takes lots of patience and lots of time but it can be achieved. The key is to only reward your dog when he is quiet. Even if it’s only for a second when you first start. It’s also important to make sure the he can’t see out of the window when you aren’t there. This is so he doesn’t continue on with the barking when he’s not supervised. This can make it take much longer to curb the problem.
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2. Territorial Barking: Protecting Your House
If your dog is barking when people come to your door, also a form of territorial barking (but could also be excitement if it’s someone that he knows and really likes), you will need to teach him the “quiet” command. To start, have someone you know come to your door. Have your dog in another room so that he can’t see the person at the door but can only hear them knocking or ringing the doorbell. If he doesn’t bark reward him right away. If he does bark, wait for him to stop, say “quiet” and reward him with a treat.
Do not let him near the door until he masters being quiet from another room. When he does, then gradually move closer to the door until he can sit quietly by the door while you answer it. This could take a great deal of time and work but it can be achieved. If you have a very nervous or aggressive dog, you should consult a behaviorist in your area that can help you. The safety of your dog and your guests is very important so never take any risks that could cause your dog to bite or react aggressively to a visitor.
3. Barking Out Of Boredom
Boredom is another common cause for dogs to bark. A dog that is left alone for much of the day or put out in the backyard to entertain himself will often bark out of boredom. Dogs like to be with their people. If they are left alone for long periods of time, they could develop a habit of barking out of boredom.
A simple way to help with this is to not leave your dog outside for long periods by himself. Another solution is to take your dog somewhere for a good run or a good game of fetch before you leave for work. A tired dog will probably sleep most of the day while you are gone.
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You can also leave him some interactive toys to play with just be careful to not leave him with anything that he could tear apart and choke on. Leave the TV or radio on for him so that he doesn’t feel quite as alone.
A safe chew toy, such as a nylabone or a petstages chew toy can also help to keep your dog entertained while you are gone. Always check your dog’s chew toys over carefully to make sure that there are no sharp edges or that they aren’t getting so small that they could become a choking hazard. If your dog has something to do to pass the time, he will be less likely to bark while you are away from home.
Filling a kong or west paw toy with peanut butter, yogurt, raw dog food, etc and then freezing it, can provide some entertain to your dog while he licks out the filling of the toy.
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4. Barking For Attention
Some dogs will bark to get your attention. They may want to have you pat them, fill their water or food bowl or go outside to play. The best thing to do in this situation is to ignore the barking. If you give in and give the dog what he wants while he is barking, he is instantly rewarded for the behavior. You will need to ignore him and then once he stops barking you can give him what he wants. The exception to this rule would be when you are house training a puppy. Or if you know that your dog needs to go outside for a bathroom break.
Of course, there are many other reasons for dogs to bark as well but we have gone over the most common causes. The key is figuring out why your dog is barking and then work with him consistently to stop the barking. The sooner you start training him to stop barking, the better. Like any negative behavior, nipping it in the bud is important. Even a dog that has been engaging in this habit for a while can be taught to stop barking, though. It just takes patience and consistency to stop excessive barking in dogs.
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