Controlling Barking

Barking is one of your dog’s means of communication and is, thus, natural to them. Excessive barking, however, should not be allowed. For some dogs, barking becomes a habit and can be extremely annoying for you and everyone else around. One thing should be clear, dogs cannot be trained not to bark, but they can be taught to stop barking with a specific command.

There are several things you can do to help your dog control his barking habit. First of all, if barking is a real problem for you and your neighbors, it may be best to confine your dog in a room until his barking is put under control. Once your dog sees and hears no reason to bark, his habit will be minimized. It is also a good idea to exercise your dog on a daily basis. Many dogs take up barking our of boredom. Once they are properly exercised, they may be less inclined to bark.

You can start teaching your dog to control his barking by ordering him to stop once he starts barking. Once your dog obeys, give him a treat and praise him for his good reaction. You have to also understand that dogs can have a confusing concept of barking. Sometimes barking can be a good thing, keeping you safe and alerting you of a suspicious event. Nevertheless, your dog should be properly trained to stop barking once the command is given. If your dog does not stop, increase your tone of voice and let him know that you really mean it. A few seconds after your dog stops, reward him with the treat.

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