How To Stop Dogs Barking Excessively

Do you have a barker?  A dog that keeps the neighbors up at night, making you the most unpopular person in the neighborhood?  Or maybe a dog who barks his head off at squirrels or birds while you’re at work?  Or just a dog who won’t shut up sometimes?  It can be very frustrating.  It seems like your dog won’t listen to you at all.  However, there are some good ways to get your dog’s attention and teach him to be quiet.

It’s important to remember that barking is a normal way of communication for dogs.  Whether they are communicating with each other or communicating to us, barking is how they express themselves.  It’s only when it becomes excessive or when we don’t want to hear it that it becomes a problem.  So, it’s important to understand the reasons why a dog may bark.

Dogs bark for the following reasons: 

• To give a warning
• To get attention
• When they’re playing or excited
• To identify themselves
• Because they’re bored
• When they’re lonely or anxious
• When they’re startled

Some of these barking behaviors are very desirable.  If the house is on fire you definitely want your dog to bark to let you know!  It’s only when they are continued for too long that they can become a problem.  You probably don’t want to suppress all of your dog’s barking (and that’s not possible).  Instead, you would like your dog to listen to you and stop barking when you ask.

There are some general tips for dealing with barking dogs.

1.  Do all that you can to socialize your dog from the time he’s a puppy.  Well-socialized dogs are less apt to be startled by strange things.  They are more likely to take things in stride.  They are far less likely to suffer from separation anxiety when you have to leave them at home.  All of this means that your dog will be more relaxed and less likely to bark.  The more he knows about the world outside his home, the better adapted he will be.

2.  Always make sure that your dog has plenty of toys and things to chew on, whether you are home or away.  Dogs that have things to amuse them and keep them busy are less likely to bark.  When dogs are occupied and mentally stimulated they have less time to look for things to bark at.

3.  Make sure that your dog gets plenty of exercise and the proper food.  Dogs that get regular exercise — not just a trot around their backyard — are more likely to rest during the day.  They spend less time pacing the fence and barking at squirrels or birds.

The “proper” food doesn’t necessarily mean the food that has the highest protein content.  If you are feeding your dog like a racing Greyhound and he has no way to run off that energy, he will most likely spend the day on edge, looking for things to bark at.  Feed your dog a good food that is appropriate to his age, condition and level of activity.

4.  Sometimes dogs bark for a reason.  If your dog is barking incessantly you should see why he’s barking.  Is it possible that your neighbor’s cat is smugly sitting on the other side of the fence?  Has his favorite toy gotten stuck in a bush?  Very often dogs who bark repeatedly are barking out of frustration because they can’t reach something they want.  Sometimes a quick trip to see why your dog is barking will put an end to it.

You can also teach your dog to be quiet on command.  This is not as hard to do as you might thing.  First, though, you need to teach your dog to “Speak” which is easy to do.  When your dog barks, praise him and say “Speak.”  Reward him.  Do this until he gets the idea that when you say, “Speak” you want him to bark.  He should soon be barking on command.  Next, when your dog is barking, and he stops, say, ‘Quiet.”  Reward him and praise him for being quiet.  Your dog may be surprised to get treats for being quiet!  Alternate this exercise with the “Speak” exercise.  If you practice these two exercises together your dog should get the idea.  It will take patience and a lot of work to get your dog to obey the “Quiet” command when he’s in the midst of barking outside, but when he does stop barking you should give him a great reward and lots of praise.  Tell him what a great dog he is!  If you stick with this training your dog will stop barking on command.

Remember that barking is natural for a dog and that many times your dog has a good reason for barking.  Although excessive barking is annoying you shouldn’t always assume that your dog is just being a nuisance.  Once you have your dog’s barking under control you will probably find that he still barks at things.  Take his barks seriously.  They can give you important information.

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