Aren't you tired and annoyed of your puppy or dogs barking sound throughout the night? Maybe your neighbor's dog starts barking in the middle of the night and starts ruining your sleep.
If you're looking for a solution to stop a barking dog, then you've come to the right place!
Some of you may not have a dog, but your neighbor does. They might suddenly start howling and barking all night long for no reason; maybe it's a dog party? Who knows?
There's not much you can do in this scenario besides asking you neighbor nicely to train his dog not to bark or you can try purchasing an anti-barking device.
But of course, it’s in a dog’s nature to bark. They enjoy barking!
Dogs bark when they want something or while playing, establishing a territory, and even when they are frightened or when they are just saying "Hi!"
But why do dogs bark?
- Signaling or getting your attention
- Excitement, or happiness seeing you
- Playing and exercising
- Territorial or defensive barking
- Aggravation over not being able to attain something
- Social barking in response to other dogs
- Separation anxiety and fear
- Compulsive behavior
There are numerous reasons why dogs bark and I've listed out 8 most common cause, but they are short-term and specific.
However, some dog may bark continuously, and excessive barking can cause significant problems for you and your neighbors.
Before we can do anything about it, the first thing we need to know is to understand the specific reasons behind the uncontrollable excessive barking.
Even after knowing the reasons, don’t expect your dog to stop barking whenever you want.
Therefore you must go through a series of training for your dog to bark less. You will never stop it altogether. It is, however, quite time-consuming.
Also, keep in mind that some breeds are more likely to bark than others, and these could prove harder to train.
Here are the 7 easy ways on how to stop a dog from barking:
1. Remove the motivation
Try to figure out what's causing him to bark and remove it. Don't allow your dog to continue the barking behavior.
If he barks at people or animals passing by the window, control your dog's barking by closing the curtains or moving your dog to a different room.
If he barks at passersby when he's in the yard, bring him inside the house.
2. Ignore the barking
Ignore your dog's barking until he stops. Which means that you do not give him any attention at all, no talking, no looking, no petting or touching when he is barking. Your focus will only reward him for barking.
When he finally stops and quiets down, even to take a breath, reward him with a treat.
To successfully implement this method, you must wait as long as it takes for him to stop barking. If he barks for an hour and you finally get so pissed that you yell at him to be quiet, the next time he'll probably bark for an hour and a half. He thinks that if he barks just long enough, you'll give him attention.
When you put your dog inside his crate or in a gated room, ignore him by turning your back to him. He will bark at you for your attention because you're ignoring him by showing him your back and once he stops barking, reward him by giving him a treat and praise.
As he learns that being quiet will get him a treat, increase the amount of time, he must remain silent before you give him the treat. However, remember to start your treat from small and work your way up.
Keep it fun by rewarding him in different period. Reward him after 10 seconds, then 5 seconds, then 20 seconds, etc.
3. Desensitize your dog to the stimulus
Gradually get your dog accustomed to whatever is causing him to bark. Put the stimulus (the thing that makes him bark) far enough so that he doesn't bark when he sees it. Feed him lots of tasty treats.
Start moving the stimulus closer and feed him treats. If the incentive isn't in sight, stop giving your dog treats. You want your dog to learn that the appearance of the stimulus leads to tasty treats.
Have a friend with a dog stand out of your sight, so your dog won't bark at the other dogs. As they walk into view, start giving your dog his favorite treats. Stop giving the treats as soon as they disappear from view. Repeat the process multiple times.
Do not try to rush it, as it may take days or weeks before your dog can pay attention to you and the treats without barking at the other dog.
4. Teach your dog the "quiet" command
It is essential to teach your dog to bark on command before you implement this step. Command your dog to "speak" and wait for him to bark a few times, and then put a tasty treat at his nose. When he stops barking to sniff the treat, praise him, and give him the treat. Repeat until he starts barking when you ask him to "speak."
Once he can bark on command, teach him the "quiet" command. In a calm environment without distractions, ask him to "speak." When he starts barking, say "quiet" and put a treat in front of his nose. Praise him for being quiet and then give him the treat.
After your dog learns the "quiet" command in a calm environment, practice it in increasingly distracting situations until your dog can immediately stop barking on command.
If you're having trouble training your dog a specific action, try clicker training which is easy and effective in training your dog not to bark.
5. Ask your dog for a different behavior
When your dog starts barking, ask him to do something completely irrelevant from barking. Teach your dog to react to barking stimuli with something that inhibits him from barking, such as laying down on his bed.
Place a treat on his mat and tell him to "go to your place" or the command you use to say to him to go to his place.
Next, when he's going to his mat to earn a treat, open the door while he's on his mat. If he gets up, close the door immediately and ask him to "go to your place." Repeat this until he stays in place on his mat while the door opens.
Then increase the difficulty by having someone ring the doorbell while your dog is on his mat. Reward him if he stays in place.
6. Keep your dog tired
It is significant that your dog is getting sufficient physical and mental exercise every day. A tired dog is usually a good dog and is less likely to bark.
Your dog may require several long walks as well as a good game of chasing the ball or playing with some interactive toys, depending on his breed, age, and health.
7. Anti barking collar
This one's simple. All you need is an anti-barking collar and put it on your dog. Collar gets activated either through a remote or automatically by your dog's bark.
Helpful Resource: 5 Best Dog Training Device
Although, most anti-barking collar package claim that they are safe or humane and all other kinds of words to make you buy.
I don't know, I mean we are not dogs, we wouldn't know how our dog would feel when the anti-barking collar is used.
I would only use a dog bark collar as my last resort, or you can hire a dog trainer.
