What are the best ways to stop a dog barking too much? Our guide outlines how to train the dog out of barking, and prevent it starting.
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Many dog owners know this situation and struggle with it – the excessive barking of your dog. To make matters worse, the reason for the owner is often not immediately apparent. No matter how much you love your dog, barking becomes a big burden in the long run.
Best ways to stop a dog barking
In our sections below you will find out what causes your dog’s barking and how you can stop this behavior in the long term.
1. Barking is a means of communication
Dogs communicate not only with their body language, but also by barking. Our four-legged friends do not distinguish whether you are communicating with another dog or with you. Reasons and triggers of barking are just as different as the varieties of the different breeds.
Just as you use different pitches when talking, dogs are also able to adjust their barking situationally. Martin Rütter, the well-known European dog trainer developed his training philosophy “DOGS” more than ten years ago. This is especially known for ensuring that the dog and the owner work together as harmoniously as possible during dog education.The fellows of your dog know how to interpret the different pitches, which is often difficult for us humans. Especially when you as a dog owner don’t know why your dog is barking, the unwanted behavior quickly becomes a real test.
At this point, however, we can reassure you. All you have to do is figure out why your dog is barking. Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all solution to this. In each situation, you have to find out individually whether barking is natural and meaningful, or rather a bad habit.
2. Dogs bark for various reasons
Your dog barks at people? There can be many reasons for this. Some reasons why a dog is barking are quick to identify for the attentive dog owner. However, it may also be that various factors are responsible for the behavior. The most common causes of dog barking are:
- Breed-related barking
- Boredom and lack of attention
- Misunderstood protective behaviour
- Fear out of caution or experience
- Imitation
2.1. The breed-related barking
With breed-related barking, the reason can already be guessed. Some breeds have a stronger urge to bark than others. Especially bark-loving are breeds such as German Shepherds, Collies, Dobermen, Pugs, Rottweiler and Chihuahuas. Family dogs or companion dogs such as German Great Danes, Golden Retriever or Labradore usually show a different behavior and bark significantly less.
2.2. Boredom and lack of attention
Just like humans, dogs also need regular attention. Especially as a new family member, four-legged friends are still looking for their place in the “pack”. If this place is unclear, or your dog is not getting enough attention, it will quickly feel bored, which in turn can trigger the unwanted barking.
2.3. Misunderstood protection behaviour
Dogs are also able to feel emotions such as affection and fear. To stay in balance, your dog needs a task in its human environment. In case of prevailing restlessness, it can happen that the dog feels obliged to defend from his point of view the weakest pack member, which of course happens primarily through loud barking. However, this is normal protection behaviour which should only be prevented if it really prevails.
2.4. Fear out of caution or experience
If a dog is very anxious, this can quickly lead to extremely careful behavior. For no apparent reason, guests, family members or even yourself will be barked at out of caution. This is a protective mechanism that allows dogs to appear stronger and less anxious.
One cause of the dog’s anxiety can be, for example, bad experiences with other animals, situations or humans. However, with sufficient time and training, you can help your dog overcome these negative experiences.
2.5. Imitation
With dog owners, who often argue or are generally louder, it can happen that a dog feels animated to imitation. Then when you talk loudly to your dog to tell it to be quiet or keep calm, you usually only achieve the opposite and the dog barking gets even louder.
Your dog is only happy that you are “barking” and increases its own barking with growing enthusiasm. You can only resolve this situation with a clear body language or conditioning of the dog.
3. Tips to stop a dog’s excessive barking
Getting a dog off barking is a task that requires a lot of patience. Your dog is barking all the time and you don’t know what to do any more? With these five tips, help is in sight:
- Early training
- Employment
- Social contacts
- Correcting your own misconduct
3.1. Early training
Keyword: Puppy education. The sooner you start raising your dog, the better. It often proves to be much easier to use the best ways to stop a dog barking when they are a puppy than with older animals. Consistent dog training is the be-all and end-all here. Set clear limits for your four-legged friend and let him know when the barking is okay and when not.
Methods such as squirting the dog with water or even an antibar collar should be the last method of training your dog to bark.
3.2. Attention
In order to avoid boredom with your four-legged friend, you have to take your time every day and play with it. It is best to create a time window that is only for your dog. It is important, however, that you do not give in to the demand for barking. If you want to train your dog to bark, you may not reward him until he stops the unwanted behavior.
3.3. Social Contacts
Just like in humans, social contacts are also extremely important for the development of a dog. Only in contact with other dogs can your four-legged friend learn how to communicate correctly. This will make your dog safer in dealing with humans and animals and it will learn to assess different situations more quickly.
3.4. Correcting your own behaviour
Often dog owners also have some complicity in the fact that their dogs cannot stop the unwanted barking. Observe yourself and correct your own conduct if necessary. If your dog is barking in a situation where he shouldn’t, any kind of attention is out of place.
4. These situations are typical triggers for a dog’s barking
There are countless situations where dogs bark. However, the most common are:
- He barks when a doorbell rings
- He barks when he is alone
- He barks at people on the other side of the fence
If your dog barks when it rings at the door,you can proceed as follows: Position yourself between dog and door. Push the dog aside without getting loud or aggressive. The intention is just that you come between your dog and the front door and signal to your four-legged friend that his intervention is not necessary now.
Is your dog barking at people walking past the fence? Then your four-legged friend is probably needs more attention.
It’s harder to deal with when your dog barks when he’s alone. Again, the reason may be that your dog feels left alone or simply not getting enough attention and is bored. Whenever you leave your dog alone for a longer period of time,you should first take an extensive walk with your animal friend. In addition, you should say goodbye to your dog as short and concise as possible and not make a big deal out of the welcome on your return.
Too much fuss about your arrival and leaving the house can help your dog bark as soon as he is alone.
