Photo by Dale Hugo
Is trying to control your dogs barking getting a bit of a pain when all you want to do is get a decent sleep, leave your dog for 5 minutes, or have some respected guests round without having to get the earplugs out?
Training your dog to stop barking doesn’t have to be stressful, no one likes the loud barking sound coming from your dog, especially at 3 in the morning so lets go through some tips to control dog barking.
1. Need Attention huh?
Don’t give your dog the attention he wants from barking at you. if I was getting everything I wanted just for barking id probably do it too. You’ve got to teach your dog that barking won’t get him anywhere. If he wants something wait till he has stopped barking first.
2. Time to bark yet?
If your dog barks when you leave the house, 8 times out of 10 it will be because you’re making to much fuss over them when you leave. Dogs can’t fully grasp the idea of saying goodbye and may find it upsetting when you give them cuddles and play then go out the door and leave for 8 hours while you’re in work. For a dog that’s a good enough reason to bark and howl the house down for you to come back and play. Try leaving the house without any fuss, Leave the house without drawing any attention to yourself and the barking will lessen and stop.
3. Bored with nothing to do!
Dogs enjoy barking, it’s something they like to do. The barking sound might not be completely to your taste but dogs enjoy it and it’s a completely natural thing for them, so if your dog has nothing to do in his spare time then barking passes the time like nothing else. Keep your dog busy with lots of exciting toys if he seems to bark a lot at night, something to chew and play with when you’re not around will help comfort the dog and keep him from barking and waking the neighbours. With nothing else to do your dog will bark through the night until you wake up.
4. Visitor time
When visitors come round it’s an exciting time for your dog, new faces, new smells and more attention than usual. This often causes dogs to bark, they want all the attention they can get in the form of cuddles and play time. You can solve this by using the ‘Stop’ command, teach him this and praise him when he listens to you and you should have no more problems with your over excited dog.
5. Be Consistent
Unfamiliarity can trigger your dogs barking off a lot of the time so keep constant with the times he barks most, for a lot of dog owners this is at night time. Decide where your dog or puppy sleeps. If one night your dog is out in the cold and the next he’s all snug and warm in bed with you or your kids you can guarantee he won’t want to be back out in the cold getting no attention from anyone again. Stick to consistency with your dog and you won’t go far wrong, otherwise you may be in for another sleepless night shouting at your dog.
About the Author:
Written by John Williams
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4 Responses to Control Dog Barking
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I have found that a great way to minimize night-time barking with my Collies is to softly play a radio. Not only do they not feel bored or alone, but it also helps drown-out the nighttime sounds that are certain to get their attention (a distant coyote, a neighbor’s dog, or a vehicle coming down the street.)
hi there ,
i have a lassie dog that just keeps barking all the time when people come to the house or when hes brought to the country .he never barks in the night just sleeps .
Our family has a collie/ desert dog and she barks at 4 in the morning at cats going past.
Needing attention or boredom because of being left alone can be possible reasons for the dog barking cycle. I agree that by understanding when and why one’s dog do this first, the right plan can be implemented to stop barking.