How to stop a dog from barking? Cynologists assure that there is always a reason for barking, and undesirable behavior can almost always be eliminated with educational measures.

Why do dogs bark

Before you figure out how to stop a dog from barking, you need to find the cause of the unwanted behavior. Remember, there is always one.

Calling barking a way of communication is not entirely correct, since dogs most often use whining or guttural sounds when talking to each other. If they bark, it is due to excessive excitement. They are usually brought to this state by:

boredom;

fear;

stress;

joy.

Analyze the situation in which your pet starts barking. This will help you figure out the reason for the excitement.

Alone

A pet left alone in an apartment tries to protect it from potential burglars. It barks to scare off ill-wishers.

Animals should not be left alone for long periods of time, as they quickly become bored. Particularly emotional and hyperactive dogs will try to attract attention even if the owner has simply gone into the next room. They can be calmed down by a long walk or active games. In the absence of sufficient attention, more serious behavioral disorders arise.

If the dog is cowardly and unsure of itself, then a long absence of a person can cause severe fear. It will react to any noise, trying to scare away a possible threat. Also, thunderstorms, fireworks or other loud sounds are common causes of fear.

Animals should not be left alone for long periods of time, as they quickly become bored. Particularly emotional and hyperactive dogs will try to attract attention even if the owner has simply gone into the next room. They can be calmed down by a long walk or active games. In the absence of sufficient attention, more serious behavioral disorders arise.

If the dog is cowardly and unsure of itself, then a long absence of a person can cause severe fear. It will react to any noise, trying to scare away a possible threat. Also, thunderstorms, fireworks or other loud sounds are common causes of fear.

At night

Dogs are not cats. At night, their vision deteriorates significantly, making it difficult to orient themselves in space. They can be frightened by any shapeless silhouettes or swaying shadows. That is why four-legged pets try to spend the night next to their owners.

On the street

The sounds on the street are much louder than in a quiet apartment. There are other animals walking around, children running around, cars and cyclists passing by. A barking animal scares off a potential threat or simply displays dominant behavior.

If the dog lives in a kennel, it may miss its owners very much. Loud barking attracts attention, indicating a desire to go for a walk and get affection.

In front of the door

An animal barking right at the door usually reacts to a knock, a doorbell or an intercom. Depending on who is standing at the threshold, it can bark from happiness, fear or simply take a defensive position.

For no reason

If there is no obvious reason, then the pet may be sick. By barking, it tries to notify a person about its illness, and the pet will strain itself until someone pays attention to it.

Another reason is a call to action. Pets are skilled manipulators who understand that their owners react differently to the sounds they make. If a dog barks, it may want to eat, go for a walk, or play.

Unprovoked barking often occurs in older dogs that have lost their hearing. The ability to perceive sounds is distorted, so the voice is given without an obvious reason.

Is it possible to wean a dog from being noisy?

The easiest way to understand how to stop a puppy from barking is that babies quickly absorb new information, so they are more easily trained.

With adults, it’s more complicated. Habits become ingrained with age, so new skills are not so easy to learn. If you’ve taken an older pet, be patient. Sooner or later, one of the popular weaning methods will definitely work, but it will take a lot of time and effort.

With adults, it’s more complicated. Habits become ingrained with age, so new skills are not so easy to learn. If you’ve taken an older pet, be patient. Sooner or later, one of the popular weaning methods will definitely work, but it will take a lot of time and effort.



Ignoring

Try not to give in to manipulation. If the dog barks when you are alone in the toilet, calmly finish your business, not allowing him to go with you. Soon the animal will understand that such tricks do not work, and will give up.

Do not try to calm your pet down, imitate it, or treat it with something tasty. Remember that such a reaction is considered a reward, which means that unwanted behavior, rewarded with attention, will continue indefinitely. Approach the animal only when it has completely calmed down.

This technique is not applicable only to the security function, when the pet is trying to warn about danger and protect its human family. In this case, prohibiting commands will do.

Teaching commands

All commands used in training animals consist of one word for ease of understanding. Inexperienced owners try to stop barking with “No” and “No”. In fact, these prohibition commands are used for completely different purposes and are not suitable for the situation in question.

To begin, practice giving a voice on your signal. For this purpose, use the command “Voice”. Say it when the dog starts barking. After a few minutes, gently squeeze the mouth with your palms and command “Quiet”. If the trick was successful, then be sure to praise your pet and treat him with a treat. Regularly repeat this sequence until you achieve results without additional manipulation of the mouth and offering treats.

If your loud-mouthed pet is trying to protect you from a potential threat, do not stop such actions. Call the dog closer, praise it for its vigilance, give it a treat and command “Place” or “Sit”. The animal will understand that it has been heard, but not ignored. Noticing the calmness of the owner, it will soon calm down itself.

All commands used in training animals consist of one word for ease of understanding. Inexperienced owners try to stop barking with “No” and “No”. In fact, these prohibition commands are used for completely different purposes and are not suitable for the situation in question.

To begin, practice giving a voice on your signal. For this purpose, use the command “Voice”. Say it when the dog starts barking. After a few minutes, gently squeeze the mouth with your palms and command “Quiet”. If the trick was successful, then be sure to praise your pet and treat him with a treat. Regularly repeat this sequence until you achieve results without additional manipulation of the mouth and offering treats.

To begin, practice giving a voice on your signal. For this purpose, use the command “Voice”. Say it when the dog starts barking. After a few minutes, gently squeeze the mouth with your palms and command “Quiet”. If the trick was successful, then be sure to praise your pet and treat him with a treat. Regularly repeat this sequence until you achieve results without additional manipulation of the mouth and offering treats.

The commands are universal. They are also convenient to use to switch attention. If your pet starts barking in a noisy or unfamiliar company, command him “Come to me” or “Give me your paw.” After successfully completing the commands, praise the troublemaker in unison. He will understand that your friends are not dangerous and even admire his skills.

Gradually accustoming yourself to solitude

It is impossible to completely eliminate hours of loneliness. Most owners work outside the home, so they will have to train their pet to be alone. To accustom to solitude, use the following tricks:

Buy plenty of toys to keep your pet busy while you’re away.

Before leaving for work, try to exhaust your pet with a walk to put it to sleep.

Avoid contact before you leave. Don’t talk or try to feel sorry for the dog. Leave quietly and calmly, as if you were going to the bathroom rather than to work.

Immediately upon returning, try to ignore the joyful serenade. Lightly stroke the animal’s head, but do not talk to it until it calms down.

At first, you can practice standing behind the door. Go out into the hallway and wait until everything is quiet. This may take about 15 minutes. Then go in and show your admiration. Stay inside for a while and go out again. Repeat the previous steps several times to consolidate the result.

Mistakes and Prohibited Techniques

The foundations of successful training are consistency and confidence in your actions. Once you have figured out the rules, pay attention to the other side. Not all owners know what not to do if the dog barks, and because of this, they make mistakes right from the start. Prohibited actions include:

Physical punishment . Physical force may be used only in one case – in case of direct attack for the purpose of self-defense. For educational purposes, such treatment will lead to mistrust, cowardice or increased aggression.

Shouting and cursing . Even commands should not be shouted, but spoken in a calm but firm voice. Do not try to threaten with violence. This will only lead to overexcitement and cause the opposite effect.

Lack of regularity in training . Without daily repetition of the material, the dog will never remember what you are trying to teach him.

Ignoring until you find out the reason . This is a good training method, but only if you understand what causes the barking. Otherwise, you may not notice a fire, an intruder, or your pet’s illness.

Fulfilment of whims . If the reason for the ringing bark is a fragrant cutlet on your plate, then under no circumstances give it to the four-legged manipulator. Performing the desired actions after a certain sound will quickly become fixed in the memory of the cunning dog.

All of the above mistakes will only delay the desired results, so try to avoid them. Owners with fragile nerves will benefit from training with a dog trainer. This service is not free, but it is guaranteed to eliminate unwanted behavior.



Cutting the ligaments

The most brutal method, banned in a number of countries. Operation on the vocal cords results in complete loss of voice or change in tone.

In addition to the surgical risks (complications to the heart, severe bleeding, swelling of the larynx, death), there is a high probability of developing mental disorders. Due to the inability to communicate, fearfulness and aggression are exacerbated. The recovery itself takes a long time and is accompanied by severe pain in the damaged throat.