How to Stop Dog Barking
barking dog
Does your dog rush to the fence and bark at your neighbors or people walking by?
Do they stand at the front window and bark at everyone they see?
Do they rush the door when the bell rings.
Barking is one of the most annoying habits our dogs has. They are indeed trying to communicate something to you or the people and dogs they see. In their minds, the barking is working effectively — to get attention, send the strangers away, protect the house, etc. The barking needs to stop paying off for them.
I never want to have my dog not bark at all. I want them to alert me when something is going on, or they need something — but I also want when I say “Enough” for them to be relieved of duty and settle down.
How Do you Teach Your Dog “Enough”
When they Bark — you say “enough” and when they stop barking you reward them. With many repetitions. So in essence you’re rewarding the quiet.
Put your dog on a 10-15 foot long-line. — inside and outside. Under supervision only.
We’re assuming here that you have also been working on Recall (aka Come! or Here!).
Let them rush the fence or window:
You call out “Enough”
Pick Up the Leash, Call them to Come. Reel them in if needed.
Ask for Sit & Watch Me — reward the watch me.
Release them (Ok!) and let them go.
Rinse and Repeat until they stop that round.
When they go to the window without barking — reward! If they go to the window and then come back to you on their own — reward!
Eventually, the word enough will be their cue to come to you for a reward. Pay them consistently for a couple of weeks. Then you can begin to wean off the food rewards.
Recently, I had company visiting, and her dog barked at my neighbors through the fence. It was a holiday weekend so lots of time outside, people, etc. So Annie barked, I said enough, recalled her, and she barked again. So I sent her inside as a consequence. She lost the privilege of having fun outside. . We repeated this a few times, and she barked, and I sent her inside. Later that night she barked and took herself inside. She finally figured out that if she didn’t bark, she got to stay outside with everyone else.
Find the consequence that works for your dog. Be willing to follow through 100% of the time. All too often, the pet parent gives us, gets frustrated, giggles, and lets it slide, etc. And often the owner doesn’t come across as believable or sincere as a result. The magic is in the consistency.
Consistency is the key here. There can be no opportunity to practice this barking without interruption and follow-through. So if you have to leave the house — crate your dog or block access to the windows & doors. Every time your dog practices one repetition without interruption and follow-through they learn there is hope for them to control the scene.
The more consistent you are today — the quicker this issue is resolved and behind you. If you do it half-heartedly, you’ll struggle for a much longer time.