How to Train Your Boston Terrier Dog to Not Bark
Introduction
Nothing beats the first few weeks of having a new dog in your home. If they’re a puppy, you just want to cuddle them all day long. Boston Terriers, in particular, are small, sharp and lively. They make the ideal addition to a home. However, despite him being less than a couple of feet from the ground he may well have a surprisingly loud bark. To start with, it was entertaining but now it’s getting to be a bit much. It’s also putting a strain on your relationship with the neighbors. A dog that barks makes bringing new people to the house uncomfortable, too.
Training your vocal companion not to bark will solve a world of problems. You’ll be able to relax and get an undisturbed night's sleep and you won’t need to worry when you introduce him to new pets and friends.
Defining Tasks
Training a dog not to bark can be challenging, especially if you’re unsure what the cause is. Boston Terriers are usually very friendly, so putting your finger on the problem can be even more confusing. Once you have identified the problem, you can set to work remedying it. You’ll need to use a number of measures to teach your pooch the ropes. You can also train him to be ‘quiet’ on command. This can be a very effective way to silence the barking habit. To do that, you’ll need the right incentive. Most Boston Terriers will do pretty much anything for food, so that will be essential.
If he’s a puppy, he should be a fast learner and you could see results in just a week. If he’s old and a tad stubborn, be prepared to invest several weeks into training. Get this right and you’ll have your peaceful and relaxing evenings back.
Getting Started
Before you can start work you’ll need to collect a few items for training. You will need a stockpile of treats or your dog's favorite food broken into small chunks. A safe dental stick will come in handy, too. The more your pooch loves the food, the quicker you may see results.
Then, you’ll need to set aside 10 minutes each day for training. Try and find a time where you won’t be distracted by noisy kids charging around, or other dogs waiting to play.
Remember to praise often, and wear a smile. Once you have all of that, you just need to bring patience and perhaps some earplugs, then you’re all set!
The Environment Method
The Do's and Don'ts Method
The Quiet Method
Written by James Barra
Published: 12/19/2017, edited: 01/08/2021
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Success Stories and Training Questions
Training Questions and Answers
Ludo
My Boston Terrier has always been pretty vocal but in recent months he's started to bark a lot at children and we have no idea why. Its mainly when he isn't on a lead. When he's on the lead he is fine.
942 Dog owners recommended
Hello Jack, Pup may be going through a fear period. This is also a common age for aggression and fear issues to show up as pup matures mentally. Check out the videos I have linked below. With a trainers help, I would work on desensitizing pup to kids. This needs to be done carefully with safety measures like back tie leashes or basket muzzle in place to ensure everyone's safety. Look for a trainer who specializes in behavior issues like aggression and fear. Notice the safety measures like crates, lines on the floor people don't cross, back tie leashes, basket muzzles, and leashes to ensure everyone is safe. Also, notice pup is rewarded for good responses and not for aggression. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9n0_27XY3z4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYs76puesAE This dog has already done a lot of training from a further distance away from kids, before training this up close. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIJoEJfTS-E Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
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Every time I take him out he starts whining and making almost a screaming sound. The other day we took him to the pet store and when he saw another dog he started doing a high pitched bark, when I pulled him away and kept telling him no he wouldn’t stop. I even tried taking him to a different isle and he would still whine a little bit. I don’t know how to get him to stop!
104 Dog owners recommended
Hello, is Badger new to your family? Or is this a newly acquired behavior? You may want to take Badger to dog training to help him get exposed to being around other dogs (let the trainer know beforehand so they know that Badger will need help in class). Also, this excellent article is extensive and will give you many tips on how to make your dog feel more comfortable on outings. There is a section "How do you Socialize a Dog With Another Dog?". Please read the entire article and look for the tips on interacting with other dogs. I am sure the information will help! https://www.petful.com/behaviors/how-to-socialize-a-shy-dog/. Walk Badger often, and try the Passing Approach Method as described here to help him feel more at ease: https://wagwalking.com/training/greet-other-dogs. Keep trying; it will be the best thing for Badger - constant exposure even though it may be hard at first. If you have friends with dogs, ask them to meet you often for walks as that will help, too. All the best to you and Badger!
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When my dog meets a new dog, one that is older she will bark and sounds very aggressive but she isnt at all. Other dog owners usually get scared because she sounds aggressive but i know she is just being playful. If the other dog is much larger/ bigger then sometimes she does it as a way to get them to back off because she knows that she is smaller and that they could hurt her, but she would never actually hurt anyone. How can i get her to stop doing this? Ive heard boston terriers are just very vocal dogs, is that just something i need to let her do? Is this an okay thing?
942 Dog owners recommended
Hello Nikki, If Lucy is simply barking because she is exciting and is not being rude toward you by pulling, jumping, or ignoring commands, then it is not a harmful behavior if she is otherwise very friendly. It's is a mark of her excitement and personality. Because it scares other dog owners away I would suggest working on it though. I suggest teaching her a "Quiet" command and after she has learned that command, take some treats, go to a park with other dogs around - at a distance at first, and practice "Quiet" with her. If she stops barking when you say to - give her a treat. If she looks at another dog and stays quiet - give her a treat. If she in some other way behaves calmly or focuses on you instead of the dogs - give her a treat. You want to reward her for being quiet, for paying attention to you, and for being calm. This will take practice for her to build the amount of self-control she needs to have to stay quiet during an actual interaction so you will have to practice this regularly where there are other dogs around. Just like teaching your dog to "come", you have to work up to your dog being able to do it around distractions too. If she doesn't stop barking, then practice a heel with her to get her attention back on you. Make the heel like a drill-sergent exercise - with lots of turns and changes in pace so that she really has to focus on you. Check out the "Heel" article that I have linked below and follow the "Turns" method for that. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-poodle-to-heel Check out the article that I have linked below and follow the "Quiet" method to teach her what "Quiet" means. Once she knows "Quiet", then practice around distractions, starting with easy distractions like far dogs or people and working up to harder ones like other dogs as she improves. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shih-tzu-puppy-to-not-bark Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
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