How to Train Your Boston Terrier Dog to Not Bark
Introduction
Nothing beats those 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 driving you up the wall. 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 him not to bark will solve a world of problems. You’ll be able to relax and get an undisturbed nights 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 deterrence measures. You can also train him to be ‘quiet’ on command. This can be a very effective way to silence the 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 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 bits. A water spray bottle and a deterrence collar will be needed for one of the methods. You’ll also need a stockpile of treats or his favorite food broken into small chunks. The more he 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.
Once you have all of that, you just need to bring patience and perhaps some earplugs, then you’re all set!
The ‘Quiet’ Method
The Deterrence Method
The Environment Method
Success Stories and Training Questions
Training Questions and Answers
Lucy
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?
150 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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