He’s everything you hoped he would be. He’s good-natured, playful, loyal, and full of life. Your kids love playing around with him and you love snuggling up with him on the sofa in the evenings. He also loves seeing and meeting other dogs, which means you can your best bud out for walks with other dog-owning friends. However, he does have one rather annoying habit. He always barks out the window. It started off being quite amusing, but now it’s relentless. It would be great to channel all that energy into something more productive.
So, training him to not to bark out the window will bring you some much-needed peace and quiet. It will also prevent the barking developing into anything worse, such as biting. Not to mention that it might save the quickly souring relations with neighbors who are fed up with the noise.
Training a dog not to use his voice once he’s found it isn’t always straightforward. You will first need to look at the underlying cause of the barking. For example, is he scared? You will then need to take a number of steps to deter him from barking in the first place. Once you have done that, you can start looking at more productive avenues to channel his energy into. Successful training will also require an effective incentive. If he’s like most dogs, food or a favorite toy should do the trick.
If he’s a puppy he should be receptive and the habit relatively new. You could see results in just a week or two. If he’s older and this habit has cemented over many years, then you may need up to six weeks. Succeed and you will have the calm, friendly, and quiet dog you fell in love with.
Before you start training, you will need to collect several bits. Something to cover the windows, a water spray bottle, and a deterrence collar will be required for one of the methods. You will also need some toys, food puzzles and a decent supply of treats. Alternatively, you can break his favourite food into small pieces.
Set aside 10 minutes each day for training, at a time where you and he won’t be distracted by a noisy household.
Once you have all that, just bring patience and a pro-active attitude, then work can begin!
How do I stop him from snapping, nipping & jumping
Hello Frances, That depends on whether the behaviors are just excitement based and rude, and not aggression, or aggression. If the issue is aggression, it's time to hire a professional trainer to help you in person. If the issue is simply over-excitement, check out the articles linked below. I wouldn't tackle this on your own without proper safety measures like a basket muzzle in place if aggression is an issue - which could be what's going on. Jumping: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-australian-shepherds-to-not-jump Leave It method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shih-tzu-puppy-to-not-bite If the issue is over-excitement only, then working on commands that increase self-control in general can also help, such as Heel, Down-Stay, and Place: Thresholds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-w28C2g68M Out - which means leave the area: https://www.petful.com/behaviors/how-to-teach-a-dog-the-out-command/ Leave It method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shih-tzu-puppy-to-not-bite Quiet method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shih-tzu-puppy-to-not-bark Place command: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O75dyWITP1s Down-Stay: https://www.thelabradorsite.com/train-your-labrador-to-lie-down-and-stay/ Heel- Turns method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-poodle-to-heel Come - Reel in method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-whippet-to-recall Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
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