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There's nothing guaranteed to annoy the neighbors more than a constantly barking dog. And they're not alone – after all, you and your family have to deal with the constant sudden outbursts of noise, too. A dog that barks at the drop of the hat is a noisy nuisance. Whether it's yapping or deep, throaty woofs, a dog that doesn't know how to be quiet could get you in trouble with the landlord if you are a renter, or simply destroy the peace of your home.
When your pup begins a tulmultuous tirade of barking, the chances are you shout at the dog to be quiet. Unfortunately, this is the wrong thing to do. Your attention accidentally rewards the noise, and your furry companion may even interpret your shouts as an inept attempt at barking...with the result they get more excited and the noise level rises.
How to stop your dog from barking? Let's learn how to teach the sound of silence.
How do you teach a dog to 'not do' something, especially when giving them attention risks rewarding the undesirable action? Simple! You ignore the bad behavior and praise the good. OK, so it's not that simple, but the idea is to reward 'silence' rather than barking. To stop barking, teach the "Quiet" command. The aim is to have your best buddy understand the word "Quiet" and realize that they are rewarded when silent.
Be aware that barking can be triggered for a whole variety of reasons, from boredom to protecting territory. Your dog may feel they are not getting the attention they want or may like to bark excessively as a way of saying hello. As well as teaching the "Quiet" command, be sure to address underlying issues by providing plenty of exercise and mental stimulation for your dog. A content dog is a happy one, leading to more rest and less need to jump at every sound. Remember, some breeds are more prone to barking than others as well.
How quickly your dog learns the command, depends on how quick they are to learn, how consistently you apply the rules, and how ingrained their barking habit is. Truly, this is a case of prevention is better than cure, and for puppies, it's great to follow the method of not rewarding barking so they don't develop a barking habit in the first instance.
You will need:
- Super scrumptious, utterly irresistible treats
- Patience
It's also helpful to minimize the opportunities for your dog to bark while you are re-educating them. This can be as simple as blocking the view from a particular window, so they can't see people in the street, or putting your dog in a back room when visitors call at the front door.
Above all, be prepared to be patient. Barking is a rewarding activity in itself, so it's going to take a while to break the habit. And also know that training will go so much better if all family members know and apply the same rules.
The "Quiet" Command Method
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Most Recommended
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Put barking on cue
Yes, that's right. Get your dog to bark. You might do this by knocking on a wall so they make an experimental 'Woof'.
Label this as "Bark"
At the same time they woof, say the command "Bark" and praise them with a pleasing voice.
Now label the silence as "Quiet"
You knocked on a wall or the floor and the dog barked, then looked at you like you're crazy. Take advantage of that puzzled silence and say "Quiet", then toss them a treat. This shows them the opposite of bark is quiet, and the action gets rewarded.
Practice, practice, practice!
Don't try to interrupt a full stream bark until your buddy has the hang of "Quiet" in a controlled situation. Keep practicing every day – ideally go for two to three sessions a day.
The Stop Rewarding Method
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Effective
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Analyze how you react when your pup barks
Do you give a treat in order to distract the dog from the door when visitors call? STOP! That treat says to your dog, "Well done for barking, here is your reward." Do you shout at your pup? STOP. In dog language, you're making a poor attempt at joining in.
Anticipate and avoid
Know what's likely to set your dog off and avoid those situations. For example, if they bark at the street from the living room window, then put a frosted adhesive covering over the lower glass to block their view or keep the curtains pulled when you are out.
Act appropriately
If the dog barks, then either ignore them completely (hence removing your attention) or without speaking, put their leash on, lead them to another room and leave them alone. The message being that when they bark, they end up on their own.
Train ahead
Teach your companion a command which requires them to take an action other than barking. This could be fetching a ball (Clever, this one, as their mouth is now full) or to go and lie on their mat.
The Displacement Activity Method
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Least Recommended
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Choose a spot
Start by training in a quiet room. Place a mat in a spot away from the window or door where the barking happens.
Introduce the command
Throw a treat onto the mat and tell your dog "Go to your mat". Praise them when they go to snaffle up the treat.
Teach "stay"
Have them stay on the mat by teaching the "Stay" command. Be consistent and patient.
Increase difficulty
Now add in a level of distraction, such as having them in a different room to the mat, then telling them to go there.
Add barking
Once they are reliably carrying out this action, trigger a low level of barking and then command them to go to the mat. You can then reward their good behavior and diffuse the barking situation.
Written by James Barra
Veterinary reviewed by:
Published: 09/20/2017, edited: 01/08/2021
Training Questions and Answers
I have sibling GP and we have 40 acres. Currently they are on our covered porch at night and are free during the day integrating with the goats and chickens, at a distance. They are growing rapidly and have a tendency to not wait until 7’a.m to be let out and are starting to bark when being put up in the evening. At what age do you think it’s safe for them to not be enclosed at night. We do have coyotes at times?
Oct. 9, 2023
Jefe's Owner
Caitlin Crittenden - Dog Trainer
1128 Dog owners recommended
Hello, Do you have a way of providing protected shelter for the dogs closer to the livestock, so they can bark and feel they are protecting the animals but not risk being attacked by coyotes before they are large enough to hold their own. Often puppies of this age will sleep in an enclosed barn with livestock. With chickens and goats, I am guessing there isn't a safe way to do that though. The barking could be related to normal puppy behavior of not wanting to be confined and feeling left out, but with their breed and a few weeks of bonding with the other animals, there is also a good chance that some early instincts are kicking in and they are feeling the need to be with family and adjusting to a schedule of being most alert at dawn and dusk to prepare them for their future duties, not to mention hearing coyotes in the distance that they are reacting too. I would see if you can create a safe shelter for them closer to the livestock, but I wouldn't let them be loose until they are large enough to protect themselves from a coyote. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
Nov. 17, 2023
Our puppy is a cattle dog and husky mix so when he barks it's a SHRIEK bark and echoes. He is incredibly friendly but the loud barking scares kids away from wanting to say hi. We tried walking him away but he keeps barking. We want him to say hi to more dogs and people but need to teach him not to bark and jump on people especially when he's full grown.
June 4, 2023
Ryker's Owner
Caitlin Crittenden - Dog Trainer
1128 Dog owners recommended
Hello, First, I recommend teaching the Quiet command. Check out the Quiet method from the article I have linked below. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shih-tzu-puppy-to-not-bark Check out this barking series, and especially the video on barking at strangers. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAA4pob0Wl0W2agO7frSjia1hG85IyA6a Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
June 6, 2023
Hi, we recently adopted 19month old Cavapoo Charlie. When we take him out for a walk with our Labrador Milly, he will start barking randomly and when he sees another dog. He used to do this on walks when he was by himself, however we’ve trained him and he’s gotten a lot better. We’ve tried the same training when we are out with both dogs, and it has improved slightly, but not as much. Do you have any advice on how we can train him? Thanks.
Dec. 6, 2022
Charlie's Owner
Caitlin Crittenden - Dog Trainer
1128 Dog owners recommended
Hello, There are a few reasons for a dog barking at other dogs on a walk. Pup may be nervous and fearful, in which case the underlying lack of confidence and fearful association with other dogs also needs to be addressed. This is generally done using counter conditioning. Check out the video I have linked below for how to do that. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JY7JrteQBOQ Another reason for the barking is pup becoming overly aroused, which is generally addressed with structured obedience to help pup learn self-control and to condition a calmer response, and respect building for you. Check out the following resources for commands and structure to work on with pup. Thresholds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-w28C2g68M Heel article - The turns method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-poodle-to-heel Heel Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTiKVc4ZZWo Reactive dog - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XY8s_MlqDNE Severely aggressive dog – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfiDe0GNnLQ&t=259s A third reason why pup may be barking would simply be that pup find the act of barking itself fun. Barking is a self-rewarding behavior due the chemicals released in a dog's brain while they bark, that can make the dog feel a certain way and feed into even more barking. When pup is barking for the fun of barking and getting aroused, I recommend interrupting the barking, while rewarding quiet instead. First, you need a way to communicate with him so I suggest teaching the Quiet command from the Quiet method in the article I have linked below - don't expect this alone to work but it will be part of the puzzle for what I will suggest next. Regardless of which reason pup is barking, I would actually teach pup Quiet in general, simply to increase the communication between you and pup. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shih-tzu-puppy-to-not-bark Next, once pup understands what Quiet means you will choose an interrupter - neither too harsh nor ineffective. A Pet Convincer is one example of an interrupter. A pet convincer is a small canister of pressurized, unscented air that you can spray a quick puff of at the dog's side to surprise them enough to help them calm back down. (Don't use citronella and avoid spraying in the face!). In situations where you know pup will bark or is already barking (catch them before they bark if you can), command "Quiet". If they obey, reward with a treat and very calm praise. If they bark anyway or continue to bark, say "Ah Ah" firmly but calmly and give a brief correction. Repeat the correction each time they bark until you get a brief pause in the barking. When they pause, praise and reward then. The combination of communication, correction, and rewarding - with the "Ah Ah" and praise to mark their good and bad behavior with the right timing, is very important. Once pup is calmer in general after the initial training, practice exposing him a lot to the things that trigger the barking normally (make a list - even if it's long). Whenever he DOESN'T bark around something that he normally would have, calmly praise and reward him to continue the desensitization process. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
Dec. 6, 2022