How to Train Your Dog to Stop Barking
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Introduction
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.
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Defining Tasks
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.
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Getting Started
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.
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The "Quiet" Command Method
Most Recommended
4 Votes
Most Recommended
4 Votes
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
Effective
2 Votes
Effective
2 Votes
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
Least Recommended
2 Votes
Least Recommended
2 Votes
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
Jefe
Great Pyrenees
Thirteen Weeks
Question
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
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
Ryker
Mix
Five Months
Question
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
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