How to Train Your Small Dog to Stop Barking

Achieve what would seem a miracle, by using the 'quiet' command to interrupt a barking dog and have him fall silent. The idea involves teaching the dog 'bark', giving him a treat, and while he is silent as he eats the treat, hold his nose and say "quiet" then give another treat You are teaching him the absence of barking is silence, and not making a noise is rewarding.

Mad! Get a small dog to bark?! But there is method in the madness because when he's barking you teach him 'bark'. Try standing close to a door and knocking on it behind your back. When the dog starts barking, say "bark", then give him a treat.

Practice getting the dog to bark and rewarding him. When you've repeated this enough times, the dog will start to anticipate what's expected and start to offer a woof on cue, without you making a knocking sound. When this happens, give him lots of praise.

While the dog is eating his 'bark' reward, he can't bark. While he's silent, gently hold his mouth shut and say "quiet". Immediately reward him with another treat.

Keep practicing. The dog will start to offer you behaviors on cue. Once you are confident the dog is getting the hang of things, have him bark and issue the 'quiet' command mid-bark. Congratulations! Your dog now is silent on command

How does setting ground rules stop a dog barking? The answer is that many small dogs bark because of something called "Small dog syndrome." This is where the small dog gets an inflated view of their importance within the hierarchy of the family. This most commonly happens when an owner doesn't realize that small dogs need training and boundaries in exactly the same way as a big dog. While establishing ground rules won't, in itself, stop a small dog barking, it does get the dog listening to you instead of doing his own thing, which is important when training him not to bark.

Start restoring harmony and reversing "small dog syndrome" with some basic obedience training. Using reward-based methods teach the dog 'sit', 'stay', 'down', and recall. Practice for 5 - 10 minutes twice a day. This gets the dog listening to you and knowing that you expect him to obey. This sets a pattern of learning which is going to be immensely helpful when teaching the 'quiet' command.

Start setting boundaries by teaching the dog he doesn't get anything for free and has to work to get rewards. This means simple changes such as giving the 'sit' command ahead of his meal, and not putting the food bowl down until he is sitting.

Hold a family conference and agree on where the dog is and isn't allowed. For example, is he allowed to sit on the furniture and can he go on the beds? Make sure everyone sticks by the same rules (no exceptions) so the dog gets a consistent message.

A dog that is in a physically high location feels superior to a dog in a lower position. Unfortunately, small dogs often get picked up, especially at times when they could be a nuisance such as when visitors call. This gives the dog an elevated sense of his own importance, which can lead to barking to get people to go away. Try to resist the temptation to pick up a small dog in order to control him, and instead, use obedience training to get his co-operation.

A big reason that little dogs get out of hand, especially when it comes to barking, is that they are a law unto themselves. The mistaken belief that a small dog doesn't need the same commitment to training as a large dog is a big mistake to make.

Some small dogs bark at visitors because the dog is fearful of strangers. When you see your dog trembling and shaking, it's natural to want to pet and reassure him. However, this is rewarding his fear. Rather than making the dog feel better, it teaches him there really is something to be worried about and so is likely to make the behavior worse.

Don't shout, because it will make the barking worse. The dog may think you are doing your own version of barking and become encouraged to bark more. If necessary, say "Thank you, Tiny, I have this." Acknowledging you've heard him then gives the dog permission to quiet down.

A common mistake is to distract a barking dog by giving him a chew. At least when he's chewing he's not barking, but unfortunately, the price is too high. Now, he thinks barking is a great way to get a treat...so guess what... the problem just got worse.