How to Stop a Dog from Barking - Dog Training for Behavior Problems

How do you stop your neighbor's dogs from barking?

My neighbor’s dogs will bark at almost anyone that comes to the front gate, whether there are family members, friends, strangers or intruders, the dogs will bark nonstop. It gets really irritating especially when you want a quiet moment. My son will curse and shout back at the dogs when he wants to concentrate on his study.

Problem is it is not one but five dogs!!! We have, however, learnt to live and accept this predicament as our neighbor is an 80 year old lady who practically lives alone, except for the maid and occasional visits by family members. Her children now live overseas, one in England and two in Australia. So the dogs, beside being her friends, are also her guard dogs for security and surveillance. The barking dogs give her comfort and remind her that everything is working fine. This psychological reassurance is important especially to the elderly. I guess when we get old; we may have to resort to some form of psychological reassurance such as this. What will you do when you get old and live alone?

Training a dog can be easy. You may not have to pay for dog training courses. Here are my suggestions to stop that barking dog and how to do dog training for behavior problems.

If you want to have dog, please for heaven’s sake train your dog. Training a dog can be easy but if you want, you can pay for dog training courses. Be a responsible pet owner who cares about peace and quiet in the neighborhood. Sure, dogs are dogs, and they are meant to bark, it’s natural for them to do so. Training your dog to be obedient especially WHEN to bark will not only make your neighbors happy but will definitely be less stressful and embarrassing for you. We also want our dog to learn good habits and not bad habits.

Dog Training

There are several devices on anti-dog barking and dog training courses available on the market ranging from dog collars, CD with ultrasonic sounds, eBooks, videos etc. Before we go to these, let me share with you tips, given by my pet shop owner friend, on how to handle this embarrassing dog barking situation. If you have any tips on how to stop dog barking that’s not listed below and would like to share, feel free to write. So read below tips on how to stop dog barking.

There are several reasons why dog barks. It could be due to sheer excitement, happy, sad, anxiety, danger etc. So the aim is not to stop the dog from barking completely but controlling excessive barking. The following tips do not include any physical punishment like smacking the dog’s nose, no matter how gentle, or spraying the dog with any form of chemicals or water, shouting or yelling as recommended by some people. I for one do not believe in physical pain, no matter how humane, when it comes to training your pet.

So here are the tips on how to stop your dog from barking:

• Do not reward a dog’s barking e.g. if your dog barks excessively, never give him a cuddle or let him in (if he was barking outside) This gives the wrong signal to the dog that it is OK to bark. I guess my neighbor does this all the time.
• Never yell at the dog as the dog may think that barking and yelling are OK.
• When dogs are bored or feel neglected, they bark unnecessarily. Try to keep them occupied and if possible don’t leave them alone too long a period. Also, don’t leave them alone outside all day and night. Giving your dog plenty of exercises (both physically & mentally) is the best way to keep them occupied and they will most likely be too tired to bark from boredom or frustration. It also create that bonding which is important for your dog.
• If you have to leave your dog alone, keep him/her occupied. Give toys especially those that are hollow, that you may fill it up with food, which will serve as a reward. KONG is great for this. It is a nontoxic toy with a hollow center and, you can stuff it with his favorite food. KONG is dishwasher safe, therefore, easily clean.
• Dog barks when the doorbell rings or when the phone rings. To train your dog not to bark when this happens, ask someone to ring the door or your phone on a regular basis for a few days. When it rings, sit quietly and don’t do anything. Continue this process over a few days and your dog will get the message. This may be easier said than done. Yup, and it takes patience and a lot of determination to do this!
• If your dog barks when you return home, ignore him for a while. This may not be easy. You do not want to give him the wrong signal that you acknowledged his barking. Once things are quieten and settled, you may go ahead and cuddle him...but only after you have cuddled your (human) partner. You wouldn't want to give the wrong message to your partner, right?.
• Your dog barks when someone is at the gate. The simplest way is to hide the dog’s vision on to this area, but then dogs have an acute sense of hearing and smell and will definitely know that someone is at the gate despite the ‘blocked vision’ strategy. One of the better ways is to associate that person at the gate with a form of treat so that whenever that person comes, he will bring with him your dog’s favorite food or toy. Of course, you have to buy and supply him your dog's favorite stuff, silly!!!
• Your dog may bark for attention or when he wants something. Ignore his barking and he will soon become frustrated and will stop. You may also tell him to ‘quiet’ in a soft tone and reward him if he responds.
• Sometime we tend to ignore the dog when he is quite. Instead, we should reward him for this behavior. Shower your love and affection when this happen by playing with him, cuddling him and be by his side all the time. Your presence is a form of reward that is easiest to give. The bond between you the master and the dog are an important aspect of training your dog good behavior. Now repeat this procedure with your partner...

Make sure when you follow the above tips, the rest of the family members do the same (except for the obvious one).

You need to be consistent otherwise you will confuse the dog with your dog training method. This is important otherwise it will take longer to train, or it may not even work.

Also, different dog breeds will react differently to each of the above tips.

As I had mentioned earlier, we all want our dog to learn good habits and not bad habits. So a proper dog training program, is essential for success.

Bark training a dog is not easy. It is time consuming and can be frustrating. If you want to learn the fast and easy way to fix your dog’s behavior problems, get a professional help or buy dog training courses. Google for dog training centers, near you, for the professional help. Alternatively check on the website for eBooks and CDs that will take you through these various steps on dog training courses.

Some sites have almost everything you want from dog barking, adopting a puppy, dog obedience training, dog tricks to equipment and downloading of eBooks. Most will have a discussion forum on several issues relating to training your dogs and access to several resources.

Before you choose a dog training course

When choosing a dog training courses, make sure that it has been well tested and, please do a bit of research on feedback from users through forums, blogs etc. We do not want to use training program that inflict pain as part of the conditioning method.

It is best that the training be done directly by the owner and not by a professional trainer. The owner, guided by the professional trainer, will use and enforce the methods. This is important, as consistent command, style and enforcement will expedite the learning curves. Basically a dog, or any animal for that matter, learns through connection/association, repetition and consistency. Consistency can only come from the owner via your body language and voice tone. At the end of the day, you want your dog to be happy and affectionate.

Is electronic dog collars OK?

I personally don’t believe in the CD that emits the ultrasonic sound or the anti-barking electronic dog collars that give out a brief electric shock or collars that emit a spray of citronella mist. I tend to associate them to a punishment device. I think it’s cruel and may give rise to other problems. It definitely should not be your first option.. Besides dogs are smart and they will know how to overcome these restrictions. Your best bet is to try the above training tips, get professional trainers or get the eBook and CD on the proper dog training courses.

By the way, please do not use muzzle to quieten your dogs even when you are around. It restrict their natural instinct of breathing, yawning and of course eating and drinking. Dog pant in order to cool down and with the muzzle it will restrict this movement. If you love your dog, you should not do this at all.

Now that you have read tips and advice on how to stop that barking dog and on dog training for behavior problems, will you do it yourself or get professional help?

Thanks for reading Stop that barking dog. Dog training for Behavior Problems and thanks for voting♥

Links to ASPCA and RSPCA

I have also added links to RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), ASPCA (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) and American Humane Association as further readings. ASPCA has fantastic reference resources not just on dog care but also cat care. They also have sections on Medical Help and Behavior Help including dog barking.