How to Control Dog Barking
First thing that you will need to do is find out why your dog is barking excessively.
Some Reasons that they bark are
- They are bored or want someone to play with. Dogs get bored just like we do they desire and need companionship also. They may be just lonely and want you to pet them for a few minutes.
- They could be hungry, they know when meals are usually served and maybe they are just reminding you that it’s dinnertime. Does your dog bark to tell you its time to go outside? Do they want to take a walk?
- If their bank is shriller, or more demanding there may be a serious problem, maybe they are tangled in something or stuck, or maybe there is someone that they don’t know and they are trying to tell you to protect you.
You do want to check on your dog if they are barking and usually don’t bark. See if all their needs are met, spend some time with them and play with them a few minutes. Take them outside to use the bathroom, walk them a little they may just need some exercise.
Dogs are not children; they are most comfortable and are best behaved when they know that you are in charge. A dog has to respect your leadership to be a happy, well-adjusted, and well-behaved pet. Affection and play-times are obviously necessary aspects of life with a dog, but they have to be done on your own terms.
If you give in when your dog barks, say you let them inside the house to keep them from barking then they think they are being rewarded for barking and will continue to bark when they want to come in. To them it was a reward.
Usually to stop them from barking you can call their name and tell them to stop, sometimes this works as they were just checking to see if you were still around and they weren’t abandoned.
If they bark just for attention and keep barking till you stop what your doing to give them attention, or play a game with them they are learning that barking will get them what they want. You don’t want them to learn that. You don’t want to give into them every time that they bark and want to play a game. You don’t want to ignore them every time, but you do once in a while want to ignore them so they don’t think you will play with them every time they bark and they think of it as a reward.
With all aspects of dog training, consistency is very important. You must ensure that you don’t change your mind halfway through your training on anything. You need to be consistent.
Teaching them not to bark
To stop a dog from barking when there is nothing wrong and they just want to bark – give them a second to ‘get it out of their system’. If they doesn’t calm down under her own steam, reach out and clasp her muzzle gently, but firmly, in your hand. They’ll try to shake you off, or back away but you want to keep holding them. This method is successful because it will shock the dog and silence them, and it will show them that you are in charge, you don’t want to hurt your dog when doing this, but you want to be firm enough to show them that you are the pack leader.
Things you can do to help them relax and not bark
You may find that if you exercise your dog regularly and play with them each and everyday that unnecessary barking will cease. Usually when a dog barks for no reason it’s because they are full of energy and have no other way to release it. Try to exercise your dog at least 30 minutes a day and then give them attention throughout the day to keep them happy.
If your dog is bored, spend time with them. You want to interact with them giving lots of attention. If you have to leave your dog alone you want to try to give them attention and exercise when you are at home. If you can get up earlier in the mornings and walk the dog for about 30 minutes they may not bark as much during the day when you are not home. Exercise in the mornings will do you both good and it will get rid of some of the energy that your dog has.
Sometimes all your dog needs is love and attention and exercise to stop the excess barking.
