Dog Barking Training Tips
Dog barking can often become a nuisance, especially if you live in a residential neighborhood. Here are some dog barking training tips to help you stop your dog from barking.
Why Dogs Bark
Before you can get your dog to stop barking, it helps to know why dogs bark. Barking is a means of communication for dogs so it’s not surprising that they bark for many different reasons:
- to give a warning or alert
- because they’re lonely or anxious
- to identify themselves or their location
- when they play
- to get attention
- when they’re bored
- when they’re startled
- when they’re frustrated
There will be times when you want your dog to bark. If your house is on fire — your dog should bark! Barking is normal when your dog plays. If your dog’s water bowl is empty, it’s probably not a problem for your dog to give a bark to let you know. And your dog may bark if his favorite toy rolls under your sofa since he may need you to get it for him.
All of these cases are examples where it’s normal and even good for a dog to bark. However, there are times when a dog may bark non-stop at a squirrel in the yard. Or, he may bark because he’s bored. Or, he may bark just to entertain himself. In these cases you will want to be able to tell your dog to be quiet and have the barking stop.
Training Tips
One of the best dog barking training tips is to work on your dog’s socialization. Happy, well-adjusted dogs are less likely to spend their time barking. Take your dog places. Have him meet lots of friendly people. Let him meet other friendly dogs. Let him see lots of different, unusual things. The more things he encounters, the less likely he is to over-react to things when he’s home. He’ll have a “been there, done that” attitude. And that means less barking. Besides, just spending more time out and about with you will make your dog happier.
If your dog is prone to barking then make sure he’s getting plenty of exercise. Many dogs bark because they have excess energy so they mouth off. Take your dog out for a long walk several times each week. See if you can find an enclosed place to take your dog for a good run. Take your dog to a dog park to let him work off some energy playing with other dogs of similar size. If your dog has a chance to get rid of energy he’ll spend more time at home sleeping peacefully. Sleeping dogs do less barking.
Check your dog’s diet, especially the protein and carbs. Are you feeding your dog the right food? If you’re feeding your dog food with enough energy to run the Iditarod then you may be contributing to the problem. Make sure that you are feeding your dog a food appropriate to his lifestyle. Otherwise he may spend that extra energy barking.
Always make sure that you supply your dog with plenty of toys and safe things to chew on when you leave him at home. Leave him with things so he can keep himself entertained. This can help reduce the boredom and cut down on the barking.
Some breeds are more prone to barking than other breeds. If you have a Sheltie or a Beagle, for instance, you can expect a lot of barking. Many small dogs will also bark a lot. Do consider how much a dog barks into consideration before getting a dog. If you have neighbors who will strongly object to a dog that barks a great deal, try to consider getting a dog that will be quieter.