Hi, I’m Adrena Wilhelm from Canine Companions for Independence.
Today, we’re going to learn how to teach your dog to stop barking. It may sound nonsensical but to stop your dog from barking. First teach him to bark on command, give your dog the command to speak. Have someone immediately make a noise, such as knocking on the door, that is sure to make your dog bark. Let him bark two or three times then stick a tasty treat in front of his nose. When he stops barking to sniff the treat, praise him and give him the treat. Repeat, until he starts barking as soon as you say speak. Once your dog can reliably bark on command, move on to the quiet command. Teach Your Dog that barking is OK until told to be quiet, simultaneously hold a treat in front of your dog’s nose. Most dogs get quiet immediately because they can’t sniff and lick the treat while barking at the same time. Praise your dog continuously during his quiet time, with petting and words of encouragement. When your dog makes a mistake and barks, and he will reprimand him immediately. Never strike your dog, but do something that will catch his attention such as clapping loudly. As soon as your dog stops barking, you must instantly reward him. If you are still having trouble, then you may need to spend some time working with your dog on specific barking situations.
Here are a few of the more common ones. If your dog is in his crate or confined to a room behind a baby gate or other barrier, he may bark because he wants to be with you. But if that’s not always possible, then you’ll need to train him to stay quiet. Next time he’s barking uncontrollably in his more confined space, try this. Start by turning your back and ignoring him, whenever he stops barking turn and praise him. Give him a treat and make a game of it. As he catches on being quiet, gets him a treat, lengthen the amount of time that he must remain quiet before being rewarded. Dogs that are afraid of other dogs, will often bark at them. Have a friend with a dog stand out of sight far enough away, that you know your dog won’t bark at the other dog. As soon as the friend and dog come into view, start feeding your dog lots of treats. Keep feeding treats until the friend and dog are out of sight. Ask your friend and her dog to gradually walk closer. Don’t try to progress too quickly. It may take days or weeks before your dog can pay attention to you and the treats without barking at the other dog.
When a doorbell rings, your dog alerts you to the presence of an intruder by barking wildly. Once you’ve taught your dog the quiet command, in a calm environment, practice in increasingly distracting situations. Teach your dog to react to the doorbell, by going to a special place and lying quietly while the intruder comes into the house. Start by tossing a treat on his mat and telling him to go to your place. Have him go to his place before you give him the treat. When he’s reliably going to his mat to earn a treat. Up the ante by opening the door while he’s on his mat. If he gets up, close the door immediately. Repeat until he stays on the mat, while the doors open. Then increase the difficulty, by having someone ring the doorbell while your dog is on his mat and reward him if he stays in his place.
Try these techniques to stop your dog from barking. All of them can be successful, but don’t expect miracles overnight. The longer your dog has been practicing the barking behavior, the longer it will take for him to change his ways.
Let’s recap. First, teach your dog to speak or bark on command. Once he has that down, teach him to be quiet on command. Use treats and praise, to help get the desired outcome. And lastly, be patient and consistent in training. Don’t expect overnight changes on behalf of IAMS, I’m Audrina Wilhelm for Howdini. For more information and offers, check out the Web site.