Stopping Your Dog From Barking

For those of you who are working on the best way to housebreak a puppy, barking can be tough. Are you bothered by your dog’s constant barking?  Learning to control your dog’s barking is challenging, regardless of the breed you own.  Different breeds have different reasons for starting to fuss.  If you can determine the reason your dog’s barking is out of control it will help you teach your dog to control the barking and to bark when necessary, not at every little thing they see or hear.

Some people don’t mind constant barking, but many others do.  Sometimes the fact is that you have dog that just barks too much.  While it is important to remember your dog is using his or her bark to communicate with their owner and other dogs, constant barking is unnecessary.  Just don’t go too far and try to stop your dog from barking completely.  It’s completely appropriate for dogs to bark at some times.  

One way to avoid excessive barking issues is by not choosing a dog that is known as a big barker.  A dog’s breed and purpose is often a huge factor in its barking habits.  Dogs bred to protect their owners will bark more than those bred as family pets.  Dogs bred for hunting may also tend to bark and even howl more than other breeds.  You cannot always predict a dog’s barking behavior by its breed, but knowing the tendency of a breed to bark is important before you choose a dog.  

Your dog may try to teach you to respond when she barks.  For example, she may drop a ball in your lap and expect you to jump up and come outside to play.  You can help control the barking by only getting up after she is quiet.  Train her to understand that you will not reward constant, unnecessary barking.  Consider this before you buy a citronella dog collar.  

As we said, dogs communicate by barking, so allow them to bark.  When barking continues too long, however, reach out and gently claps the dog’s muzzle shut.  Keep your grasp firm, but gentle.  Do not hurt the dog.  It is likely that she will try to wriggle away from your grasp.  At this point, use your other hand to hold her gently, but firmly by the collar.  

You may be able to figure out why your dog is barking on your own, but sometimes it requires outside help to figure out why your dog will not stop barking.  Don’t feel awkward about asking for help.  I did and it worked.  My dog no longer barks all the time at every noise she hears.