Every dog barks. This is their way of communicating their message. The only problem is that their vocabulary is limited to one word “woof.” They do this as a way of greeting a stranger, seeking attention, raising an alarm, expressing boredom, showing their excitement. While some forms of barking are justifiable, too much of it can be irritating, more so to your neighbors. Therefore, while trying to figure out how to stop dogs from barking, you need to begin by understanding why your canine is racketing in the first place.
Dogs, like people, have to communicate. They too have feelings and responses like humans. Therefore, the secret to how to stop dogs from barking lies in getting into your canines’ little world in order to tune yourself into their thinking and feelings. Unlike humans, these canines have a very limited outlook towards life.
This makes them very easy to train, if you know how to. You can either use anti barking devices or simple techniques to train your dog to stop barking. Here are four simple strategies that you can use to train your canine against unsolicited barks.
Rewarding silence
When your canine is barking outside, do not just shower him with bribes, teasing and asking him to be quiet. He will treat this no different from a fun game. Instead, try to distract him with some noise and wait until you have won his attention. Once you have his full attention, reward him. When you do this several times, your dog will get to learn that there is a reward for shutting up.
Barking at visitors
Do not let your canine greet visitors at the door. The best idea would be to have a tub of treats near the front door. Ask your visitors to ignore the dog for the first few minutes when they enter the house. Let the dog examine the visitor at his own pace without bothering him. Once the dog is comfortable with your visitor, let the visitor reward him. If he begins to bark, remove him from the room until he gets quiet. Repeat this every time a visitor comes to your home. Before long, your canine will be trained to believe that visitors mean gifts.
Meeting out and about
Like people, dogs love their personal space. Therefore, when you meet people when taking a walk with your dog, make sure that they keep distant until your dog is comfortable with them. If a dog’s space is invaded, he will either bark, fear or run away. Do not force your dog to meet new people. In addition, carry some treats around in order to reward your dog for every good behaviour.
How to stop dogs from barking at night
Just like people, some dogs can be afraid of being in dark places hence they will respond by barking throughout. You can stop such dogs from this kind of behavior by making them feel safe and comfortable. You can have a small night light as well as a radio on in the dog’s room. This way, he will still feel safe and think that someone is in the room with him.
Using anti barking devices to stop dogs from barking
One of the most effective ways of dealing with excessive dog barks is to invest in anti barking devices. Some of these devices include dog barking collars. There are various types of dog barking collars out there. Therefore, before buying any collar, you need to be sure that it is right for your dog. Whether you are shopping for bark collars for small dogs or standard canine barking collars, here is a checklist that you should use when choosing the right device.
- Is it safe?
- Is it humane?
- Is it affordable?
- Is it reliable?
- Is it effective?
You need a canine barking collar that will not only stop your dog from barking but also train it against other unwanted behaviors like digging, chewing, running away and not responding to calls among others.
While trying to figure out how to stop dogs from barking, you should first establish why your dog is barking. With this knowledge you can either use anti barking devices or simple techniques to train your dog against barking. Remember, you should only use these devices as part of your dog’s training tools rather than a substitute for your lack of care. In addition, you need to investigate the merits and demerits of the device before using it on your dog.