How to wean a dog to bark: advice from experienced dog handlers

Source of the problem

To wean a dog from barking, you must first determine the provoking factor. There may be several reasons:

1. 1. Aggression and anxiety. Negative emotions are manifested by a pet in response to an irritant: it can be a passerby, an unfamiliar guest in the house, suspicious sounds or rustles. If in the latter case, barking indicates that the dog was frightened, then a violent reaction to strangers may indicate the need for socialization of the animal.
2. 2. Joy. With the help of barking, the dog expresses his love for the owner, especially if he praises her for it. The animal tries to please the person, thinking that it gives him pleasant emotions. The owner of the pet should not focus on his arrival, otherwise the dog will subsequently give a voice every time he appears.
3. 3. Activity. If the animal barks at night, this indicates that the dog has not played enough during the day and has not wasted his energy. In this case, it will be long enough to walk with him on the street and give the optimal load so that the dog moves more.
4. 4. Game. The pet gives a voice, being in high spirits. Thus, he shows his enthusiasm and positive emotions. Usually the dog calms down after the game stops.
5. 5. Irritation. Pets, looking out the window, bark at other animals that are in their field of vision. The reason for everything is irritation, because the dog cannot get to the object. In this case, it will be possible to divert his attention with a toy or lower the blinds so that he does not see his “enemy”.
6. 6. Boredom. The animal, not having received proper attention and not having any entertainment, tries to entertain itself on its own. Often this situation can be observed in guard dogs located in a booth in a private house. Idleness forces the pet to constantly bark in the hope that someone will respond to his desperate call for help. The owner is advised to pay more attention to the dog.
7. 7. Fear. If the dog starts barking as soon as the door closes behind the owner, this indicates that the animal is protesting against his absence. This goes on for a long time: the dog barks, standing at the front door, raising his head up, demanding an immediate return. The fault is the fear of loneliness, which can be eradicated by gradual accustoming to the absence of the owner. First you need to leave for 5 minutes, then for 10, 20, gradually increasing the time. A chewing bone, a favorite toy, a quietly turned on radio or TV will help reduce the pet’s stress state. There is no need to focus on your departure and not show violent emotions when you meet – so the animal will get used to the fact that the owner can leave at any time, and this is a normal situation.

If an obedient dog suddenly starts barking for no reason and this continues systematically every day, then you need to pay attention to its health. It is possible that the animal is in pain, and barking is a way to communicate a problem. In this case, it is recommended to take him to the veterinarian for examination.

When the owner pays more attention to other people (especially if children appear) and forgets about the pet, he becomes jealous. This is expressed not only in constant barking, but also in other deviant behavior: the pet gnaws things, shoes, doing everything possible to return the owner’s favor.

If these factors are present in a complex, then the dog needs to be made clear that no one has forgotten about it, to give it the attention to which it is accustomed. If she is jealous of the child, you should let her smell the baby, get to know him. If to other households, it is recommended to give them some of the responsibilities for caring for animals: feed, play, walk. Then the dog will understand that he has nothing to fear, and will gradually get used to other family members.

How to stop a dog from barking?

It is desirable to engage in raising a pet at an early age, since the puppy is much easier to train. As soon as the animal begins to bark for no reason, you should lightly tap it on the nose with your finger. In no case should you take a newspaper, slippers or other foreign object, otherwise the dog may not understand why he is being punished like that. He will definitely not be offended by a light click, but will only understand that it is impossible to “play around” just like that.

Correcting the behavior of an adult dog is difficult, but possible. The advice of dog handlers will help ensure that the pet becomes obedient and does not cause trouble to the owner and others.

Team “Quiet”

The dog must be taught the “Quiet” command. This will allow her to understand when to vote and when not to. After all, a pet does not always bark from harm – sometimes it just wants to please the owner. To make the animal understand the command, you can resort to the following methods:

• during barking, give a warning command “Quiet” and lightly spray water from a spray bottle into the face;
• if the animal does not obey the command, then the spray gun can be replaced with another punishment: put on a muzzle.

The essence of training is timely encouragement and punishment. Only in this way can the pet understand whether he is doing well or badly, and will begin to obey the owner. If the command is carried out, then the dog must be rewarded by giving it a treat.

There is another interesting way to stop barking: light pressure with your thumb and forefinger on the ear. It is advisable to experiment when the animal is in a calm, relaxed state. If the touch does not cause negative emotions, in the future you can use this technique in order to calm the dog and silence him.

During training and education, it is strictly forbidden to shout over the animal. As you raise your voice, the barking will get louder. It is necessary to speak calmly, clearly, evenly and confidently, so that the pet understands the superiority of the owner and listens to him.

In the apartment

It is important to try to wean the pet to react to neighbors, strangers and animals passing by the front closed door, but so that the dog does not lose the hunting instinct at all. To do this, you need to ask one of your friends or household members to ride the elevator and walk around the door, but do not knock or touch it. The dog must be held by the collar and given the command “Quiet”. If he obeys, then you need to reward him with a treat.

When the dog stops responding to the steps of strangers, you can proceed to the next step. The partner behind the door should knock, pull the handle or touch the lock (imitation of breaking). As soon as the pet gives a voice, it needs to be praised and treated with a treat. So the animal will understand that it is necessary to bark only when necessary, when someone wants to get into the apartment purposefully.

If the dog protests against the owner leaving, then it is recommended to do the following: close the door, and if barking is heard, immediately open it and give the command “Quiet”. Close again, wait a few minutes. If the animal begins to voice again, repeat the same steps. If the command does not work on the pet, more strict measures should be taken, for example, spraying water from a spray bottle on the face. Gradually, the time of absence should be increased until the dog realizes his mistake and begins to obey the owner.

In the House

In private households, a pet may bark simply out of boredom. In this case, you need to pay more attention to him, to play. If the animal gives a voice when strangers pass by the fence, then the problem must be eradicated. Otherwise, the owner will stop responding to the constant barking of the dog and will not recognize the appearance of strangers on the site.

The principle of action is simple:

1. 1. The dog must lie a few meters from the fence on exposure, that is, maintaining a pose.
2. 2. Fence helper should walk slowly back and forth.
3. 3. If the pet barked – give the command “Quiet”, if he tried to jump up from his place – make him lie down.
4. 4. The helper should move to a fast pace, but not run.
5. 5. If the dog does not obey – sit down and give the appropriate command. Reward good behavior with treats.

Training should be continued until the pet stops responding to passers-by. When someone knocks on the door and appears in the field of view of the animal, the dog will give a voice. For this, he must be praised and encouraged.

If the pet barks at the neighbor’s dog, then you need to install a partition so that he does not see it. Eliminating the annoying factor will permanently get rid of obsessive barking.

On the street

If the dog barks at everyone during a walk, then you need to try to switch its attention. The fact is that barking at passers-by is a way to demonstrate fearlessness and create the illusion of protecting the owner from strangers. If a person passes by without turning around, the animal has the impression that he was really scared. The dog gradually begins to develop a conditioned reflex to the approach of people: the barking becomes louder, and the behavior becomes aggressive.

In such a situation, you need to try to switch the attention of the pet. It can be a toy, a treat, involvement in the game. The owner needs to do everything possible so that the dog is carried away by another occupation and he does not care about passers-by. Running, jumping or brisk walking with the owner will help distract the animal, prevent it from noticing other people and direct energy only in the right direction.

Sometimes a violent reaction to others indicates poor socialization. Timid and shy dogs feel fear in the crowd, and barking is a reaction to a stressful situation.

If the animal is visibly nervous and begins to behave in an unusual manner, then you should try to gradually introduce it into society. First you need to choose deserted places for a walk. When the animal gets used to the familiar route, you should go a little further, but closer to people. If neighbors have dogs, it is recommended to make friends with them and go on joint walks. Surrounded by familiar people and animals, the pet will feel more confident. Such an adaptation process takes more than one day, but in the end the dog will not be afraid of passers-by.

If the dog barks at cars passing by, you need to sharply pull the leash and give the command “Quiet”, be sure to reward for good behavior after following the instructions. You should not ignore the violent reaction to transport, because one day the dog can jump out onto the road and fall under the wheels of a car. If the animal learns to control its actions, then it will be possible not to worry about its safety.

Alternatives

When the dog is not trainable, you can resort to special devices. These include anti-bark collars, which are divided into 3 types:

1. 1. With electric shock. As soon as the dog starts barking, the sensors are activated and a small amount of current is supplied. Such an impact does not threaten the health of the pet in any way: he feels only a slight tingling, which stops after the animal calms down.
2. 2. Aromatic. The device is made in such a way that in the event of barking, a small amount of liquid with a smell unpleasant for the dog (for example, lemon) splashes out of the collar. Over time, the pet understands that the smell appears only when he gives a voice.
3. 3. With ultrasound. During barking, the collar makes sounds at special frequencies that a person cannot hear. They are extremely unpleasant for the animal, so it falls silent. This device is not suitable for pets with hearing problems.

The effectiveness of such devices is criticized by dog ​​handlers, as they only temporarily eliminate the problem. The dog eventually does not understand what he is doing wrong, without receiving instructions and instructions from the owner. In addition, with prolonged use, the intensity of exposure has to be increased, since the dog gets used to even such an uncomfortable device.

You can pacify the too active and aggressive nature of the animal with the help of nutritional supplements, which include soothing herbs: chamomile, valerian, and sometimes the hormone melatonin, which reduces sexual desire. Medicines are sold in the form of drops and tablets. Before use, consult a veterinarian.

Special devices should be used only in rare cases, since the pet must understand what is the reason for the owner’s dissatisfaction and what exactly he is doing wrong. Constant exposure from the outside with the help of electric shock, ultrasound or unpleasant odors can lead to a breakdown of the nervous system and only aggravate the situation. As a result, the animal will become either aggressive and uncontrollable, or shy and irritable.