Is your barking dog driving you crazy?
Before calling it bad behavior, consider the possible causes since barking is dogs’ most useful form of vocal communication, and serves a variety of functions.
Reasons Dog Bark
- Territorial Barking: excessive barking in response to people, dogs, or other animals encroaching on their territory.
- Alarm Barking: barking in response to noises and sights. Alarm barking is not limited to defending territory.
- Attention-Seeking Barking: used to gain attention or rewards, like food or playtime.
- Greeting Barking: a bark to say “hello!” Greeting barking is accompanied by relaxed body language and a wagging tail.
- Compulsive Barking: repetitive barking often accompanied by a repetitive movement, such as pacing
- Socially Facilitated Barking: aka “response barking,” when a dog barks excessively only when they hear another dog bark.
- Frustration-Induced Barking: excessive barking in response to a frustrating situation, such as being confined or being separated from other dogs or people
Avoid “rewarding” a dog for inappropriate barking. Don’t run to the door and yell, “Shut up!” Choose an effective punishment, when appropriate. Don’t try to soothe him into being quiet, by petting him and saying, “It’s okay, we’re here.” That is pretty much the same as giving him a dog treat.
Techniques to Stop the Barking
Use sight barriers – Manage the environment, and block your dog’s sightline to potential barking triggers.
The quickest trick to stop barking at the window or in the yard is to manage the environment. Block your dog’s sightline to potential barking triggers.
In the yard, use privacy fencing to restrict views to neighboring yards or the street. Commercial grade privacy screening installs over your existing fence and may be allowed in your rental unit. If you own your home and seek a long-term, attractive option, consider planting privacy hedges to both beautify and bark-proof the yard.
Indoors, leave the curtains or blinds closed, or use spray-on glass coating or removable plastic film that makes windows opaque. This affordable static cling window film allows light to filter in while blocking an blurring sights from outside.
Quiet zone
If your dog barks when you leave the house, set up a safe and quiet place for them away from the front door. Your pet’s quiet zone may include:
- A crate furnished with a cozy bed and privacy cover, or a baby gate to block off other areas
- A stuffed Kong toy or puzzle feeder to keep them busy
- A white noise machine or radio playing to mask exterior sounds and produce soothing soundscapes
If you live in a smaller home and can’t isolate your dog in a room, consider crate-training and using a crate cover that allows plenty of ventilation, while still blocking distractions.
Bark control and anti-stress devices
Thanks to advances in technology and a wider understanding of dog behavior, there are some products on the market that effectively control barking in a gentle, humane way.
Ultrasonic anti-bark birdhouse
Still annoyed by your dogs who have always been super hyper with excessive barking at a car, a person or even a fallen leaf anything you name it at any time? Still trying hard to find a way to save your ears and sanity from hours of yapping of your inconsiderate neighbors’ dogs, yet feel embarrassing to talk to them directly? If yes, this product is for you.
Features:
– Four adjustable ultrasonic volume levels – test, low, medium, and high, with LED battery power level indicator.
– Uses ultrasonic technology to stop barking, more effective and durable. Sensitive microphone isolates and picks up barking up to 50 feet away to stop barking indoors & outdoors.
– Safe and humane method of bark control, suitable for all breeds and sizes of dogs. If the dog is deaf or hearing impaired, he may not react to the bark control.
The PetSafe Spray Anti-Bark Collar gently and immediately conditions your dog to stop barking using a harmless burst of spray. The collar uses a microphone to pick up your dog’s bark, which triggers a harmless burst of spray. The spray distracts your dog from whatever he’s barking at, letting you redirect your dog’s attention. Soft spray stops barking.
ADAPTIL is a clinically proven, drug-free solution that helps your dog feel calmer. ADAPTIL Calm On-The-Go Collar provides “comforting messages” (dog appeasing pheromones) that helps dogs feel calm and relaxed in situations like loud noises (thunderstorms and fireworks), staying alone, traveling or other fearful situations. These odorless messages are only perceived by dogs and provide a strong signal of security and comfort.
A classic, proven anxiety soother, this wrap helps dogs prone to anxiety, over-stimulation, or compulsive barking. It applies gentle, constant pressure to calm anxiety, fear, and over-excitement.
Training
There are lots of tricks and tools you can use to help control your dog’s barking, but all of them are more effective in conjunction with training. A few key commands can help control barking:
- Recall. Useful to call your dog away from barking triggers (like the doorbell ringing, or a neighbor dog outside)
- “Speak.” Yup, training your dog to bark on command can help teach them not to bark at other times, especially when paired with the next command on this list.
- “Settle: or “quiet.” Helps your dog “calm down” on cue. See above video for an adorable example!
- Sit/stay. Useful for keeping your dog otherwise occupied when a barking trigger is nearby. If your dog tends to bark on-leash, have her practice being still and quiet.