How to Stop a Dog From Barking

Why Do Dogs Bark?

Barking is in the nature of dogs. It is their way of communicating, greatly depending on what situation they are in. But some dogs bark way too much and these can be the possible reasons:

Territorial barking. When an animal, another dog, or a person sets foot on where your furbaby considers his territory, excessive barking can be triggered.

How to stop a dog from barking? Territorial barking is oftentimes driven by being over-protective of what your dog considers as his own. To deal with this, you can:

• Dogs become territorial because of past experiences. For instance, your dog keeps on barking at you for food and you finally give in and toss him a piece. Later, he begins to growl at you when you take food that has fallen onto the floor because he has learned that he is authorized to it and by barking, he'll get to keep it.
• Go back to your dog's basic obedience training to help troubleshoot his territorial barking. You can use the commands he knows, like sit, stay, etc, to help her calm down whenever new people or other pets are in his territory/in your house/touching his things.
• Teach your dog a command that will help him calm down before he goes into a barking frenzy like "Be quiet" or "Settle" until he stops barking. You can begin with this training indoors and slowly transition into an environment with more distractions and threats to his belongings/territory. Your goal is to reinforce a calm behavior on your furbaby.

Barking for attention. Your furbaby may bark too much whenever they want something like food, playing, or getting that treat!

How to stop a dog from barking? Here are methods you can do to deal with this kind of barking:

• Never reward this kind of barking. For instance, your furbaby barks because they want to have your scraps from the dinner table and then you cave, you are teaching him that barking will give him what he wants.
• Find other means for your dog to communicate without barking like teaching him to bang his water bowl whenever he's thirsty, or to ring a bell every time he wants to go out.
• A tired dog won't be seeking your attention as much, so tire him out a few minutes every day. Walk him longer, play fetch a couple more minutes, take the road that is uphill, etc.
• Establish a playing schedule with your furbaby, the same time every day. Maybe you can consider one playtime in the morning and in the evening. This way your dog will be aware that he has some playtime coming and he wouldn't be so desperate for your attention.

Barking out of boredom and loneliness. Your furbaby is a social animal and you leaving the house means his best friend isn't around to hang out with. If he is left alone for quite some time, your dog can easily become sad and bored and will often bark excessively to express that they are not happy with the setup.

This cause of barking can also be associated with separation anxiety. Your furbaby who suffers from separation anxiety will excessively bark, and can also be accompanied by destructive behaviors like excessive chewing, pacing, and depression. For furbabies experiencing separation anxiety, you can manage it in many ways here.

How to stop a dog from barking? If your furbaby barks excessively when he's left alone, you should provide activities or a safe chew toy for him to avoid getting bored. Sometimes your pup just wants to hear noise, turning on the radio throughout the day could assist with this. Also, you could provide him companionship like a pet sitter or another furbaby that will keep him company.

Barking out of fear and alarm. A number of dogs bark at things, people, and animals that startle, threaten or alarm them. This cause of excessive barking can happen anywhere at any given time.

How to stop a dog from barking? You can help your dog overcome this by exposing him more to social settings and socializing him more often. Dogs who are easily alarmed or threatened are mostly dogs who have poor social settings experiences. This is a process, so be patient with your pup. Just know the more social setting interactions with you correcting behavior can pay off.

Barking when excited. Dogs are social animals and when they obviously can't contain their excitement any longer, their way is by barking. This happens when meeting new dogs, new people, greetings, playtimes, walks at the park, etc. Excessive barking accompanied by some jumping and tail-wagging is a happy bark! But it is still a behavior that can be corrected.

How to stop a dog from barking? Though it is a happy bark, your dog must learn how to be able to control his excitement and still be able to behave properly. Training your dog for this will take time but remember that manners and proper behavior are very important. Methods you can try:

• When inside your house, one way you can train your dog to control his barking whenever guests or family members arrive is to instruct him to go to a specific spot in the house. Command him to stay there whenever the door opens. Practice this daily and reward & praise him for every job well done.
• If your dog begins to bark excessively whenever he sees you pick up the leash, drop the leash and wait for him to keep quiet. If you successfully placed the leash on him and he manages to bark again by the time you head out, go back inside immediately. Keep repeating these steps until your dog learns to keep quiet.
• You can also give your furbaby his favorite toy or chew whenever he gets excited about something. Holding it will help him calm down and will minimize barks as his mouth is preoccupied. This is only a temporary solution but this will help you slowly gain control over his excessive barking.

Other Ways to Manage Excessive Barking

Getting your dog to bark less does not happen overnight. It will take practice, hard work, and a lot of your time. But all these can be done if you are using the proper ways to minimize his excessive barking.

Here are some few things to remember:

• Do not shout at your furbaby. Shouting at him will only make him think you're joining his barking, too! Speak firm but in a calm manner.
• Most dogs don’t know what you mean when you say "Shut up" or "Quiet". Pick a command word you want to use that is specific for that action and train your dog to stop barking whenever you call out the command.
• A tired dog is definitely a more quiet dog and one that is less likely to bark out of boredom or frustration. So one effective way to minimize your furbaby's excessive barking is to keep him busy and tire him out. Activities you can consider can be playing fetch, taking a long walk or jog around the park, swimming, etc.
• Sometimes, your dog's excessive barking can be caused by medical problems. It's always a must to have your furbaby checked by your vet regularly so a proper diagnosis can be made.
• Keep your furbaby busy. Providing him with antler chews that will keep him mentally active and occupied, putting barking at the back of his mind.

How Pet Parents® Gnawtlers® Can Help

Pet Parents® Gnawtlers® are premium antler chews sourced right here in the United States and are jampacked with calcium, phosphorus, manganese & zinc. They provide a delicious treat that keeps your furbaby busy and safe from the digestive issues associated with other chew options like rubber and plastic chews. Gnawtlers® are natural and safe chews, lasts a long time (from weeks to months!), odorless, nutritious, and has no artificial ingredients added to make it appealing to dogs.