Is it safe to use a muzzle (for training) on a 6 month old puppy who will not stop barking constantly?

Question

My puppy is a male American Eskimo. I have two other Eskies but they never barked as bad as Storm does. He keeps us up all night whether he is outside in the kennel or inside in his crate. We try tp keep him inside but he disturbs us so much that we end up taking him outside.
He is healthy and well fed he just wants constant attention,I guess.

His crate is in our bedroom with us where he can see us.

Answer 1

A muzzle is not an effective tool for a barking dog. If neighbors are complaining get a good quality electric collar.

With few exceptions, all dogs bark. Barking is a natural behaviour and it is a way of communicating. While the messages can range from loneliness to hunger or playfulness, most often barking is used as an alarm or alert signal that indicates to the other pack members that a stranger or intruder is approaching

Most people have a feeling of security and comfort knowing their dogs are “on the job”. Some people even encourage their dogs to bark and growl when the doorbell rings or someone knocks. They feel this is acceptable behaviour, however, when the dogs become uncontrollable, with barking that is excessive, they become a nuisance. Life is miserable for neighbours who must listen day after day to barking dogs.
Excessive barking often begins in puppy-hood, when the pup who is not yet house-trained is unwisely shut behind closed doors. Improper confinement will definitely cause a barking problem, and dogs that are tied or tethered will eventually become frustrated and begin to bark to communicate their displeasure. We must always remember that dogs are pack animals. It is not natural or normal for them to be alone, however, millions of dogs must learn to cope confidently while members of the family go out daily to work.

Chewing, uncontrolled barking, house-training problems and destructive behaviour have put many dogs out of their homes, and all of this could be avoided if we simply communicated more effectively with our canine companions. They are part of a pack or family, similar in behaviour to their ancestors, the wolves. Wolves travel, hunt, sleep and eat in a group environment, therefore, we must modify this instinct. We must, in our human packs, make our dogs feel comfortable and secure about being alone in the “den” while the other pack members are away.

Because most barking takes place when you are away from home, you have no choice but to believe your neighbours when they complain.

Barking is actually quite common and not that difficult to rectify. Let us consider the encouraging owner who inadvertently praises and teaches his or her dog that its barking is the greatest thing, which makes the dog feel its owner is happy and pleased when he barks.

The easiest way to teach the dog to bark is command him to “speak”. So while the dog is barking at the door, the owner may use the command word “speak”. The dog will associate barking behaviour with this word. Now, your golden moment has arrived. You are going to teach your dog the word “quiet”, or “enough” or “shush” (your choice!). We do not teach the word “No”, because “No” means “Never, ever do that - ever".

When you command your dog to be “Quiet” and he keeps barking, you will have to teach him the meaning of the word “Quiet”. Hitting your dog or using other physical measure or mechanical or electronic aids are unkind and unnecessary. You may hold your dog’s muzzle closed (gently and kindly), or you may have to use a water pistol. Another method is to make a sudden sharp sound (rattle a pop can with some coins in it, or bang on a pot) to divert your dog’s attention from barking. When your dog has ceased to bark for at least three to five seconds, praise him in a quiet, calm voice, perhaps saying, “Good, quiet. Good!”. Avoid stroking, patting and hugging your dog at this point, as you may over-excite him again, and he may miss the point of the whole exercise.

Before you leave your dog alone, remember the following points:

Provide adequate exercise.

Leave the radio or television on.

Provide your dog with proper chewing material - rawhide, nylabones and Kong toys stuffed with yummy stuff are good (beware of using real animal bones - they can splinter).

Crate train your dog.

Unplug your phone.

Place a “Do Not Disturb” sign on your door. This may prevent trades people from knocking or ringing the bell, which would set your dog off on a barking cycle.

Shut the shades or drapes so your dog cannot see outside.

Make your departures calm. Tone things down and be matter of fact. Over-emotional, guilt-ridden departures (and entrances) put your dog in a state of anxiety.

Answer 2

Eskies are barkers. It is one of the traits of the breed.
A muzzle will not stop the barking thing and is not really for barking.
Have you tired either a bark collar like one that sprays the citronella or and electric shock type? They also make an electronic one the emits a sound that the dogs does not like and is supposed to stop barking.
One of these would be a better option than a muzzle. As they work on the problem of the barking and not just covering up the mouth. Muzzles are best used for biting and fighting with other dogs and things like that.

Answer 3

It is probably not a good idea to use a muzzle for that purpose. There are several different options for you to look into. For instance, there are bark collars. Ones that use electric stimulation, ones that use audible stimulation, and ones that use an olfactory stimulation ( by use of a citronella spray to deter the dog by a non-preferred smell). There are a couple of good companies that make these such as INNOTEK and PETSAFE. The collars are good because of their instant negative reinforcement for the barking. Because as humans, we can tend to be slow in responding and by that time the dog already forgot what he/she just did. In this case the dog is instantly told that the barking is a bad thing and learns that the negative stimulation doesn't happen if he/she doesn't bark.
Any of your local pet stores should also be able to tell you more about these products. In our pet store we have carried both the INNOTEK and the PETSAFE brands, and have been very pleased. Check out the web sites below. It is always good to be informed about products, so you feel comfortable using them and can use them properly.

Answer 4

You really need to take this puppy to obedience school. It is so very much worth the time and effort. And they will teach you how to train your dog when to bark and when not to, among many other things.

It is very frustrating when they bark like that but you have to do something that willl work, and stick with it. You have gotten some really great advice here from a couple of people..

Where do you keep your pup in the house when he is in the crate? I will bet in another room.. Put his crate next to your bed and when he starts to bark, tap the crate and say "shhh".. This may take a few nights, so wear ear plugs. This does work, I have trained all of my pups/dogs this way.

You cannot subsitute good training with a muzzle or a shock collar. I use the shock collar once in awhile on my male he only gets barky when one of my girls is in heat..It doesn't hurt them.. But you must train them and not depend on the collar because it alone will not train him to not bark.

Good luck..

Answer 5

You may find he will become upset and antagonised and try to get it off. They are pretty smart. He is only 6 months old and has a different temperament than the other two. He needs to be handled differently. Maybe he doesnt like the crate and wants to be near you. Try that and see how it goes. By the sounds of it he is a very immature puppy so I wouldnt be too harsh on him. Try some warm milk of a night - spoil him a little. Cuddle him to sleep or something and be patient with him. I would observe him with the muzzle though and make sure he doesnt get distressed. Be patient. As he matures he will improve and probably be totally different to your other two. His name sounds like it fits by the way.

Answer 6

yea but only use it at night! He still needs to eat during the day so take it of during the day and at night keep him inside in his crate with the muzzle on! We did the same thing to my dog who is a American Eskimo! She learnt to not bark when she is in the crate! Dont get up with the puppy if she starts to wine or anything! goodluck

Answer 7

i wouldn't use the muzzle...i don't like them.
i would give him something to do at night.
we always make sure our pup has some toys or bones in his crate at night. this way, if he is bored, then he can chew a bone.

also, try a spray bottle filed with water. anytime he barks, just spray him. he won't like it and therefore won't bark. the more this happens while you're awake, the more it will affect his behavior at night.
if he likes the water 9not sure if eskimos are water dogs or not....then i'm not sure what to tell you, but i just really don't think muzzles are nice.

take care.

Answer 8

Hi, I understand that you are looking for some advice or resources to help fully train your dog or fix behavior problems. If a professional dog trainer is not an option at this time, or if you want to trt training your dog on your own (a great way to bond), I'd suggest you https://bitly.im/aL0j0

A friend recommened it to me a few years ago, and I was amazed how quickly it worked, which is why I recommend it to others. The dog training academy also has as an excellent home training course.

Answer 9

No need to muzzle him. Training your dog to bark on command has another hidden feature - you can also train her to stop barking on command.


Steps:
1. Hold a particular toy, such as a ball or squeak toy that causes your dog to bark. Give the command BARK or SPEAK.

2. When your dog barks say, GOOD.

3. Give him the toy or food as a reward and praise him.

4. Repeat steps 1 through 3 until your dog understands the command to bark.

5. When your dog understands the command, command him to bark.

6. After three barks say, QUIET or SILENCE or any other word(s) to command him not to bark. Praise and reward him with the toy.

7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 until he understands the command.

8. Instead of using a toy, have someone knock on the door and repeat steps 2 through 7, rewarding him with praise and affection when he succeeds.


Warnings:
Give unlimited praise when dog succeeds, every step of the way.

Answer 10

I haven't seen a muzzle yet that stops a dog from barking. They can bark with the mouth shut you know.
Try crating him in the BEDROOM.