My dog braks non-stop. How do I stop this?

Question

I've tried everything from shaking rattles at her to using a device that emits a high pitched tone whenever she barks. Any suggestions on how to stop this?

Answer 1

I have to be honest with you, you can't stop the dog from barking. If you have tried everything, it is just the mentality and the instinct of the dog to bark when feeling any emotion. My best bet is to try to keep your dog as calm as possible and just learn to live with earplugs around.

Answer 2

You don't say the age or the breed or what she is barking at - that info would be helpful. Collies, Shelties, Terriers and toy dogs are the yappiest.

Surgical debarking is much more humane than hitting the dog for this natural behavior. If you live in a noisy apartment, this might be the best option.

If you're willing to do some work and are determined to train him, start by keeping him on a leash tied to your belt all the time. Teach him to sit and stay - at first when it's quiet, then add distractions. Make him sit before he gets fed or petted. Take control.

If he's barking at people because he's afraid, then get him out and socialize him with as many people as you can, so he will see that they are not a threat. Put him on a leash and start inviting a LOT more people to your home. The more he gets used to people coming in, the better he'll be. Teach him not to bark after you give him a command like "hush" or "quiet". Show him that you are secure and in control and he won't feel so worried. Don't worry about ruining him as a watchdog - he'll still defend your property from anyone trying to break in.

If he's barking inside when he sees people passing, then I'd cover your windows with opaque film so he can't look out. If he's barking outside, put up a solid fence instead of chain link so he can't see as much.

If he's barking at everyone he sees while you're out walking, the you need to do some obedience training and get control of him.

If the doorbell rings, he should be allowed to bark for about fifteen seconds or as long as it takes you to get to the door. Pick a new command - a word that he's not already immune to - like STOP! or ENOUGH! Every single bark after that command must be corrected. Don't hold him in your arms - that makes him feel like you've got his back and you approve. Put his little butt on the ground like a real dog. Make him sit and stay at the door - spinning around like a nut is not okay either. Tiny dogs are fragile, so rather than a leash tug, try a spray bottle of water in his face or a squirt of lemon juice in his mouth - find something he just hates. Use a correction word like "ATT!" and repeat your quiet command "STOP!" Ask you friends to come over and help you. They'll probably be delighted to help - they probably hate it as much as you do. Practice for at least fifteen minutes straight, every day for a month or two. Even the most determined yapper will eventually give up. Invite people over more often, so you can practice teaching him how to behave.

Answer 3

You first have to ask why is your dog barking. If you do not know why the dog is barking then try to see if you can figure out what is happening that makes your dog bark. They can bark for may reasons such as boredom, nervousness, fear, loneliness etc. Also you need to look at the breed of the dog. My dog is part Chow so she is very territorial so if left untended she will bark at any thing that walks in front of our house. Once you figure out why the dog is barking then you can better figure out how to stop the barking.

Answer 4

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 5

To stop a dog from barking you must first understand why they bark. Dogs bark to signal to the rest of their pack, (meaning any humans or animals in your household), that they believe there is a potential threat to the safety of the pack. This can be barking at sounds outside that they can not see, strangers walking past your home or yard, visitors coming into your home and even cars driving by outside. One of the main problems with constant barkers is the fact that they believe that they are the “pack leaders”, therefore responsible for the safety of the pack. Not understanding this fact can lead to frustration on your part because to you it seems like your dog may be barking at every little thing for no reason. Barking signals the pack to be on alert. If you are acknowledging this by yelling at your dog or smacking your dog, it will confuse the dog. It sends the signal that you are mad at them for doing the job they feel they were elected to do.
To stop a dog from barking, you must establish to them that you are the pack leader. This takes the responsibility away from your dog and places it on you. Giving you a more calm and relaxed dog. Your dog will still bark when it feels there may be a threat, but all you will have to do is use a signal phrase to stop your dog from barking. This can be anything from, “quiet”, “enough” or even “thank you”. Your dog will come to understand that once he/she has risen the alarm and you say your signal phrase, that you are handling the situation and the dog can relax, thus stopping the barking. I first ask you to read the article: “How to Tell if Your Dog Has a Superiority Complex, and What to Do About It” at http://www.thepetproject.zoomshare.com
Follow the steps of Amichein Bonding laid out in this article. This is the first step you must take to effectively stop your dog from barking. The next step is to establish your signal phrase. Use a word that is easy for the dog to understand. One word that is not associated with any other training your dog has had. Example: If you used the word “stop” in previous training to stop your dog when walking, don’t use it again here.
When your dog starts to bark, say your dogs name, to get their attention so they know you are referring to them, and use your signal phrase. Example: “Fido, quiet”, or “Fido, enough”. If your dog stops barking, praise them and give a food reward. I use food rewards to first introduce new training, however I have come across some dogs that will bark just to get the food reward. So after your dog has gotten the hang of things, you need to drop the food reward to every other time, then to once in a while. Praise will be just as good to the dog as a food reward. If your dog ignores your command and continues to bark, quietly and calmly walk over to your dog. Place one hand gently over your dogs muzzle to close his/her mouth while saying your signal phrase calmly. You must be very calm. If you are agitated or loud your dog will sense that you are upset and believe that there is a real danger to the pack, thus confirming its alarm signal.
Once the dog has stopped barking, reward and praise.
If, however your dog still believes that he/she is the pack leader, your attempts to stop the barking may do no good. The idea that a subordinate is telling the leader to stop what it is doing, only increases dominate behavior. This can lead to, jumping up on you to appear bigger and to look you in the eye, ( a very dominate thing to do), as well as food protectiveness, pulling on the lead and aggressive behavior. It is very important to establish leadership to your dog. This opens the door to easy training.
This will take time and patience, but it will pay off. Your dog will come to understand that it is thanked for the alarm, and the cavalry is here to take over, signaling that his/her work is done. Soon all you will have to say is your signal phrase and your dog will stop barking. Leaving you to a calm and quiet home.
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Answer 6

Give your dog some ice cream. His mouth will be full, so he will stop barking.

Answer 7

keep her occupied with something else?
give her something to chew for instance
she probable doesn bark 24/7... go walk with her or something

Answer 8

spank,say no bark and put her in her crate or doggie kennel for a time out

Answer 9

He is receiving some feedback from you or any member of your family. Change the time you give him food and change his bed often.

Answer 10

barking shock collar