I'm getting a puppy & I hate constant barking?? HELP?

Question

How can I discourage excessive barking??? I really need some tips!!!

I am NOT doing anything painful to any dog....I will most likely just walk it a lot (It might help me loose weight!!) & train it well!!! I don't hate barking per se, It's EXCESSIVE barking that I can't stand!!! My Mom had 15 Chihuahuas & I hated them....THEY YAPPED ALL THE TIME!!! Do you guys think that If I walk the dog & train it well that it will be a good dog for the most part???

Answer 1

Dogs that are well exercised and are able to spend time with people don't generally bark constantly, don't bark excessively.. Dogs that are neglected or bored, left to their own, tend to bark alot ....
When you get a dog, discourage barking, don't do things for a dog that is barking, always insist that he is quiet before he gets a walk, gets out of his crate, gets fed, gets a treat etc.. Never reward a dog when he is barking.. Whether it's with a treat or attention.. Keep the dog well exercised.. not just running in the yard, but actual walks.. Teach the dog stuff, either tricks or games, or even basic obedience.. Learning is something that tires a dog out very very quickly. You keep him close and exercised and loved and tired, and barking isn't going to be an issue.
Well, unless you get one of those breeds that are small and tend to be noisy and yacky all the time.. Those things you don't want to suck them up, you don't want to treat them like little people in fur suits.. They need to be raised and treated like dogs or else they turn into yacky neurotic little things that people carry around and dote on... They tend to think that they can do what they please and are allowed to bark cause people think it's cute..

Answer 2

Your dog sounds incredibly nervous and stressed out about being in the car. Has something happened in the car? Did you leave her in there alone while running into the store and perhaps someone scared her? Some thoughts: 1. Either get an airline crate or get a wire crate and cover it with blankets so that she cannot see the outside. Let her rest in the darkened interior. That should cut out some of the stimulation that may be the root cause of the problem. 2. I've heard good things about DAP (dog appeasing pheremone) collars and Bach's Rescue Remedy, which can help to keep dogs a little calmer. 3. I've also heard AMAZING things about the Thundershirt's stress reducing ability. It's a tight shirt that wraps around the dog. It seems silly, but people I know with dogs who are really stressed out have sung its praises. If the problem continues, you could speak to your vet about some sort of medication that may make her calmer in the car. You want to be careful though. Some will just dope her up and not address the emotional issues. So she'll be a mess but too tired to do much about it, which can make the whole thing even MORE stressful for her. Edited to add: To add onto what Joan Jasper said. You can create great associations with the car. I might begin by giving treats for approaching the car, then getting into the car, then for sitting in the car calmly while I sat in the driver's seat, then for sitting in the car calmly while I sit in the driver's seat and shut all the doors, then when I start the car up (but don't move), then when I drive slowly down the driveway and back again, then...well, you get the point. Build up the car as a place where EVERYTHING AWESOME HAPPENS. She gets the best treats in the car. She has the most fun in the car. You could even FEED her in the car. The car becomes a source of super awesomeness so that you destroy all negative associations with it.

Answer 3

The very best thing you can do is to socialize the puppy as much as possible. To socialize the puppy, you need to introduce it to anything and everything as much as possible. Between birth and 4 months your puppys personality is forming. You have only those couple precious months to show him the world is a happy place. A dog that is well socialized will usually bark less, be friendly with adults and children, will not be as likely to be frightened by loud noises, etc.

Take your puppy all over so your puppy is exposed to many different things, smells and situations. Examples of things to expose your puppy to are: people (adults, children and babies), rabbits, cats, dogs, guinea pigs and any other animals, cars, stores, vaccuum cleaners, rain, big boxes, things that make loud noises. Also, take your puppy to the pet stores! Most will let you take the puppy in where the puppy can see tons of people, little animals, kids, strange sounds, etc. You don't have to buy anything, just walk around for 5-10 minutes and repeat several times before the puppy is 4 months old.

Anything you expose your puppy to before 3-4 months of age your puppy will not be bothered by later when it learns how to bark. Since most dogs bark at strange or foreign people and sounds this can be very beneficial to you. It will also teach your puppy to be friendly, confident and unafraid. Please be sure to allow the puppy to sniff and explore these new things. If the puppy seems scared of something new, remove the puppy from the scary person or object and try again later more carefully. If you force your puppy to be around something hes scared of, you will end up reinforcing his fear. Your puppys learning should never be scary. If you're puppy does get scared, don't soothe him or comfort him by petting or talking to him as this will be rewarding the fearful behavior. In time, this will lead to a dog that barks more or is fearful/aggressive.

Also, when your puppy starts to figure out he can bark, DONT encourage it. When they first start barking it is sooo cute! Sounds more like sneezing.

Keep the pup occupied ALL THE TIME. Bored dogs bark a lot. Exercise him daily.

My dogs bark and I recently started clicker training and its wonderful! I would encourage any dog owner to learn how to clicker train. It can be used to teach tricks, go potty on command, stay off furniture, come when called, not beg or jump and much, much more!

Above all else, research the breed before you get it. And research ideas on socializing, clicker training, why dogs bark, etc. No such thing as too informed!

Answer 4

Lots of exercise.
Dogs will bark out of boredom. A thought might be to give your dog a chewy bone or treat to keep him busy, so he won't think about barking all the time due to being bored. I would suggest that you might want to teach your dog a command that will make him stop barking. Every time you hear a loud barking from your dog, just tell him to be quiet and when he stops perhaps give him a doggie treat, or even a hug or pet so he can associate barking with getting a treat. You could also put something in a container that might rattle, marbles, etc. and shake the can every time he excessively barks and tell him to be quiet. When he stops barking be sure to tell him how very proud you are of him and praise him with your voice.
There are anti-barking collars that one might purchase if all else fails.

Answer 5

Well, dogs do bark. After all, it's their only way of letting people hear what they have to say. I'm with you on the barking, it's SO annoying. Walking your dog lots and playing with it will tire it out so that it wont have all that extra energy built up with nothing better to do with it than bark. You could also get a shock collar for it. I know this seems mean but it's really not as evil as it seems. When your dog barks, the little device on his collar will send out a little shock to tell him no. Soon enough he will learn. You can also get the kind that, instead of shocking, will send out a high pitch ringing that only dogs can hear. It's a sound that they extremely dislike, so that will teach him too. I hope everything works out. Good luck with your new puppy! :)

Answer 6

Consider not getting a puppy and instead a retired racing greyhound. They retire at only around 2 years of age or sooner, so they aren't old yet, and your dog will be very thankful to you for saving it from possible euthanasia (which often happens to greyhounds who can't run well anymore). They might need a bit of remedial training, such as house-training, and learning how to walk on stairs (since they've never learned that!!), and they need a medium amount of exercise.

The best thing about them for you is that they almost never bark. I once saw a video of a greyhound convention, and there were over a thousand dogs on a beach jumping and playing, and not one of them barked. It was actually eerie- so quiet. Greyhounds are also calm and make excellent clean house-dogs. Consider adopting one of these instead of a puppy.

Good Luck!!

Answer 7

Why r u getting a puppy if u hate barking, that's what dogs do...bark. If u must have a dog, ur best bet is to get an older dog from a rescue shelter, they can tell u about the dog`s barking habits before u adopt. Getting a puppy gives u no clue as to what its habits will be. Some of the remedies u received here to stop barking is downright animal cruelty.

Answer 8

If you don't like barking, don't get a puppy. End of story. You can train it to bark less, but it depends in part on the dog, and it takes time. If you hate the barking that much, getting a puppy is like ordering a steak when you're a vegetarian. Doesn't make any sense.

Answer 9

You might want 2 keep your dog busy. Dogs bark a lot when they r bored...trust me, I should know, I have a Jack Russell Terrier who barks at anything she sees.

Answer 10

Don't get a puppy. I don't care what breed it is, you can NEVER tell how a puppy will act (just like a baby) just by looking at them. Your best bet is to go with a younger dog-not a teeny puppy- but one who has learned a few rules/tricks already, maybe 10-12 months. That way, they'll have been trained or trained to listen to the owner, so training will be easier for you.