How to Get Dogs to Not Bark

A barking dog is exactly what you need when an intruder enters your home. But when your dog barks at every person who dares to walk by, it becomes a problem. Through positive reinforcement, you can help stop this irritating behavior. Yelling at your dog for barking is not only ineffective, it also can reinforce the behavior, making it worse than before.

Things You'll Need

  • Treats
  • Crate
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Instructions

  1. Incompatible Behavior

    • 1

      Teach your dog a behavior that is incompatible with barking, such as sitting. Hold a treat in your hand above the dog's head, then slowly move your hand back toward the dog's rear end. As your dog's nose follows the treat, its bottom should sink to the ground. Give the treat as soon as the dog sits to reinforce the behavior.

    • 2

      Ask your dog to sit whenever something happens that might trigger a barking attack, such as the doorbell ringing. Praise your dog for sitting calmly next to you.

    • 3

      Ask a friend or neighbor to help you with your training. If the doorbell is the problem, have your friend ring the doorbell so you can practice the incompatible behavior with your dog. If your dog barks for territorial reasons, ask your neighbor to walk by the house while you distract your dog and praise it for calm behavior.

    Ignore

    • 4

      Ignore your dog if it starts barking to get your attention. Telling it "no" or shouting only reinforcing the undesirable behavior.

    • 5

      Crate your dog for a "timeout" if simple ignoring doesn't work. The dog might bark at first when you crate it, but turn your back on the crate or leave the room.

    • 6

      Release your dog from the crate only when it is quiet. This can happen after a few seconds; you want to reinforce the idea that barking equals no attention, and being quiet makes good things happen.

    Teach "Speak" and "Quiet"

    • 7

      Load your pockets with tasty training treats. Tell your dog to "speak," then have someone ring the doorbell or anything else that prompts your dog to bark. Reward the dog for barking and say "good speak." Repeat this several times a day in short sessions until your dog understands the command "speak."

    • 8

      Teach your dog the "quiet" command. Head to a room with no distractions, such as the bathroom. Tell your dog to "speak," then immediately say "quiet" and stick a treat in front of its nose. When your dog stops barking, give it the treat and praise it.

    • 9

      Practice "speak" and "quiet" every day so your dog knows the commands well. In the future when your dog barks, ask it to be quiet and give it a treat when it stops barking.