How to Stop Morning Barking

Dogs can bark for many reasons. Some dogs bark because they crave attention, while others bark out of boredom or loneliness. Dogs that make it a habit to bark in the morning when they are fully recharged from sleeping can become a nuisance to the owners and their neighbors. They will have to unlearn this behavior. Adjusting the dog's behavior will take some time, but with consistency, it can be done.

Things You'll Need

  • Dog treats
  • Water
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Instructions

    • 1

      Investigate what the cause is that's making your dog bark in the morning. Before you can correct your dog's behavior, you want to make sure that it's uncalled for. Maybe your dog just wants his breakfast or maybe he's warning you of a certain threat.

    • 2

      Stop sending the wrong signals to your dog. If you want your dog's morning barking to stop, the one thing not to do is to pet and praise the dog to try to get him to stop. The dog will associate barking with getting attention and will not get the message to stop barking.

    • 3

      Make "Stop barking!" a regular command, just how you use commands like "sit," "come here" and "stay." Whenever you use a command, make sure you are tough and firm.

    • 4

      Yell "Stop barking!" at your dog the moment he starts barking in the morning. Your tone has to be firm and authoritative. The dog should recognize that you mean business. If the dog continues barking, yell "Stop barking!" again, only this time louder, to the point where it will shock the dog and stop his barking.

    • 5

      Splash water in the dog's face as an alternative method to the "Stop barking!" command. This method will only work if your dog doesn't like water. The water will shock the dog and stop his barking.

    • 6

      Reward your dog's obedience by holding a treat in front of him. Only give him the treat once the barking has stopped. Sniffing the treat will also force him to stop barking, since he can't do both at the same time.

    • 7

      Scold the dog consistently with the same "Stop barking!" command and reward him accordingly when he stops barking. It will take some repetition, but over time, you can eliminate the use of dog treats and just the command alone will stop the dog from barking.