How to Stop a Dog From Barking Outside

Dogs bark for a number of reasons---to communicate with other dogs, to express excitement or to scare off intruders. Although barking can be a good deterrent for would-be intruders, excessive barking can be problematic for you, your family and your neighbors. Many places have noise pollution laws, so a barking dog may result in a fine or other punishment. Dogs can be trained not to bark excessively outside by teaching the dog to obey its master.

Things You'll Need

  • Rewards or treats
  • Noisemaker or water gun
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Instructions

    • 1

      Ignore your dog whenever it barks excessively. While you may be tempted to shout at it for making a lot of noise, responding to the dog's barking teaches it that barking will be rewarded with attention. Let the dog keep barking until it stops itself, and then reward it with praise or a treat when it is finally quiet. Make reference to its quietness when it has stopped barking (for example, "good dog being quiet") to reinforce later training.

    • 2

      Stand outside with your dog for a period of time. When it barks at something, interrupt it with something which makes noise such as a jar of pebbles, a whistle or a household pot. Use these noisemakers to distract the dog after two or three barks. Alternatively, squirt the dog with a water gun to break its barking. If either the water gun or the noisemaker frightens the dog, pick something else to distract it. You are trying to teach, not punish. When the dog stops barking, reinforce your praise of its quietness and give it a treat. Repeat this process with the dog as often as possible. You can use this praise to indicate to the dog to be quiet in future.

    • 3
      Other dogs can prompt aggressive and territorial barking.

      Get a friend to walk past the front of your garden if the dog has a tendency to bark at passersby. The friend should walk past and out of the dog's line of sight. Use your praising phrase to silence the dog as the friend passes. If the dog continues to bark, distract it again with the noisemaker. When the dog stops barking, praise it with your chosen phrase and give it a treat. Have the friend walk past as many times as is needed for the dog to stop barking on sight.

      If your dog tends to bark at other dogs passing by, or in response to other dogs barking, enlist a dog owner to walk past with his own dog in the same manner as above and repeat the steps as often as necessary.

    • 4

      If your dog does not respond to training, castration may be advisable to stem its territorial tendencies. The dog should also be checked out with a vet to eliminate anxiety or other disorders which may cause aggression.