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2 Easy Steps To Stop Dogs From Barking

Step 1: Have someone make sounds outside your house or apartment, walk a dog outside the door or fence (if the pup is in a yard), or otherwise visually stimulate the pup in a way that has caused the problem barking in the past or may do so in the future. As soon as the dog barks a few times, the owner quietly calls the animal to different parts of the house. In other words, the dog is taught to sound the "alarm" and then to seek the owner.

It is a desirable trait for dogs that will function well as a watchdog to seek out its owner in the event of trouble. When a dog responds, the owner quietly praises it and remains silent thereafter. If the pup turns again toward the stimulus, it is quietly called back until it settles with the owner. Make sure that the outside help does not create worst situation to stimulate barking. Heavy foot-steps, jimmying the door, trying to open a window, etc., are good agitations, but don’t over do it in either volume or duration.

Repeat this procedure until the dog automatically seeks the owner after a few barks. Allow at least 2 1/2 hours between training sessions. Have at least 2 sessions per day until the dog seeks the owner and remains quiet after the alarm barking, without being commanded to do so. In this procedure, the owners should avoid:

• Scolding or otherwise loudly or angrily reinforcing the behavior.

• Holding shut the pup's mouth (this only frustrates the pet and may cause problem barking in the owner's absence).

• Physically punishing the dog, as this may reinforce the barking.

Step 2: The dog that continually barks when alone must be dealt with after the barking is brought under control in the presence of you. When this is achieved, a second person should create a situation that triggers barking. Immediately following the bark stimulus, introduce a distracting stimulus that the dog associates with a feeling of well-being. Some quieting distractions can be the rattle of a dog dish or a door knob, a radio coming on, etc. (anything associated with quiet behavior). A distraction that stimulated barking in the past should not be used.

In all of these situations, the interrupting stimulus must be one that is practical to apply until the puppy quiets for longer and longer periods, up to several hours, even when additional bark-inducing stimuli are introduced.

This is a time consuming and laborious only if the owner neglects that first step in the correction procedure: to control barking when at home with the dog. Pups have been successfully silenced with this method in only 1 day; others have taken as long as 2-6 weeks. If the procedure is applied regularly, both night and day, an acceptably non-vocal pet will result.