Are you having trouble getting your dog to stop barking? We put together five trainer-approved tips to stop your dog from barking.

Even the most avid animal lovers can tire of constant barking and yapping from their four-legged friends! Sometimes, even with our pets, silence is golden!

Are you having trouble getting your dog to stop barking? We put together five trainer-approved tips to stop your dog from barking.

Remove the Reason

Your dog will be barking for some reason, and as a result of this, he will feel some type of reward from it. Otherwise, they simply wouldn’t bark.

Try to figure out what is making your dog bark, and then attempt to remove it. It is about removing the opportunity to continue barking.

For example, if your dog finds joy in barking at people walking past your yard, then take him inside so he cannot bark at the passersby. Focus on addressing the situations that occur regularly.

Ignore the Noise

We’ve all heard new parents say that a baby needs to be taught that they can’t be picked up, every time they whimper. It’s the same principle to get your dog to stop barking.

Care Animal Hospital recommends using positive reinforcement such as petting your dog or giving him a treat only when he completely stops barking – this will begin to teach him the behavior you’re looking for.

You need to ignore your dog’s incessant barking for almost as long as it takes him to stop. In other words, don’t give him any attention until he ceases the barking. Your dog will start to relate the attention he gets from barking as a reward.

Use the “Quiet” Command

Yelling and yelling over and over again will never help with the constant barking problem. This technique doesn’t involve only teaching your dog to be quiet, but you also need to teach him to “speak”.

Take time out every day to teach your dog to bark on command. Give him the command to talk, and reward him after only two or three barks. Then do it in reverse, and treat him when he stops barking.

You’ll need to get the speak command right through before you advance to the quiet command. Once he’s got the swing of things, practice in increasingly distracting situations to get him to perfect it.

Relieve Boredom

A bored dog is a misbehaved dog. You need to ensure that your four-legged friend is getting sufficient mental and physical exercise every day. A tired dog is less likely to bark from frustration or boredom. Dogs need long walks, a good game or even some time with his favorite chew toy. The best way to keep your dog out of trouble is to keep him busy.

You can get smart by rewarding his silence and non-barking hours with a new toy or a new ball, he will soon learn that his good behavior means he gets more play-time!

Accustomize the Stimulus

This step will take some time, so be patient. There will be certain situations that are making your dog bark, these are the stimulus. You need to start getting your dog accustomed to the situations that stimulate the incessant barking behavior.

Start by gradually moving him closer to the situations causing the barking, and treat him from a distance when he doesn’t bark. Over time, move closer and closer, each time rewarding him with a treat when he doesn’t go crazy.

If the stimulus moves out of sight, stop giving him treats. He will learn that the appearance of the stimulus and the corresponding silence, means good things!

A Side Note

Some dogs are just naughtier than others, it’s a fact. If you’ve been at the training for months and months and you’re not seeing any results, it may be time to bring in a professional. Try the Best Dog Training Services to see what results they can get in order to get your dog to stop barking.

Stop Your Dog From Barking for Good

There are a few things to keep in mind while performing these tips:

1. Don’t yell to stop your dog from barking. In a dog’s mind, a yell is you joining in!

2. Stay positive and keep at it, making the training exercises upbeat.

3. Be consistent, the goal is not to confuse your dog. Make sure that family and regular visitors are on the same page, and that nobody coming into your home is teaching him conflicting behavior, even if it is in jest!

Good luck with the training!

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