Tips to Stop Puppy Barking
A puppy comes with boatloads of responsibility and is continuously a training moment. There are various reasons your pup could be barking so much, and an equal amount of solution. There is no magic spell to stop this behavior, but through continual effort, you should be able to end this annoying habit.
End the Motivation That May Be Causing It
Your canine companion may start to associate barking with rewards. If you play with them or give them treats to end the noise they’ll begin to think “whenever I want attention or a treat, all I have to do is bark.”
Your pupster could have this behavior from other satisfactions as well. If your dog starts barking at passersby through the window, close the curtains on them so show them that’s not okay. If they begin to bark outside, bring them in.
Start Ignoring It
This can be extremely hard, we know, but try to ignore the barking until it stops. If your pup starts to bark, stop giving them attention (don’t address them, pet them, or even look at them). Now when Fido finally stops reward them with a treat – they’ll start to notice the pattern of barking=no treats & no barking=treats.
For this to be successful, you have to follow through. If your dog barks for an hour and you get so annoyed, you finally address them to stop – next time they’ll bark for an hour and a half. Because now they’ll think if they cry long enough, you’ll give in and give them what they want.
Work on Desensitization
If the mailman or another dog is causing your pooch to bark uncontrollably, get them accustomed with whatever it is they can’t stop barking about. Introduce your dog to the mailman and give them treats if whenever they stay calm. Do the same with new dog interactions. Every time they stay calm and don’t bark feed them a treat and praise them. You want to introduce them to this stimulant as frequently as possible, so it eventually becomes a regular thing for them.
Teach Your Dog “Quiet”
They may not sound like they go together, but before you teach quiet, you’ll want to teach “speak” and have them learn how to bark on command.
- Start by telling your dog to “speak” multiple times with a treat in your hand and wait until they bark a few times – then reward them with a treat.
- Repeat this several times until they start to associate “speak” with barking and then treats.
- Once they have successfully learned “speak,” you can now teach “quiet.”
- Say speak and allow them to bark, now say “quiet” until they stop barking and immediately offer them a treat.
- Continue this until they have started to associate “quiet” with no more barking – always reimbursing with treats.
Now when they start barking uncontrollably, address them with “quiet” it may take them a little time at first to jog their memory but if you stay consistent your pup will understand “quiet” and stopping barking at your command.
Sometimes training your new puppy to be obedient can be too hard to handle on your own – and that’s okay! Contact Sit Means Sit for a FREE consultation, and our professionally trained dog trainers will help your puppy get off on the right paw!