How to stop a dog from barking for no reason: advice from a dog trainer

We express our thoughts and feelings using our voice, and dogs express their emotions using barking. Experienced owners who know their pets well can determine in what mood their pet friend is in just by the volume and frequency of barking. It would seem that there is nothing surprising or reprehensible in the barking of an animal. But when a dog makes noise almost incessantly, it can irritate even the most patient person. Let's consider just a few situations when a dog's "woof-woof" can drive you crazy:

• The owner tries unsuccessfully to watch a movie or talk on the phone, but the dog won’t stop talking;
• There is a small child in the house who cannot sleep for an hour due to loud barking;
• The walls in the apartment building are thin, so all the neighbors listen to the dog “concert” day and night;
• The person is feeling unwell (migraine, high blood pressure, etc.), and the animal only worsens the owner’s condition with noise.

Actually, there are a great many situations when a dog’s barking can infuriate you. In this article we will try to find out why the animal barks, how to wean a dog from barking, and whether it is always worth prohibiting your pet from making a voice.

Is it possible to stop a dog from barking?

You can correct an animal's behavior at any age. But sometimes this is more difficult to do:

• The pet has been living in the house for a long time, but previously no attention was paid to its upbringing. Suddenly the owner decided to stop the dog from barking for no reason.
• The breed itself is very “vocal” - this feature is due to the type of higher nervous activity.
• Older pets' senses work worse, so they lose the ability to objectively perceive reality. Then the four-legged friends begin to bark for no reason.
• People got an adult dog with already formed habits.

The easiest way to stop a puppy from barking is because the baby absorbs information like a sponge. It is also necessary to start correcting the behavior of an adult dog as early as possible. The more the dog barks in vain, the stronger this habit becomes.

Briefly about the main thing

1. Dog barking is your pet’s natural reaction to the reality around him.
2. The frequency and intensity of barking does not depend in any way on the size of the dog.
3. The reasons for barking can be both physiological factors (fear, reaction to pain, excess energy) and psycho-emotional moments (an attempt to attract attention, the desire to protect territory, joy, etc.).
4. Without correctly identifying the cause of barking, it is pointless to start training.
5. Any training should be based on patience and care. The use of intimidation or brute force is strongly discouraged. The correct actions of the pet must be encouraged.
6. The most effective way to combat barking is to switch the dog’s attention. To perform already known commands, a favorite toy, etc.
7. The use of additional measures - medications, collars - is permissible only if all other methods have proven ineffective.
8. Surgical intervention is an extreme and undesirable measure that poses a serious threat to the life and health of the pet.

Each dog is a four-legged individual with its own character, habits, level of adaptation, etc. The recommendations presented in the article are general in nature. Each individual case may have its own nuances. Send your questions and tips in the comments. Perhaps your life experience will help someone find the right solution to a problem.

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Reasons for Loud Behavior

Frequent barking does not mean that the dog is an empty-headed dog. The voice is the main way of expressing emotions. This is how animals express both negative and positive reactions to any event.

The main reasons why a dog barks at trifles:

• Excitement – ​​the pet hears extraneous noises or finds itself in an unfamiliar situation.
• Fear - the animal is frightened by loud sounds, such as fireworks and fireworks. We need to help him stop being afraid of external stimuli.
• Lack of communication - the pet is alone for a long time in a confined space. Animals, unlike humans, do not know how to entertain themselves on their own. By barking they try to attract the attention of the owner.
• Play – dogs are quite emotional. Carried away by a fun game, they bark, expressing joy.
• Aggression - even the most well-mannered and calm dogs periodically get angry: at other four-legged animals that cross the boundaries of what is permitted, or at people who encroach on their territory.
• Jealousy – a pet may not like the fact that the owner is petting another animal. Then he barks loudly, showing displeasure.

To stop a dog from barking, you need to identify the reasons for the unwanted behavior. Having eliminated the source of discomfort, you can begin education.

Long and monotonous barking for no apparent reason may indicate health or mental problems.

When is barking a problem?

It's normal for a dog to bark from time to time. He may hear knocking in the night and bark to alert you, or see a poodle across the street through the living room window.

The trick is to figure out when barking is acceptable and when it requires attention.

Barking becomes a problem (for us) when it becomes excessive, bothers neighbors, or disturbs our peace and quiet.

Barking can also be a problem (for our dogs) if they bark out of fear or anxiety. In these situations, we want to address the root cause of their fear so they can relax and feel better.

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The loudest breeds

There is a definite relationship between the frequency of barking and the size of the dog. As a rule, representatives of large breeds do not bark at trifles. They are confident in their abilities and react calmly to external stimuli.

Small and decorative pets are shy, so they vocalize more often. By being aggressive, they try to protect themselves from things that seem dangerous. These breeds include:

• dachshund;
• Yorkshire Terrier;
• Toy Terrier;
• fox terrier;
• Cocker Spaniel;
• chihuahua
• miniature schnauzer;
• Maltese;
• Pekingese;
• miniature poodle;
• miniature pinscher;
• toy poodle;
• beagle;
• Pomeranian Spitz.

Some large breeds are also characterized by increased “talkativeness”:

• bloodhound;
• German Shepherd;
• drathaar;
• kurtshaar;
• Sheltie;
• chow-chow;
• collie;
• Samoyed dog;
• Newfoundland.

Congenital characteristics can be corrected if you raise the dog from an early age. It is unlikely that she will grow up to be an absolute silent person, but she will definitely not bark at everyone for no reason.

How can you tell if an animal is overexcited?

All pets react differently to the same stimuli, so it is quite difficult to name the exact symptoms of overexcitation. Despite this, anxiety always affects behavior. If your pet behaves too strangely and unusually, help him cope with the tension that has arisen.

In most cases, an overexcited state is accompanied by:

• slight trembling;
• tucking the tail and ears;
• uncontrolled urination or bowel movements;
• prolonged barking, howling or whining;
• raised hair on the withers and along the spinal column;
• looking away or dilating the pupils;
• increased sweating of the paw pads.

To relieve tension, it is necessary to eliminate the stimulus or transfer attention to another object. Regardless of the situation, it is very important to remain calm. The owner's equanimity perfectly helps to cope with his own emotions, since four-legged friends trust the authority of the leader of their pack.

Special preparations and devices

For animals, they also produce sedatives - psychotropic drugs suppress the desire to bark at people, other animals, or just like that. It is better to buy drops or tablets that contain extracts of chamomile, valerian and other herbs.

Veterinarians do not recommend using medications on an ongoing basis - animals feel lethargic and develop physical and behavioral abnormalities.

There are collars with citronella, a plant whose stems contain essential oil. When the dog begins to bark, a fragrant cloud is sprayed around the muzzle, causing discomfort to the pet. However, this device is not without its drawbacks:

• in the fresh air, the collar is absolutely useless - the wind quickly carries away all unpleasant odors;
• the fur is saturated with a specific aroma, which is why the dog quickly gets used to it;
• animals easily realize that if they bark and move to another place, the smell will be much weaker.

This method is most often used by people who do not want to spend time training and patiently weaning their pet from barking at home.

Using aids

If there is not enough time for training, or if the dog is highly excitable, you can resort to alternative means:

Sedatives - tablets, drops or treats with the addition of sedative herbs and mixtures - valerian, lemon balm or mint. Their use should be clearly limited by instructions and dosage.

Special collars are equipped with special sensors that respond to movements of the larynx and send irritating signals (electric discharge, mechanical vibration, ultrasonic signal). Such means are not always effective.

In some cases, dogs, frightened by the sudden impact, begin to bark even louder. In addition, the pet will not understand what he is doing wrong, which means he will not be able to correct his behavior.

Prohibited methods

Trying to overcome their pet's habit of barking incessantly, owners sometimes resort to radical methods. These include:

• Screams and violence - the dog will not understand what exactly the owner does not like, and, most likely, will bark even louder. If you hit a dog, it will lose trust in people.
• Surgery on the vocal cords can reduce the pitch of the voice or completely deprive the pet of the ability to bark. But this method does not solve behavioral problems. The inability to express emotions traumatizes the animal’s psyche. In many countries around the world, particularly in the UK, this method is officially prohibited.

Anti-bark collars are now gaining popularity. As soon as the pet gives a voice, the accessory shocks the animal or emits a sound wave of a certain frequency. However, the sudden physical impact causes the dog to go into shock, causing it to howl, whine, or urinate uncontrollably.

These methods only eliminate the consequences - they do not allow the pet to constantly bark, but do not in any way affect the causes of unwanted behavior.

Vocal cord cutting

Perhaps the most undesirable way to deal with barking. Such operations are most often the result of complaints from neighbors that have escalated into lawsuits. In addition to the obvious danger to the pet’s life, this procedure has many disadvantages:

• the need to use anesthesia, which can negatively affect the functioning of organs;
• difficult recovery period;
• risk of laryngeal edema;
• the likelihood of scarring making it difficult to breathe and eat.

Owner methods: reviews

Owners who managed to succeed in weaning their dogs from loud barking acted as follows:

• patiently developed obedience, rewarding the pet for correct actions;
• if the pet barked only in the absence of people, we tried to pay less attention to it half an hour before leaving and after returning home - the difference in sensations when the owners were at home and when they were not there was not so striking;
• distracted the animal with toys - the dog forgot about barking and happily indulged in entertainment.

In advanced cases, when gentle methods did not help, medications had to be used.

Household training takes from 1 to 3 months. During this time, lessons should be repeated daily, patiently correcting unwanted behavior. In most cases, once the cause of the discomfort is eliminated, dogs stop barking at everyone.

What to do if your dog barks at your neighbors: advice from a dog handler

The reaction of dogs to a bell, a knock on the door, or if someone else enters private territory is quite adequate and normal. The dog protects its owners and its possessions. But if your pet reacts inappropriately to neighbors, barks at passers-by or barks at everything that moves behind the fence, this can lead to big problems, especially if you live in a multi-story building.

In addition, there is a category of people who are terrified of dogs or do not perceive animals at all. Therefore, stop barking at people from puppyhood.

In this situation, the method of reprimand and encouragement also works well. As soon as the dog pays attention to passers-by or starts barking at a neighbor, pull the leash forcefully, shout, and give a prohibiting command. If the dog shows obedience, praise it.

It is very important that the dog, regardless of breed, stops barking immediately upon your command. Practice the command quietly until the dog begins to obey it unquestioningly. Always praise the animal for good behavior and completed tasks.

Never reward if a dog barks at passers-by for no reason. Show your dissatisfaction by not interacting or playing with your pet for a while. Dogs intuitively sense their owner’s mood and try to please him. You can give treats until a “noisy reaction” appears.

If the dog barks at everyone behind the fence, distract his attention, call him to you and give the prohibition command in a strict intonation. Do not allow your pet to bark without a reason. Muzzle your dog. This piece of equipment will fix the mouth, and the dog will not be able to bark.

Or maybe they brought the dog?

It happens that a calm, balanced dog begins to get angry at one of the family members and barks at him. And in the presence of other members of the “pack” the pet behaves friendly. Why is this happening?

Most often, the dog is frightened (not intentionally) by an eccentric child. A preschooler can irritate a four-legged pet with endless squeezing and attempts to take away dog ​​toys. If you notice that your pet is offended by one of your loved ones, try to find out what this is connected with. It is possible that the dog is the injured party in a conflict unknown to you. This means that children need your stern reprimand.

The leader in the house is the owner!

Only animal psychologists can voice the entire list of reasons that make a dog bark at strangers and familiar people. For an experienced specialist, dog behavior is a book in which you can find answers to all questions. But you can figure out some features of a dog’s character yourself.

If a young dog barks not only at guests, but also at you, it is likely that the animal is trying to dominate in this way. You should “win back” leadership from the dog and show that you set the rules in the house. This can be achieved through daily training and reasonable severity.

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