How to Stop a Dog from Barking - #1

I have written before about general reasons dogs bark. Now let’s get specific about how to stop a dog from barking in different situations.

Play with me!

Imagine that you are sitting in your recliner reading the newspaper after a long day at work. You trusty dog Spot brings his ball over and drops it right at your feet. You are not interested in playing right now, so you ignore him. He is quiet for a bit, and then picks the ball up and puts it in your lap. You still ignore him. Spot then barks, and when you turn to look at him, he is in the “Let’s play” position with a smile on his face. You still do not respond, hoping he will lose interest.

Now Spot starts a series of barks, and keeps it up! After a few minutes of shrill barking, you give in, pick up the ball and begin to play with Spot. Amazingly (?), he stops the barking immediately.

What happened here? Did Spot respect you, the owner? No! He harassed you into playing with him. He did not honor your position as the one who provides food, shelter, and affection in his life. If Spot can get his way by barking, then your home is going to become a very noisy place indeed!

To prevent this unacceptable behavior, the simplest way is to simply ignore Spot. Dogs read our body language, so this needs to be an active technique. Let him know that if he behaves this way, he will not get your attention. Simply turn away from him, do not look at him, touch him, or say anything, not even “no”.

The first few times, Spot will be confused because his manipulative barking has worked in the past. All dog training needs consistency to work, so it may take a few times for spot to get the message, and he will. Do not give in, or you are signaling that persistent barking will eventually work. Remember to reward with affection the behavior that you desire.

Sometimes we just need to know how to respond to a barking dog. Dogs bark to communicate, but they need to be taught what appropriate communication is and what is not. You can learn how to stop a dog from barking!