Dog Barking? Start Training

How do you stop dogs barking ?  All dogs bark, it’s their way to communicate a message. Dogs bark for various reasons: to greet, to warn , out of loneliness , to invoke attention or when they are upset .

Although some barking is accepted, too much barking is certainly irritating , especially for your neighbors and eventually leading to complains; and that's when you have to keep dogs from barking . The easiest way to stop a problematic barker is to manage his barking while you are at home:

1. Set up a condition where your dog will always bark. For instance , you can ask someone to ring your doorbell or knock on your door.

2. When your dog charges to the door and begins to bark loudly , advance toward your dog, take hold of his collar and give the command "“quiet,” – no shouting please"; if it doesn't work, go to Step 4.

3. If he stops barking, praise and reward. He’s a genius and deserves it.

4. When he continues barking, shut his mouth with your hand, wrap your fingers around his muzzle –using both hands if required , and give the command for him to keep quiet. Praise if he stops.

Most dogs should be able to learn the “quiet” command with continual training like this. Set up equivalent situations to " entice " your dog to bark and repeat training whenever possible.

When you happen to own a hard-core persistent barker, use this process :

1. Vinegar-Water solution: – Mix a quantity of 7/8 water & 1/8 vinegar together. Pour the mixture into a water pistol or what kids call “super soaker” for longer distance shooting.

2. Aim and shoot at his chest whenever he can’t stop barking even on your command. Dogs hate the smell of vinegar and would usually back off and stop barking. He’ll even sneeze a few times. It’s not dangerous so you need not worry .

3. As usual , praise him when he stops barking.

For your information, your dog might still be barking noisily and disrupting your neighborhood when you are not at home. In this case, you’ll need training equipment known as “bark collars ” to help train him and stop dog barking.

There are several types of bark collars on the market. Some of these collars send an electric shock to your dog when he barks; some make a high pitch sound or emits a squirt of citronella which is annoying but safe for your dog. Usually, these collars can help you solve a challenging barker.

In my opinion , I’ll advise the high pitch sound or citronella collars. They are very effective and more humane dog training tools.