How to wean a dog from barking is not the case. How to wean a dog to bark: advice from experienced dog handlers. How to wean from barking at passers-by

A dog barks when it wants to communicate something to you, other dogs, and other people. If you want to stop your dog from barking permanently, this is not the smartest solution. Expecting a dog not to bark is like expecting a baby to never cry. However, the dog can be weaned from "useless" barking. To improve your relationship with your dog and solve the problem of barking, deprive your dog of treats for barking in inappropriate situations and teach your dog to stop barking on your command.

Steps

Reasons for barking

Pay attention to when the dog barks. There are many varieties of barking in dogs, and most often the dog will begin to bark in response to some factor. Find out what makes a dog bark. Most often, dogs give voice for several reasons:

• Fear/alertness. Many dogs bark when they are scared. Nervous dogs may begin to bark at unfamiliar situations and sounds wherever they are.
• Territory defense. Dogs protect the territory they consider their own. A dog can protect any place it associates with you: home, yard, car, and even your personal space around your body. Dogs also include their own routes as their territory, so if you walk your dog along the same path every day, the dog may decide that everything along that path belongs to him.
• Attention. Many dogs bark when they want attention. In this case, they bark abruptly and with concentration. The more often you pay attention to the dog in this case, the more often he will bark for attention.
• Greetings. Many dogs bark to say hello. They may bark at people and other animals. Dogs bark when they want to invite someone to play.
• Anxiety. Dogs may bark due to separation anxiety. In this case, dogs may burst into barking if left alone.
• Discontent. If the dog is unhappy with something, can't pick up his favorite toy, or wants to play with the neighbor's dog, he may bark to show that he needs something. The dog may also bark out of boredom.

1. Learn to understand dog behavior. Barking is a reflection of the emotional state of the animal. If you learn to recognize what the dog wants to say, it will be easier for you to understand his behavior. For example, if a dog is scared, it may bark with its paws crossed. Once you understand what causes barking, you can tackle the problem. Here are a few signs of different dog conditions:

   • Fear. When dogs are scared, they tend to shrink to appear less of a threat. They go down, pursing their tail and ears. They may yawn and lick their lips to calm down.
   • Joy. When dogs are happy, their muscles are relaxed, their mouths are open and it looks like they are smiling. Dogs may have difficulty breathing. The ears and tail assume a natural position and the tail can move from side to side in a circular motion.
   • Alertness. Dogs become active if they perceive something as a threat. The ears are lifted, the gaze is focused on what causes concern. The tail can be raised up or down and does not move. Hair on nape and back may rise.
   • Ready to play. If the dog wants to play, he will run and jump. The dog becomes very energetic, jumping up and down, running in circles or pressing his head to the ground to show that he wants to play. The dog seems to be smiling.
   • domination. Dogs that are confident in a situation show it. They straighten the body, arch the neck and seem a little tense. The tail in this situation is usually lowered and does not move. Dogs look into the eyes.
   • Aggression. If the dog is confident in the situation and shows aggression, he tries to appear larger: he raises his tail, ears and tries to stay higher. The dog may lean slightly and prepare to jump. The dog shows teeth, but can, on the contrary, pull the folds on the muzzle forward. If the dog is aggressive and feels he must be defensive, his behavior will combine signs of fear and confidence.

2. How to stop encouraging barking

   1. Do not talk to or interact with the dog. These activities encourage the dog's behavior. It's also not worth shouting. It is better to completely ignore barking.

      • Trying to tell the dog to be quiet will backfire.
      • In some cases, you can stop barking by spraying your dog with water from a spray bottle. However, many dogs perceive such actions as a game, so you need to see if this technique works for you.

   2. Deprive your dog of rewards for barking. Don't reward your dog for activities you don't like. If a dog is barking to get your attention, the bark response will give the dog what it needs.

      • Completely ignore your dog if he is trying to get your attention by barking. This is not easy and is similar to trying to ignore a crying baby, but in order for the dog to correctly understand your actions, it is important not to pay attention to the dog if he is getting him by barking.
      • Do not look at the dog, do not touch it, and do not talk to it. If possible, turn away from the dog. This will let her know that you don't like her behavior. Sooner or later the dog will calm down.
      • When your dog stops barking, give him a treat and praise him. As your dog begins to understand this addiction, try increasing the time between stopping barking and receiving the reward.

   3. Squeeze the dog's mouth. If your dog does not bite, it will be helpful to close his mouth when he barks at an inappropriate moment. This is a physical indication that you do not like the behavior of the animal.

      • There are special leashes and muzzles that allow you to gently close your mouth, without causing harm, on a walk.

   4. Control what is happening around. If possible, get your dog out of situations that make him bark. If the dog barks at people passing by, close the curtains. If the dog barks at guests, close it alone in the room.

      Get your dog socialized. If a dog barks when he sees other dogs and people, he is likely not interacting well with others. Show your dog how to behave in the park, on walks and when interacting with other people. This will show the dog that he does not need to defend his territory everywhere.

      • You can take your dog to classes where he can play with other dogs and learn to behave well.

   How to Reward Good Behavior

   1. Wear down the dog. Sometimes dogs bark out of frustration or boredom. If the dog does not move much, it may bark due to an excess of unspent energy. Let your dog run and play.

      • If your dog is bored, buy him different toys. Toys that require the dog to solve some problems, especially if you can hide food in them, will keep the dog occupied and not let him get bored.

   2. Teach your dog to greet people differently. Joyful dogs often bark to greet a person. Teach your dog other ways to stop unwanted barking.

      • If guests come to you, teach your dog to stay in a certain place and wait for guests. The dog should remain in this area on command and only approach guests if you or your helper call it. Reward good behavior with praise and treats.
      • You can also teach your dog to find a toy near the door. If the dog has a toy in its teeth, it will not be able to bark when guests appear.
      • If you are outside and someone wants to pet the dog, teach the dog to sit. So a joyful dog will not be able to harm any of the people.
      • Don't reward the welcome bark with attention. Wait until the dog calms down, and only then greet him and give him a treat or pet him.

   3. Teach your dog other ways to communicate. Dogs often bark to communicate their needs. If a dog can communicate his desires to you in a different way, he won't have to bark in all situations.

      • For example, ring the bell every time you take your dog for a walk. The dog will remember this connection. Teach your dog to call when he wants to go outside. Suitable bell, which is triggered by pressing the button, as in hotels.
      • Tap the bowl before adding food or water. The dog will learn to tap the bowl with his paw if he wants to eat or drink.

   4. Desensitize your dog to stimuli. This will stop unwanted barking. First show the dog the irritant at a distance where the dog will not bark. For example, if a dog barks at a neighbor's dog, ask the neighbor to help you.

      • Start gradually bringing the stimulus closer to the dog. If your dog doesn't bark, praise him and give him treats.
      • Give your dog treats as the irritant approaches. If she starts barking, stop giving them.
      • When the irritant is gone, stop giving treats.
      • Start small. Gradually increase the contact time with the stimulus that causes the dog to bark.
      • Repeat until your dog gets used to it. Be patient. Remember: all training takes time, practice and consistency.

   5. Distract the dog. This will allow the dog to focus on something else. When you distract the dog, do something else to keep him busy (for example, throw an object at him and ask him to follow the command).

The barking of a dog is a natural manifestation of the emotions of a four-legged pet. That's just not always these emotions to the place and time. The frequent and loud yelping of both a puppy and an adult dog is capable of change the owner's life(and not for the better). The restless sleep of a child, the complaints of neighbors are unlikely to give pleasure from keeping a devoted dog.

The main causes of barking

Expressed excitement or attraction of attention to one's own person is manifested in small breeds of dogs (for example, dachshunds, spitz, yorkie) as well as in medium and large representatives of the family (labrador, terriers). Causes accompanied by noise effect, many, among them:

The dog also experiences emotions such as jealousy and aggression. Having correctly determined the cause, actions are taken to wean the dog from barking uncontrollably. It happens that it is enough to remove annoying factors, and most of the problems are removed from the agenda. Of course, this is not a panacea for all cases. Additional measures will serve to consolidate the result obtained.

Canine control of emotions

pet can n learn to control your own emotions. Constant training will help in this, the purpose of which is to master the uselessness of barking day and night for any reason. For small breeds (such as the toy terrier), it is advisable to consult a veterinarian about increased nervousness before applying corrective measures to eliminate unreasonable barking. Soothing decoctions, infusions and medications recommended by a specialist will help.

The emotional state of the owner and family members is transmitted to the animal in full. This fact calls for special control over one's own behavior. Shouting, swearing will only intensify the dog's barking, in which growl and aggression may appear. The sequence of actions should be maintained with a clear mindset to stop unreasonable barking. Reaction Encouragement on a stranger passing by the door will not help stop barking at the doorbell.

Ways to stop barking

Trick with ears

You will first need to test the reaction on a calm animal. After rubbing the tips of the pet's ears, it is important to see if he reacts to the actions being taken. With a positive answer at the time of arousal, you can test the effectiveness of the method. First, the ends are rubbed.

If the barking does not stop, but the reaction is noticeable (the voice sounds quieter), the correct direction has been chosen. The next step is to cover the ears so that the dog I only heard my own barking. This will confuse the understanding of what is happening. Stopped noise should be rewarded with a treat to consolidate the result.

Lay back

This method is fun and has a short duration, but it works quite often. Even if it works two or three times, you should not discount it. Turning to face the barking animal, you should try to fervently bark at him in response. The next step is an attempt to switch the embarrassed quadruped to the game.

active walks

The purpose of the method is to “stagger” the pet with outdoor games. Running, jumping, playing with the stick "find-bring-catch" for an hour and a half will have their effect. Arriving home, a friend will eat and go to the side to recuperate.

Commands "In place" and "Come to me"

The two main commands that begin to teach a puppy from two or three months. Practice shows: a barking dog falls silent when the owner's command is executed. At the moment of yapping, one of the commands is given. At performing "In place" it should be noted that at times growling and attempts at a short “woof” can be heard.

When giving the command “Come to me”, it is required to force it to be executed. When the dog approaches the owner, you should rub the tips of the ears, combining the two methods into one. This must be done constantly, as soon as the pet gives a voice for no reason.

Irritation factors

The method provides for accurate determination of the sound stimuli of the ward. If these are loud calls, sharp noises from the TV, voices in the stairwell, you will have to fight by muffling the calmness agents. With a telephone and a TV, everything is quite clear, but what about neighboring companies? The first thing to do is to ask them to be quiet.

If it doesn’t work, you will have to deal with soundproofing yourself by sealing the door special material. The most difficult thing in this situation is provocative sounds that are unrealistic to deal with. For example, the sound of rain or the rustling of leaves. To wean a Yorkie to bark at home, a Chihuahua, another breed, other methods are used. You can try the distraction with a squeaky ball in another room.

Collars with anti-bark system

It is possible to wean a dog from barking at home when there is no one with the current development of the pet industry. Issued n several collar options, forcing the pet to shut up:

It is a common practice among dog owners to use a muzzle to stop barking. The method is simple, but at the same time effective. Yes, it's hard to bark in a muzzle. But you can whine and howl.

A pet gives trouble throughout life. Empty barking is one of them. Knowing well the habits and behavior of your pet, you can try to teach him the right behavior without resorting to extreme measures. Love and patience will help in this direction.

Attention, only TODAY!

Are you tired of waking up at 6 am from the barking of your ward? The tailed one starts a plaintive song every time you leave the apartment, and the neighbors are already making cunning plans against you? Perhaps your pet often wakes up a child resting during the day? Do you have other reasons to wean your dog from barking at home? Either way, you've come to the right place. Unfortunately, our four-legged friends do not always have innate social etiquette skills, but everything can be fixed.

That's how they talk, you say. There is some truth in this, dogs do communicate through guttural sounds, but most often it is a growl or whine. Barking is a demonstration of an excited state and has several reasons:

• Fear- the pet barks, showing a passive-defensive reaction. Instinctively, the tailed one believes that the best defense is an attack, so he barks warning everyone that he is not such an easy prey. Most often, a dog barks out of fear when it is alone in a dwelling or closed in a confined space.

• Excitation- general anxiety when the doorbell rings, protection of the territory, fear against the background of panic or a violent manifestation of joy, all these circumstances cause emotions in the dog. The degree of manifestation of these emotions depends on the balance of the psyche and the upbringing of the animal.

• Boredom- barking with a howl, in the absence of the owners can be called a direct consequence of boredom. Your ward needs to provide leisure activities when he is alone, for example, to buy toys. The second option is to qualitatively walk the caudate before leaving, so that he gets tired. Boredom occurs against the background of unspent energy, when the pet has the strength to do something, but there is no opportunity.

• The game- the most harmless kind of barking, is considered as a manifestation of emotion, when the pet is allowed to "come off to its fullest."

Note! Dogs do not bark out of spite, but they can howl and bark to get attention, for example, if they are not being given attention.

Behavior Correction Methods

Before starting corrective work, it is desirable to identify the causes of excessive emotionality of the ward. If the dog barks for absolutely no reason, while eating, immediately after waking up, at night, you should contact the veterinarian and examine the caudate for inflammation, painful areas, and neurological disorders.

Don't Encourage Barking - Common Owner Mistakes

You can fight for silence in your home for years and be the cause of a pet barking at the same time, without even realizing it. Absolutely all dogs have an innate human-oriented instinct, that is, if the owner encouraged the act in any way, then the four-legged behaved correctly.

Read also: Looking for a missing dog

If you want to wean a dog from barking in an apartment, follow these recommendations:

• Teach your pet the “quiet” command, but this will not solve the problem of barking when you leave the house.

• Do not show a violent reaction to barking, even negative. Any attention from you is an encouragement.

• Spend more time with your pet - as a rule, yelping with or without cause indicates complexes associated with self-doubt.

• If you want to wean a puppy from barking at home, then approach him only after he has stopped talking. If you run to bark, the ward will learn this method of attracting attention and will use it.

• Do not use "Fu" or "No" commands to stop barking.

• Always keep yourself in control, because your overexcited state or shouting only spurs the dog to show emotions.

• You should not stop the barking of a dog if it warns of an attack, for example, on a postman. Your ward behaves honestly, without a hint of pranks, he is ready to attack a stranger and warns about this in advance. The dog gives the "enemy" time to leave the area untouched. Here we are talking about the suppression of aggression and teaching the four-legged self-control.

• Do not return home if the dog barks after you leave. Stop and listen to how long your ward barks. If the dog does not calm down for more than 15 minutes, you will have to resort to one of the methods of stopping barking.

Use Behavior Correction Techniques

The situation with annoying barking is solvable if you are ready to raise a pet. We note right away that adjusting an acquired skill requires a longer period of time than learning a new team.

When performing adjustment techniques, you should always remain calm, not show unnecessary emotions in either behavior or voice.

• The dog barks hysterically and cannot calm down - there is one old and proven method for stopping arousal - take the dog by the ears, rub or lightly squeeze them. Before using the method, test it in a calm state, if the dog reacted positively, it means that he will also react in a state of excitement. The pet will be a little bewildered, but will stop barking. As soon as there is silence, encourage the ward and distract him from the object of barking.

• The pet does not respond to touching the ears, stand facing him and start barking, but louder and more expressive. This method does not work for long, but it will quickly confuse the caudate and switch to the game.

• If your security guard is barking at guests, a distraction method works great. Practice a few simple commands with your dog in the presence of strangers. Take several approaches if necessary. Optimally, start the complex with the “Near” or “To me” command, this should focus the pet’s attention on you. You praise the pet, and your friends admire the tailed one - the issue is resolved.

• If the pet reacts violently to sounds outside the door, it is also worth using the third method. However, do not even think of scolding the ward for the rule of security qualities, the reaction to outsiders is normal, violent barking is not normal. The distraction for the game works great, the pet barked, squeak the ball in another room. The dog has come running and is ready to play? Excellent!

Read also: Why a dog digs in bed: reasons and how to overcome the natural needs of the animal

Important! Behavior modification will not succeed if you do not adhere to work tactics regularly. Today they brought up, tomorrow they forgot - this will not work. You must stop the pet's barking, distract him with a game or commands, whenever he barks indoors.

Take care of your pet while you're away

Most dog owners work or study, which means they cannot physically control their pet around the clock. What to do if your four-legged behaves exemplary, but howls and barks in your absence? There are several options:

• Above we talked about active walks.- by driving a pet with a fetch and tiring him with games, you can be sure that the dog will eat, drink and fall asleep peacefully as soon as you go to work. If the pet begins to bark when he sleeps, more substantial measures will be needed.

• Sedative drugs- in veterinary pharmacies and pet stores, drops and tablets for animals with a sedative effect are sold. Drugs of this class relieve general excitability, can cause drowsiness. Read the instructions carefully, especially the section on side effects. Many funds cannot be used constantly (only courses).

• Dietary supplements with sedative effect- Usually, supplements contain herbs that calm the pet's nervous system.

• Herb Collars– soothing aromatherapy, a safe and effective method. Great alternative for naturally active dogs. Please note that after you remove the collar, the pet should be walked and allowed to frolic.

• ESHO (electro-shock collar) with "Anti-Bark" system- a more severe method that allows you to wean a dog from a bad habit through physical impact. The accessory looks like a collar with a box and two rounded horns. Horns are electrodes that should touch the dog's skin. The Anti-Bark system reacts to the vibration of the larynx and automatically gives a discharge to the electrodes, that is, the collar shocks the dog. Usually, the ESHO is designed for a small voltage, a person feels an electric shock, like an unpleasant itch or tickle.

• Ultrasonic collar with anti-bark system- acts on the principle of EShO, but instead of an electric shock, the pet hears ultrasound as soon as it barks. The sound stops when the dog stops growling and barking. A good method, provided that the pet does not go into hysterics from the ultrasound and does not continue to bark out of fear.

• Spray collar with anti-bark system- the accessory is also equipped with a sensor that reacts to the vibration of the dog's larynx. As soon as the tailed barks, the collar releases a spray mixture with the smell of lemon (or other citrus). The animal becomes unpleasant and not up to barking.

• Vibrating collar with anti-bark system– system, as in a professional collar, but instead of an unpleasant smell, the dog feels a strong vibration. Quite an effective method of mechanical weaning from barking. The pet is distracted, trying to understand what and where is buzzing. There is also a minus, sooner or later the tailed one will understand what the catch is and stop paying attention to vibration.

A dog cannot help but bark, because barking is one of the important communications of dogs, with the help of which they express their emotions. Different dogs bark at different rates and for different reasons. Some of these occasions are liked by their owners and some are not.

How to stop a dog from barking?

Even at the stage of choosing a breed, it makes sense to find out its tendency to bark and decide if it suits you. If you (or your neighbors) like silence, getting a Spitz or Beagle is not the best solution. However, do not forget that even the most silent breed, with the wrong education, can acquire the bad habit of barking for any reason. As well as vice versa, proper upbringing can make a representative of a talkative breed a worthy city dweller and a favorite of neighbors.

You can learn more about all the existing types of barking, what function they perform and what to do with them. in the book "Barking - What Do Dogs Talk About?" by Thurid Rugos..

Here I will discuss only the most common problematic barking, which may arise due to improper upbringing, and ways to prevent it.

The most common types of problem barking are:

• demanding barking,
• barking with excitement
• bark out of fear.

Demanding barking

The name speaks for itself. Through barking, the dog demands that you:

• gave her a treat
• threw the ball
• scratched behind the ear
• took her for a walk at 4 in the morning,
• let me see that dog over there, etc. etc.

She demands "Give it to me!", "I want it now!". The problem with this barking is that the owners usually give the dog what it wants, thereby reinforcing this barking. Another problem with this barking is that the owners, having decided to fight it and read the helpful tips, begin to ignore the dog at such moments ... and they do not have enough patience. The dog barks - they endure - the dog barks harder (or even starts jumping and biting) - they run out of patience and turn to the dog. The dog learns “the man is a little deaf; now you have to bark louder and/or jump and bite so he notices me.”
So demanding barking can take on terrifying proportions!

It will be easier for you to cope with this barking if you see the demanding dog for what it is - telling you “hey you, come on give me this!” (yes, yes, it was you who taught her this by your actions).

Barking with excitement.

This barking occurs in situations of strong excitement: when you call or knock on the door, when guests arrive, go for a walk or play. And also before hunting, coursing, running in a team and other exciting activities.

This barking does not carry any independent function, but is a symptom of the internal state of the dog.

The main problem here is that the events that cause this excitement also reinforce it. Going for a walk with a dog jumping and barking with excitement about the walk reinforces this emotional state and the behavior that follows from it.

It will be easier for you to correct this type of barking if you remove the rose-colored glasses of the "agitation = joy" myth. At these moments, the dog is overwhelmed, and physical activity helps him cope with this discomfort. Trust me as a person with panic attacks who, on his first plane trip, ran up and down the aisle for an hour to somehow alleviate his condition. She's not happy at all!

Bark out of fear.

This is the kind of bark that, for reasons I don't understand, is very popular with many owners. They are proud of such a dog and say that it "guards".

The problem is that the protection of their territory (and family) appears in dogs only with the onset of social maturity, that is, at 2-3 years. And that's not for everyone. Therefore, all the “guards” up to this age, all the “heroic” barking of healthy bearded men are a symptom of fear.

And after 2-3 years, such a puppy will not become a good guard: he will either run away or attack and bite what he considers a threat (most likely a 7-year-old boy who ran out from behind the car or doctors who came to call you will turn out to be a “threat” ambulance).

Luckily, it is fairly easy for a small puppy to get rid of various fears, thanks to which he can grow into a confident dog and, with proper training, become a really good guard. So, don't waste time deceived by the barking of the "little protector" at passers-by, but contact a specialist as soon as possible.

Mistakes of the owner regarding the barking of the dog.

The first and most common is barking reinforcement..

If you own a dog that barks excessively, consider how often you pay attention to it when it barks ("Shut up!") and when it is silent. As you remember, negative attention is also attention, and it serves as a reinforcer for behavior. This problem is especially acute in the case of demanding barking, when the goal is to attract your attention. The more often you swear at such a dog, the more often its barking becomes. You are violating the Golden Principle and rewarding bad behavior with your attention.

The second mistake is teaching the dog the "voice" command..

There is nothing wrong with learning this command. When a person understands what he is doing and what awaits him. And what awaits him is that the dog learns that barking earns good rewards and begins to bark even when it was not asked. Suddenly, something breaks. Professional trainers are aware of this effect and simply ignore such barking (in clever terms, they subject it to the extinction procedure), but ordinary owners often react to it. That is, they reward with their attention. With all that it implies.

If you are not ready for the fact that your dog will periodically bark at the most inopportune moment and you (and other people) will not be able to react to this in any way, do not teach her "voice".

The third mistake is creating conditions in which barking is simply inevitable..

For example, do not leave the puppy good toys, but leave him the opportunity to find noisy entertainment for himself. So, there are owners who, leaving the house, leave the bored dog the opportunity to look out the window ... and bark at cats, dogs and people passing by, at passing cars and flying birds. Great entertainment! Is it any wonder after that that the dog has turned into an empty talk? Remember: if you don't leave your puppy with "good" distractions, he will certainly find "bad" ones, and barking can be one of them.

What to do so that the puppy does not develop a bad habit of barking for any reason?

Follow the golden principle. Reward your puppy for silence and don't reward for barking. Everything is simple. Teach him an alternative calm behavior instead of the old noisy one.

In the case of demanding barking a good option would be silent sitting - an analogue of our "please". Agree that hearing “please” is much more pleasant than “hey you, give it!”. Teaching a puppy to say "please" is very easy, especially if he already knows how to sit. Just show him a piece of treat and wait for him to stop putting his paws on you, jumping and barking and sit down, looking at you. Give him a piece. When he immediately sits down for a bite, do the same with toys, asking him to take him in his arms (or sofa), before putting down a bowl of food, and for everything else that he so wants to receive. And very soon the moment will come when, in any incomprehensible situation, he will sit down, politely asking you to fulfill his request.

The same polite request "please" can be used also in case of barking from excitement. Only here the reward will not be a material object, but an exciting event. Teach your puppy to sit down (rather than jump and bark) as a greeting when you come home from work. Teach him to sit down when guests come to you. Teach him to sit down before putting on the leash and going out for a walk. Here you may have to try a little more. When he is active, just freeze like a statue and wait for him to sit down on his own (without your prompting) before continuing with his actions. Think of it like a game: either people or dogs can move at one point in time. If the puppy freezes (sits down), people move; if the puppy moves (jumps up), people freeze. If you teach him to remain calm in the face of all sorts of exciting events, you will not be in danger of hearing barking due to excitement.

Be sure to provide your puppy with “good” entertainment, even when you are at home. Good options are chew toys and search games. When a puppy chews and sniffs, it cannot bark, and the pleasure derived from obtaining food serves as a reinforcement for silence. According to Ian Dunbar, feeding a puppy its entire daily ration via Kongi can reduce barking by 90%!

And, of course, make sure that neither you, nor other people, nor the environment reward the puppy for barking. Invite only those friends who are able to control themselves and not interact when meeting with a puppy until he politely sits down, and also not pay attention to possible demanding barking.

If the dog barks at guests

Let's try to figure out how to minimize barking when guests knock / ring on the door. Usually in a dog, barking and strong excitement are caused by the joy of waiting for guests and excessive fussiness, attention to the behavior of the animal by the owners themselves.

1. Ignore barking: do not touch the dog, say something / shout at him, look in his direction while he is barking.

2. If you have the opportunity, turn off the bell / intercom signal at the time of training. A sign with the inscription “We are teaching the dog to bark less, so we won’t be able to open the door right away will be very effective and original. We will be grateful for your patience and understanding." By the way, there will immediately be fewer people willing to sell you plastic windows or talk about the Kingdom of God.

3. Invite friends, neighbors to take part in the training process - after all, it is on their arrival that we want to reduce the reaction of the dog.

4. Ask one of the helpers to ring or knock on the door. When the dog runs up to the door, reacting to this sound, CLEARLY walk towards it, stand between the dog and the door, turn your back to the dog - and give the “stop hand” signal. Stay like this until the dog calms down.

When you stand between the door and the dog and make a stop gesture with your hand, then in this way you make it clear to the dog that you are in charge of solving the problem. This is very helpful for dogs who are overly hysterical and think they are "guarding" the house.

5. Slightly open the door. If the dog remains calm (sitting / standing), then you can open the door wider. If the dog starts to worry, then stop opening the door and wait until it calms down.

6. Invite the person to come in. Do this in a calm and friendly manner.

7. When the door is open enough for the helper to enter, let him into the house, while asking him to go sideways to the dog and not pay attention to it. You can communicate with a friend, but in a calm, peaceful manner.

8. Come all together into the house, make yourself comfortable. If the dog is excited again and rushes to the guest, then it would be better if you put on the harness in advance and hold on to it until the dog calms down.
After, of course, you need to give the dog the opportunity to communicate with a friend or neighbor. But let the first minutes of communication pass in a calm atmosphere.

Later, you can repeat this training a few more times with other helpers, and then warn your relatives / friends that you have a new ritual of “entering” the house and work it out with them.

Important!

Be calm and consistent during training and remember that the dog cannot stop barking. Barking is a natural way of expressing emotions and is an indicator of a dog's condition. Any kind of barking occurs in a dog for a certain internal or external reason. It is necessary to understand this reason, and it will help to solve the problem of excessive barking and excitability.

The algorithm of actions is as follows:

• determine the type of barking (what situation provokes the dog to bark),
• eliminate the causes of barking,
• we think how to reduce the "portion" of barking.

Excessive barking can be maddening and poison life together with such a dog. However, its occurrence is fairly easy to prevent if you train your puppy according to the Golden Principle from the start, rewarding alternative "good" silent behavior and not allowing rewards for "bad" barking.

P.S.: If the information seemed useful and interesting to you, I can recommend reading another book from Turid Rugos - “Dialogue with dogs: signals of reconciliation”.

We express our thoughts and feelings with the help of voice, and dogs express their emotions using barking. Experienced owners who know their pets well can already determine the mood of their pet friend by the volume and frequency of barking. It would seem that there is nothing surprising and reprehensible in the barking of an animal. But when a dog makes noise almost incessantly, it can piss off even the most patient person. Consider just a few situations where dog "woof-woof" can bring to white heat:

• The owner unsuccessfully tries to watch a movie or talk on the phone, but the dog does not stop;
• There is a small child in the house who cannot sleep for an hour because of loud barking;
• The walls in the apartment building are thin, so that all the neighbors listen to the dog "concert" day and night;
• A person feels unwell (migraine, high blood pressure, etc.), and the animal only worsens the owner's condition with noise.

Why do dogs bark?

• Fear something (for example, sirens, thunder, screams, etc.);
• Boredom(animals are often left alone, but it is so painful to wait for the arrival of the owner);
• Fun(Dogs like to give a voice, for example, when the owner plays with them);
• Anxiety(animals react with barking, for example, to the sound of a bell, a knock on the door, the arrival of strangers in the house, etc.);
• Signal to owner or manipulation(with its bark, the dog can call the owner to play, ask for food or invite for a walk);
• Rage(sometimes dogs "quarrel" with other individuals, especially males sin with this).

What not to do when weaning a dog from barking?

1. Cursing and screaming in response to dog barking. It happens that the owner himself behaves no better than his unbridled dog. The situation is not so rare when, in response to the barking of a dog, cries of the owner are heard (“Shut up!”, “Shush!”, “You will get it from me!”, etc.). Such behavior on the part of a person will not only not calm the dog, but will even more overexcite it;
2. Raising a dog happens on a case-by-case basis. It is possible to wean a dog from barking at home only through daily hard work;
3. Beating as a means to silence the dog. Cuffs are a forbidden technique that should never be used;
4. Inattention to the cause of the barking dog. Yes, there are situations when an animal barks incessantly and for no particular reason (for example, it wants the owner to unscheduledly treat a cutlet from the table). But sometimes our pets try to warn about something important with the help of barking (for example, about the penetration of a stranger into the house or about the smell of burning). So it's important to start by recognizing why a dog barks;
5. Following the whims of the dog. As we found out, animals sometimes manipulate people. For example, many "watchdogs" like to burst into loud barks when they want to be treated to something from the table. So, do not follow the lead of the animals, giving them pieces of food from the plate. Dogs are cunning, and therefore they will bark every time to get what they want.

Ways to stop your dog from barking

1. Learning the command "Quiet!" (or "Shut up!"). In order for the animal to stop barking at the command of the owner, you can take the following measures: while walking, wait until the dog starts barking. In this case, you need to pronounce the command "Voice!". After a couple of minutes of barking, you should carefully cover your pet's mouth with your palms, saying the word "Quiet!". As soon as the animal is silent, it will need to be treated and praised. This exercise should be done daily until the dog becomes silent at the command of the owner without manual manipulation and treats;
2. Touching the ears of a barking dog. Surprisingly, some animals stop barking if the owner suddenly and not hard grabs them by the ears. Such an action confuses the dog, and the owner has a few saving moments to switch the attention of the inflamed dog to something (for example, to a toy);
3. So that the dog does not have the desire to bark at everyone around, it is reasonable direct the energy of the pet to something useful. For example, many animals love dog sports (frisbee - catching a flying disc, agility - overcoming obstacles, etc.), which not only give the animal a lot of pleasant moments, but also exhaust it well. If it is not possible to train the dog in any discipline, you can simply walk the pet longer;
4. How to wean a dog from barking at home ignore the noise(but only in those cases when the animal, barking, tries to manipulate the owner). For example, a pet starts a “song” if he does not want the owner to close himself in the shower (toilet, another room, on the balcony, etc.). It is wiser not to go on about the brawler, but to calmly do your business, not paying attention to barking. So the dog will understand that it will not be possible to starve out the owner;
5. Avoidance of factors that cause barking. If the dog, for example, goes berserk at the sound of a running washing machine, it is reasonable to take the animal for a walk during the wash. Another option is to take the dog to the room that is farthest from the washer;
6. If the dog barks at guests, you can calm the animal by asking him to demonstrate the skill first to the owner, and then to each of the guests. It is important that each guest praises the dog, loudly and sincerely saying the word “Well done!”;
7. Spraying water as a way to silence a dog. It happens that the animal is filled with barking at passers-by or at other dogs. If the command "Quiet!" does not work, you can resort to the method of spraying ordinary water from a small spray bottle. Just do not need to aim at the eyes of the animal, it is enough to sprinkle water on the head or neck area from a distance of about half a meter;
8. Distracting the dog from barking. To get the animal to stop barking, you can come up with something special, for example, bark in unison with the animal or start clapping your hands loudly. The only disadvantage of this method is that it will be embarrassing to repeat it in public.

1. Collars "Antilai" with citronella or lavender. As soon as the animal starts to bark, an odorous aroma oil begins to evaporate from a special capsule built into the collar, the smell of which is unpleasant for animals;
2. Ultrasonic Collars- react to barking by making an unpleasant sound that seems intimidating to dogs;
3. Stun Collars- triggered by increased movements of the dog's larynx. The shock is not strong, but rather unpleasant;
4. Herbal sedatives(like "Fitex", "Cat Bayun", "Dbd Relax Plus", etc.) - such drugs pacify lovers of barking well, but should be used after consulting a veterinarian.