How to teach your dog not to bark

Your dog has every right to bark but how to Teach your dog not to bark ? If he does it all the time, however, it can be a problem for you and for him: here's what to do!

If your dog is always barking

Let's clarify one thing first: a dog has every right to bark , even the law says so! Therefore, intolerant neighbors from all over the world have to put their minds in peace, some "bau" is more than legitimate. However, if your dog barks continuously, there is probably a problem that goes beyond any annoyance. Understanding the source of this problem and being able to fix it. Will allow both you and him to feel more comfortable, so it's worth understanding why your dog is always barking and how to stop it .

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You will probably need to be patient and it may take some time, but it is possible to teach your dog not to barkexcessively and in any situation. There are many reasons why he does this: from stress to boredom to neurological problems. So let's try to understand why your dog barks all the time and what to do .

Why your dog is always barking

If your dog is barking too much , it is a good idea to find the reason and correct this habit before it becomes a compulsion, also because if your furry friend is showing a diasg it is important to be able to solve it. It will be easier to eliminate the problem if the dog is still a puppy, but with the right method even adult dogs can be trained not to bark excessively.
So let's try to list the most common causes that lead a dog to bark continuously :

• The dog barks when alone . This is a very common attitude especially in puppies, who have grown up close to their mothers and siblings. Finding yourself alone for the first time is not easy, you need to be able to correctly introduce the concept of being alone and ensure that it has stimuli so as not to get bored without company.
• The dog barks at night . Dogs have a strong protective instinct towards us, if they bark at night it is probably to warn us of something they perceive as a danger or to attract our attention since they do not see us alert. It is necessary to intervene on this habit as soon as possible so that it does not become a compulsion.
• The dog barks at people . Your dog probably does this because he feels threatened. In this case, a visit to the behaviorist may be useful to understand if it is an immediate trauma or just stress.
• The dog stares into space and barks at nothing . Given that sometimes dogs see things invisible to us and are therefore not staring into space, if your friend is of a certain age and, after a few seconds in which he seems "frozen", barks with agitation it could be a neurological problem. Better run to the vet!
• The dog barks for a long time in different situations . A typical expression of canine stress, this behavior can also depend on a life that is too active, for example full of frequent travel.

How to teach your dog not to bark when alone

If your dog barks when he is home alone , you can try leaving music or a radio on that is making familiar noises. Another good way to keep him comfortable is to leave him some games that require a lot of attention to keep him busy in your absence and take those games off when you are at home.

If you notice that it is not boredom that makes him bark when you are not around but instead suffers from separation anxiety, a good strategy is to leave him a piece of cloth or anything else that smells like his family to calm him down.
Once back home, spend as much time as possible with him and let him play: he will have missed you and this is the best way to re-establish the bond and erase all anxiety!

How to train your dog not to bark with a command

A good way to teach your dog not to bark with a command is to distract him every time he barks . Use something very loud, like a can full of coins, to get his attention, and then say the command "silence" very firmly.
When your dog stops barking, reward him. Never raise your voice when you want it to stop as it could cause anxiety and impair learning. As we have said from the beginning, it takes a little patience. It is also possible that your friend may get confused if he thinks you are "barking" too: yelling only reinforces the habit of barking .

How to tell your dog not to bark: don't encourage him

If you want to be able to teach your dog not to bark , you will need to stop encouraging all kinds of barking . You know that your furry friend often barks just to get attention, so in this case, the first step is to stop giving him what he wants every time he says "wow". But first try to figure out if he is barking because he has to go to the toilet - in which case he has every right to be heard! - or if it is simply a whim like getting on the sofa. In the second case, don't indulge his whims: any concession from you will convince him that by continuing to bark he can get whatever he wants!

How to train your dog not to bark: reward him for behaving well

When your dog starts to stop barking , praise him and reward him for his silence. The point is to make him understand, over time, that if he keeps quiet he gets more advantages than when he barks insistently.  For this, have some special treats on hand to give him as soon as he stops barking and be ready to shower him with compliments . After all, he deserves them!
Once he realizes that if he is silent he receives rewards and if he barks he is ignored, you can gradually begin to extend the time he must remain calm before receiving the reward. For best results. Make sure that the waiting time for the reward is not always the same, so you can normalize the correct behavior step by step.

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