All dogs bark, it’s their way to communicate a message. Whenever a dog is bored or excited, when he wants to greet a family member or scare off an intruder, you will hear that barking noise emanating from his voice box.
Although some barking from is acceptable, too much barking is certainly annoying, especially for your neighbors and eventually leading to complains. Starting at home would be the best way to start on your goal to quell your pooch’s problematic barking.
Employ a bit of strategy by creating a situation that would force your dog to bark. One example would be the ring of a doorbell or knock on the front door of your house.
When your dog charges to the door and start to bark loudly, approach your dog, grab his collar and give the command “quiet” no shouting please, it doesn’t help.
If your dog hushes up, then reward him accordingly. He’s a genius and deserves it.
The “quiet” command will need to be repeated if he keeps on barking, in which case you would want to use your hand, or both hands, to close his mouth, and use whatever free fingers you have on his muzzle. Praise if he stops.
Most dogs would be able to learn the “quiet” command with repeated training like this. Set up similar situations to “lure” your dog to bark and repeat training whenever possible.
However, if your dog barks as if his life depended on it, then control such persistent barking by doing the following:
Vinegar-Water solution. Mix a proportion 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.
Aim and shoot at his chest whenever he can’t stop barking even on your command. Dogs abhor vinegar on the same level as vampires hate garlic and Superman avoids kryptonite. It may even force them to sneeze a bit. It’s harmless so you need not worry.
When your dog stops barking, make sure he gets some praise in the end.
Before we forget, there will always be a chance that when you’re not at home, your dog will be causing a ruckus and turning your neighbors stone deaf with his barking. Fortunately, “bark collars” have been created to soothe such “savage beasts” when you’re not around.
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. They are extremely effective against troublesome barkers.
This article wouldn’t be complete without my five-star recommendation. I go for either the citronella collars or those that emit high-pitched noises, because these are the most humane ways to deal with a problematic barker.
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