Articles

Barking Dog Training

Dogs bark.  Sometimes to excess.  You probably don’t want to stop your dog from barking entirely.  There are times that you might want your dog to bark.  So let us address the types of barking, the reasons for the barking, and how to control that barking.  But first a list of Do’s and Don’ts:

• Do not yell or raise your voice in response to your dog’s barking.  He will think that you are barking too and will want the two of you to bark more.
• Do reward your dog with attention, treats, toys, etc. when he is behaving in a way that you like.
• Do not make the mistake of offering rewards, including your attention, while your dog is barking in a way that you do not want.
• Do remember that your dog has a very short memory span and rewards must be offered almost immediately upon adopting desired behavior.
• Do take the time to spend with your dog’s obedience training.  You will find that a dog that is accustomed to following commands is a more relaxed dog and one whose annoying behaviors are much more easily corrected.

Now, on to the types of barking, their causes, and control measures:

Warning or Alert Barking:
Your dog sees someone approaching your front door and barks.  Something falls down in the back yard, making a loud noise, and your dog barks.  This is a natural reaction and one that you might not want to stop entirely.  You probably want a two or three “woof” response, followed by silence.  There are several approaches to this situation that can be used individually or in concert.

One method is to ignore the barking entirely until it stops.  Then give immediate praise and/or reward when there is silence.  By “ignore” we do mean ignore.  No talking to the dog.  No looking at the dog.  No attention whatsoever.  Do not give in.  If the dog barks for ten minutes and you have had enough and you yell at him or reward him with any other sort of attention (Yes, “reward”.  That is how your dog will interpret it.) the next time he will bark for twenty minutes or however long until you again reward him.
 We sometimes refer to this method as shunning and it works for a number of other behavioral issues.

Another method involves distracting your dog so that he stops barking, even momentarily, and reward him when he is quiet, even for a second.  Various methods may be used to distract your dog while barking.  One way is to place a special treat very close to your dog’s nose.  Dogs cannot bark while they are sniffing.  Once the dog starts to sniff, reward him with the treat and praise him along with your “Quiet” command.

The use of bark collars can be a highly effective way of controlling many types of barking.  For this reason we have addressed it in a separate section of this report.

Probably the most effective yet counter-intuitive method of controlling barking is to train your dog to bark on command:  “Speak!”, or “Bark!”, or whatever short command you chose to use.  To accomplish this training you will need some stimulus that will cause your dog to bark.  It could be an assistant knocking at the door or ringing the doorbell.  Give your dog the command “Speak!”.  Immediately initiate the stimulus to cause your dog to bark.  After your dog barks a couple of times distract him, for example by placing a special treat near his nose.  When he stops barking in response to your distraction, praise him and reward him with a treat.  Repeat this process until your dog will reliably respond to “Speak!”.
Now in a quiet environment tell your dog to “Speak!”.  When he starts barking tell him “Quiet!” and distract him so he stops barking.  (Methods of distracting were discussed earlier.) Once he stops barking reward him.  Repeat.  (Like all training exercises, you need to repeat, I repeat, you must repeat many times to get the lesson to sink in.)

Separation Anxiety Barking:
Whether you call it separation anxiety, boredom, loneliness, or isolation, dogs are social animals and need company.  They will sometimes voice their discomfort by barking.  This barking can become very persistent and annoying to neighbors.  There are a number of ways to control this type of barking.
Bark collars are particularly effective for this sort of barking.  However we reemphasize the need to provide immediate reward for the quiet that follows the bark collar stimulus.

If you are up to it, the acquisition of a second dog is an excellent way to provide companionship for your dog and relieve the feeling of loneliness and anxiety that your dog feels when you are not around.

Fear Induced Barking:
Dogs are sometimes afraid of other dogs and when a strange dog appears it may be met with barking and, occasionally, growling.  The underlying reason for this type of barking is the lack of socialization with other dogs.  Try taking your dog to the dog park or taking regular walks around the block where there may be other dogs.  It is a gradual process, but with continued encounters with other dogs your dog should lose the fear that leads to the barking.  Note that reprimands and bark collars are generally counterproductive in resolving this sort of barking issue.

Barking Associated With Play and Excitement:
When dogs are engaged in play or other exciting situations they will sometimes bark.  These barks are generally high-pitched and of short duration.  Generally this barking should not be discouraged.  However, if it gets too carried away it may be time for a “time out”.  This can be a short “sit, stay, fetch” training session or just a treat on your dog’s place (a mat, bed, carpet, or wherever your dog likes to lie quietly.)

Other Types of Barking:
A dog on the other side of the fence barks and your dog responds in kind.  It is your dog’s way of saying “It is I. I am here.”  This should not be annoying unless it turns into a drawn out duet (or chorus, if more than two dogs are involved.)  If it does get to the annoying stage it is time to distract your dog, perhaps with a short “Come! Sit! Stay!” session.  When your dog is quiet, let’s say while sitting, praise your dog using “Good dog”, and “Quiet”, or whatever word you chose to use for a non-barking command.

Bark Collars
There are three types of bark collars in general use.  Each produces a distraction whenever the dog wearing the collar barks.  The first type emits a spray, typically citronella, that is generally pleasant for human beings but very unpleasant for dogs.  The second emits a very high frequency sound, audible to dogs but either barely audible or totally inaudible to people.  The third type induces a sharp electrical shock.  We do not encourage using this third type of bark collar.

We highly recommend that you use these bark collars only when you can be close by and immediately praise and reward your dog when he is quiet, reinforcing the “Quiet!” command.  The problem with using a bark collar when you are not near enough to reinforce the desired behavior is that the scent source or batteries will run out and your dog will learn that if he barks long enough the stimulus will stop.

Commands
There is a reason why so many commands used in dog training are short and distinct.  Come!  Sit!  Stay!  Down!  Off!  Quiet!  Fetch!  No bark!  A dog has a very short attention span and will lose your meaning after about two words.

It is also important that everyone who is or will be involved in modifying your dog’s behavior use the same commands for the same situations.  For this reason we suggest that you write down all of the commands to be used so all can see and agree.

Summary:

• Take the time to spend with your dog’s obedience training.  You will find that a dog that is accustomed to following commands is a more relaxed dog and one whose annoying behaviors are much more easily corrected.
• Keep training sessions fun and exciting.
• See that your dog gets lots of exercise.  A tired dog is much less likely to engage in undesirable behavior.
• Do not save praise and other rewards exclusively for “formal” training sessions.  Any time your dog is engaged in desirable behavior is a good time to reward and reinforce the behavior.
• Remember that everyone who has regular contact with your dog must use the same terms and tone of voice and response to each and every incidence of undesirable behavior.  Otherwise your dog will become confused.
• Do not engage in punishment more severe than “shunning” (i.e. ignoring) or a gentle reprimand.  Physical punishment will only destroy the bond of trust that should exist between you and your dog.

The material here has been drawn from many sources and flavored heavily with our own experiences.  For more ideas on how to control your dog's barking and obedience training in general we recommend the 261-page e-book "Secrets to Dog Training".