How to Control Your Dog’s Barking

When a dog barks, it may be because he has heard something dangerous, is bored, hurt something or wants to attract attention. Some breeds are “noisier” than others. And, in many cases, this incessant sound can bother us. In this article, we will give you some tips so that you can control your dog’s barking.

Why do dogs bark?

Before solving the problem, we should identify its causes. The most frequent reasons why dogs bark are:

1. Stress

Living under extreme conditions, receiving mistreatment, being alone for a long time, not having enough space to move or being frustrated are synonymous with barking.

2. Loneliness

When it is left alone many hours, your dog feels abandoned and needs to demonstrate this in some way. Do not forget that canines are creatures that love being in a pack 24 hours a day.

3. Anxiety

Maybe you’re taking him to the vet, he does not like riding in the car or he feels alone when you leave. All this produces anxiety, and a way to alleviate it is barking.

4. Bad socialization

If your dog has not had contact with other pets or children, it is likely that he will bark in this situation.

5. Emotions

Dogs bark to show frustration, enthusiasm, joy or sadness. Also if they feel scared or are nervous.

6. Health problems

With age, canines lose their visual and auditory capacities and increase their barking to the extreme. Also they do so if they are sore or sick.

Tips to reduce your dog’s barking

Once you have determined why your dog barks so much, and if it is not a health or emotional problem, we suggest that you use the following techniques to stop the excessive noise:

1. Correct and follow up

With a physical correction (a light touch of the hand), a command (No!) or a look, the animal should reduce his barking. But it does not end there because perhaps he’ll start again in a few minutes. Be patient. You probably need several days of training so that the animal understands what he is doing wrong.

2. Stay calm

It is true that barking can be very annoying, especially if we want to rest, our head hurts or we have visitors. But if you are nervous or frustrated, you will not be able to correct your dog’s behavior. Remember that a pet does not follow orders from unbalanced leaders.

3. Claim your territory

If your canine is barking again and again at the same object or situation, come close to him and show him that it is yours. In this way, you will create an invisible “wall” between the cause of the barking and the animal.

4. Challenge your furry friend

Many times, canines bark to eliminate pent-up energy. The solution in this case is more than simple … play with him! You can take him out for a walk in the park or throw him a ball several times. The important thing is to get him a little tired and divert his intensity to an activity other than barking.

5. Play him music

If the reason for the barking is because he stays alone for many hours a day, you can remedy it by leaving the TV or radio on. Many times the silence leads him to bark, but if there is someone talking or if he hears music, the animal will pay attention to that stimulus and will not make noise.

6. Socialize him

If your pet has never been in contact with other animals, he will be more likely to bark every time you run into a dog on the street. You can try to integrate him into a group of dogs in a square or a park, for example.

7. Get help

If he does not listen and keeps barking even though you have tried all of the above, you may want to ask a professional for help. Training is essential to deal with bad behavior in pets.