How to Control Dog Barking
- 1). Dogs bark for a lot of reasons and sometimes we WANT them to let us know when something happening in or around the house. Unfortunately, many dogs simply bark all the time due to habit or boredom and this can become nuisance barking. The best way to make sure this doesn't happen with your dog is to discourage your dog from recreational barking when he or she is still very young. A simple "no", holding the puppy's muzzle shut should do the trick. Then reward the pup right away for being quiet with a "good dog" so he/she knows what behavior you want!
- 2). If the habit of barking is already getting established, you may have to resort to some additional help. A tin can filled with stones can be tossed NEAR the dog if he/she starts barking. Often the sound startles the dog and stops the barking at once. Before long just shaking the pebbles in the can will do the trick. One nice part of this training is the dog doesn't connect you with the loud noise: it's the can that does it, not you.
- 3
Citronella bark collar
If neither of these techniques will work for you, then you might want to consider using a bark collar. There are citronella bark collars and electronic bark collars. Unless you have a particularly difficult dog, I prefer not to use an electronic collar. These are best used only when critical training is necessary. Shocking the dog -- even a light shock -- sometimes can make a dog fearful, too insecure or even aggressive. Check with a trainer before using electronic collars. But the citronella collar is quite safe. It simply squirts a spray of lemon-scented citronella upward toward the dog's face. Usually, the surprise is enough to stop barking. Some dogs are not intimidated by the citronella collar, but it tends to work well on most small and medium sized dogs. Plus, the dog smells great to us humans! - 4). Not all of these barking controls work for every dog. You will have to experiment to see what works best to control dog barking with your pet.
