How to stop a dog from barking?

Raising a puppy

The sooner the owner starts training and raising a puppy, the easier it will be to communicate with the dog in the future, not only for him, but for all family members. You should pay attention to the following points:

• The puppy should perceive your commands from one word. As for barking, you can stop it by using the commands “quiet” or “fu” (some prefer the long “no”).
• It is believed that positive reinforcement is the most effective way that allows the owner to achieve their goals. How it works: When the command is correctly executed, the dog is rewarded with a treat.

If the dog is silent, it should be encouraged. This will gradually form her understanding that obeying the owner is good and pleasant.

• Animals must be punished properly. In the case of a puppy barking, you can click your fingers on the nose several times while repeating “fu” (or “no”). The use of brute physical force is meaningless, since, having achieved the dog’s submission, intimidating it, you can get not only obedience, but also mental disorders of the animal and, as a result, its possible inappropriate behavior in the future.

Causes

Dogs usually bark to get attention. The owner should pay attention to situations when the puppy begins to bark without ceasing. Usually they are associated with two points:

• The manifestation of joy. The owner was gone for a long time, or guests came. In this case, unwanted barking should be stopped using the methods described above.
• The occurrence of a stressful situation. For example, a puppy barks at the door when you leave him alone in the apartment. In such cases, the most effective measure will be to minimize the risk of such circumstances and gradually accustom the puppy to the need to be alone. In this case, the owner (and his neighbors) should just be patient.

adult dogs

When an adult dog appears in the house with its habits and already formed character, the owner should understand that training is possible, but it will require more time and patience than if it were a puppy. The basic operating principles remain the same as with the puppy. This is teaching the dog to follow the owner’s commands with the help of positive and negative reinforcement of behavior.

An important point: sometimes, to wean adult dogs from barking, it is recommended to use devices such as special anti-bark collars, and surgical cutting of ligaments may also be advised. It is strongly not recommended to do this, since in the latter case it is fraught with health problems for the dog, up to inflammation.

The owner should understand that with patience and kindness he can achieve the desired result much more effectively than using any punishment.

11 2017 June

Updated: December 21, 2017