5 Step Guide to Stop Your Dog Barking- Helpful Tips

Nothing is more relaxing than a walk with your dog. However, this calmness can quickly be tarnished if your dog barks all the time. It will become even more uncomfortable for you and your neighbors if your dog does this even at home. Do not despair, with the help of the 5 step guide to stop your dog barking you can relax again with your furry friend.

In this article, we will explore the various reasons why dogs bark. There are valuable tips and advice that you can follow to get the problem with your dog under control.

Why do dogs bark at all?

Typically, barking is an important part of communication between dogs. Thus, they try to convey their message. There could be different reasons for doing so like. 

Sometimes your four-legged friend barks because he wants to warn his counterpart of dangers and risks. But he can only bark out of insignificance. 

The dogs’ barking is the way to speak their language and that is their ability to communicate with one another. Like if your dog barks it means he is trying to communicate with other people by barking. 

If you have already gained some experience in dealing with your furry friend, it will be easy for you to get to the bottom of the barking.

However, if you’ve recently had the pleasure of sharing your life with a dog, you may lack background knowledge. 

But don’t worry, that problem will go away. With this detailed knowledge, you will understand your dog’s behavior completely in a few months.

Reasons of your dog barking

You have already learned that your dog uses barking as a means of communication. So you should know if he barks now and then and especially when there is danger – it is an instinct that enables communication, in this case in the form of a warning. 

Several reasons can cause your furry friend to bark outdoors and indoors. Unfortunately, it also bothers you, your neighbors, or other walkers. 

Usually, there is always a cause of their barking but you can easily fix it. To understand things better we have put together the most common causes and reasons for you:

• Bad habit
• Excitement & Stress Barks
• Fear, Anxiety Barking
• Barking from Boredom
• Sudden restlessness

The points mentioned are the most common reasons that can lead to excessive barking in your dog. However, a deep understanding of these reasons and following 5 step guide to stop your dog barking can help you in fixing things with a little patience.

1. Bad habit

Unconscious upbringing can cause frequent barking. In this situation, your dog will develop an intrusive bark to get his way. The most common reasons for this type of barking are to ask for a treat or to call for a walk. 

Your furry friend tries to gain and maintain dominance in your relationship through this behavior. With a little patience, you can eliminate this bad habit.

But first, you need to find out why your dog is barking. To do this, you have to watch him closely whenever he barks like 

• If he stands in front of the door and barks incessantly, it is more likely he wants some fresh air and asks you to take him out. 
• If there are set walking times and your dog barks outside of these times, then it is just a bad habit that needs to be weaned off.

2. Excitement & Stress Barks

You may notice that your dog barks excessively or loudly when someones give a visit or he generally goes through a stressful period. This type of barking is a little more difficult to fix. This is an instinct, not a bad habit. 

• So is it a stressful time for him or are you expecting numerous guests on the weekend? 

In both situations, if your dog is too excited, you can counter this by reducing his adrenaline. The best way of doing so is to plan various activities that will put your dog to a high load and thus lower the adrenaline. 

3. Fear, Anxiety Barking

If you have a frightened dog, there is a high risk that he will bark excessively. Most of the time, this is due to trauma that you may not have anything to do with. 

If your dog often barks out of fear, the first thing you have to do is find the cause of his fear and fix it. 

• Are there any situations in which your dog reacts anxiously? 

If your answer is yes then the best you can do is to use a natural sedative to calm him. However, this is not a permanent solution but it’s a good way to quickly find and correct the cause of your dog’s anxiety.

4. Barking from Boredom

If your dog is not busy enough in everyday life, he can bark a lot out of sheer boredom. This is also an instinctive behavior. 

However, you can quickly fix the cause by making sure that your furry friend has enough to do when you are not around. 

Of course, you have to go about your work and your everyday life but you should try to leave your dog alone as little as possible. However, make sure that your dog has enough activity during the time you are not with him. 

• Is it financially and spatially possible for you to find a journeyman for your dog?

If yes then you might consider this option. Dogs are not loners and usually live in packs. So if your loyal companion is alone in the apartment for several hours a day, this can result in excessive barking. A journeyman can be helpful for you in this situation. 

• Are you not given the spatial and financial possibilities for a second dog? 

If yes then make sure to spend time with your dog before going to work and after coming. 

5. Sudden Restlessness

You already have experience of dealing with your dog. The barking has never been an issue for you but, constant barking and an overnight sudden change in your dog’s behavior may seem a serious problem. 

If this situation sounds familiar to you, you should see your vet as soon as possible. 

There may be reasons behind that behavior such, as physical causes that have occurred recently to your dog. Those reasons can animate your dog to bark. 

But not to worry the veterinarian can find out the cause through a quick examination and prescribe appropriate therapy.

Helpful tips to stop your dog barking

5 Steps Method to Stop the Barking

Anti-barking training is one way you can control your dog’s constant barking. Usually, this only takes some time to practice. In addition, your four-legged friend combines this training with a playful activity.

The 5 step guide to stop your dog barking is as follows:

1. Choose a command word

First, you choose a word that signals the command to stop the barking. There are no limits to the choice for the command word but make sure it only occurs once and not already be used for another exercise or another command.

2. Elicit the Bell Response

After you determine the reason your dog is barking, you will elicit this response. So whenever your dog barks, you say that command word. 

With a little practice, you will be able to deal with your furry friend so well that you will start to use the command word before the reaction. That is the goal of the second step.

3. Reward your dog

If you manage to use the command word before barking, you must praise your dog by using words like “Well done!” Or “Good boy!”. You can also bestow the reward with a treat.

4. Repeat the exercises

Continuous practice will help you to stop your dog from barking. With each exercise, try to increase the time between the command word and the reaction.

5. Get help

If you are still unsuccessful, it is a good idea to seek advice from a dog trainer who can also help you identify the cause of the barking.

FAQs about how to stop your dog barking