Does your dog bark at anyone or anything? Does he even bark at an even the slightest noise that you yourself cannot hear? Are your neighbours complaining when he barks endlessly at the middle of the night? Then your dog might have a barking problem. Barking may be the dog's natural way of communicating but if he barks incessantly and inappropriately, well, you better take some actions as this will be a problem between you and your neighbours. You must be wondering how will you get him to stop. Well, fret not. Here are some surefire solutions that will definitely reduce your dog's barking. There are two ways where you can stop barking- Hindrance and Training. However, it is more effective if you use both.
Hindrances
1. Bark collar- Every time your dog barks, this collar will vibrate, surprising him, making him to stop. This goes on, until he learns to bark properly. However, this will not be beneficial to a dog that barks due to fear. Using this will only make him stressed and more fearful.
2. Citronella collar- Same as the bark collar, but this one sprays citronella in the dog's eyes once he barks. Some say it is effective but you should also have to consider that citronella may be irritating to his eyes.
3. Ultrasonic Deterrent - These make a sound undetectable to human ears which discourages barking.
4. Place him in a different position. Place him in the most advantageous position, the one where he cannot see many people or anything else passing by.
5. Give him activities-This will help remove the boredom away.
6. Acupuncture-it helps cure barking problems as this will help him relax. It also balances his system.
Training
1. Make sure to train him while he is still a pup.
2. Educate your dog to bark-you might find this weird since our aim here is to lessen his barking, but trust me, this is important. Train him to bark when you command him to do so. If he barks, give him a treat. Then say "whisper". If he founds a way to lower his voice, reward him again with a yummy treat. Every time he barks without being asked to, use the "whisper" command.
3. Train your dog to stop barking- After teaching him to "Bark", "Whisper", you must now train him to "Quiet". Command him in a low voice so he will lower his too. Your dog may find this exciting and will enjoy participating in your game. Always reward him with a treat every time he follows a command.
The givens steps are easy and effective. You can easily do this. You do not want your dog to stop barking altogether, you only want him to bark reasonably. Never ever succumb to those debarking treatments that are offered. That is inhumane. Dogs bark, let them. All you have to do is to control his barking and you're all good.