Does Your Dog Bark All Night? Here’s What You Can Do.
Can’t Stop Your Dog From Barking?
How to Keep Your Dog From Barking All Night
Training Tips for Barking Dogs
By: Hannah Forrest
Your dog is your family member. They’re the light of your life, and you love every minute you spend with them. Well… almost every minute… Sometimes they can get into a bit of trouble. You may notice your bedroom slippers are mere pieces of dangling rags, your dinner has been chewed on and they won’t stop barking. Ever!
Out of all the troubling behaviors dogs can have, unnecessary barking is one of the most common. Many dogs bark when they see something unfamiliar. They bark when someone is trespassing around your house, which is a good thing. Or they bark when something upsets them.
But other dogs may bark every time someone walks down the road—two miles away. They may bark at every squirrel, every crawling ant, every waving piece of grass… Well, you get the idea. Your dog’s barking can disturb not only you, but the entire neighborhood.
Why Does My Dog Bark So Much?
Veterinary behaviorist Dr. Stephanie Borns-Weil shares that dogs can bark for a multitude of reasons. Two of the most common reasons for dogs to bark are due to territory and attention. The first step in planning the best training method is to determine what may be causing your dog’s barking.
Territorial
If your dog is barking at every person and animal that walks near the house, yard, or driveway, his barking is likely territorial. To a dog, territory means their perceived area that they’ve laid claim to. Anything that trespasses in that area is considered a potential threat. Dogs are territorial as a survival instinct. It helps them protect their resources and improves their chances of survival.
Attention
If your dog barks for no obvious reason, or refuses to stop barking when the person or animal has long passed out of vision, he may need more attention.
Some breeds tend to bark more than other breeds. But even they can be trained to bark less with patience and consistency.
Teach Your Territorial Dog to Stop Barking
Some territorial barking is a good thing. You definitely don’t want your dog not to bark if a burglar comes to the house, after all. And it’s nice to have a warning when someone is approaching the door.
But other territorial barking can be irritating to everyone in the neighborhood. Your neighbor doesn’t want to be barked at when they’re trying to take a peaceful walk. And you really don’t need to know when every squirrel dashes up a nearby tree.
A combination of avoidance and the “quiet” command can be used to stop your dog from barking:
Avoidance Training
Avoidance training is useful in lowering the amount of time a dog barks. It is not the ultimate fix, but with a little proactive involvement, can buy you time to do necessary work meetings.
Exercise Your Dog
Exercise your dog for an hour before an at-home meeting or anything else you need silence for. If he’s tired, he’s more likely to bark less.
Give Your Dog Long-Lasting Treats
Save aside hollow toys stuffed with treats like canned dog food, spray cheese, peanut butter, or chewy treats. Just before your quiet activity, give your dog the treat in a different area. It should keep him occupied long enough for you to finish what you’re doing.
Minimize Exposure to Barking Triggers
You can keep your dog out of rooms with windows by using doors and gates. If he doesn’t see the passersby, he may not bark. You can also keep your blinds closed or cover the lower part of windows with a curtain, dark material/dark poster board, or translucent static film.
If your dog also barks at any sound he hears, you can try to cover it up with white noise machines or apps. You can also put him in a room that doesn’t allow outside noise to flow through.
The “Quiet” Command
The avoidance method can be useful to buy you small windows of time in which to study or work. But it’s not a permanent solution and requires a lot more proactivity on your part. A better method is to teach your dog to respond to the “quiet” command. It will not only stop the barking more quickly, but it will eventually train your dog not to bark at everything.Here is how to do it:
1. Sit with your dog near a busy window. Make sure the window is uncovered. Have a bowl of favorite dog treats nearby and attach a leash to their collar.
2. When your dog starts barking at someone or something passing by, utter “quiet” in a friendly and upbeat tone. Do not repeat, but wait patiently until your dog stops barking.
3. When your dog finally stops barking, immediately give your dog praise and a treat. If your dog doesn’t stop barking right away, first move them away from the window by pulling at the leash.
As soon as they stop barking, give them the praise and treat. If your dog still won’t settle at a slightly further distance from the window, start the training process from farther away. Use the same steps.
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4. Repeat the process at each passerby until your dog begins to respond to the “quiet” command and stops barking on his own. If you started farther from the window, repeat steps 1 through 4 closer and closer to the window until your dog quiets on cue right next to the window.
5. When your dog consistently stops barking at “quiet,” increase the amount of time he must remain silent before giving him the praise and treat. Begin by waiting one second (one-one thousand) and working up to five full seconds before giving the praise and treat.
6. Once your dog always stops barking on command, start rewarding intermittently (every other time, every third time, every fourth time, etc.).
When teaching your dog a new trick or behavior, it works best to use consistent rewards. But to maintain already-learned behavior, intermittent rewards work best.
Teach Your Attention-Seeking Dog Not To Bark
If your dog barks at random things or nothing at all, you can still use the above steps to teach him not to bark. You may just need to start the training process in a different manner:
When Your Dog Barks Nonstop at You
If your dog just comes up to you and starts barking, he may stop when you start petting him. But this only encourages his behavior and teaches him that barking earns him attention. Avoidance training won’t work as well with this behavior, but following the steps of the “Quiet” command can still work.
Only Reward When Your Dog Is Quiet
Utter the “quiet” command. Only pet, praise, and give him treats when your dog finally stops barking at you. It may take a long process, but he will eventually learn that he only gets rewarded when he is silent.
What About Outside Barking?
The problem with outside barking is that your dog is alone when in the yard. If you yell “quiet” from the house when he starts barking, you are giving him attention. That may accidentally be reinforcing his barking behavior.
How to Solve Constant Barking Outside:
- Listen for a time when your dog is quiet. Go outside and give your dog attention.
- When your dog and you hear a noise, give your dog praise and treats BEFORE they start to bark.
- Praise them for being “quiet” and utter the command. Your dog may soon learn to remain silent just from this.
- Follow the same steps as the inside “quiet” training, except sit with them in the yard for each training session.
If you live in an area with inconsistent noises that cause your dog to bark, you can start the training with a controlled noise, like a doorbell or your car horn. Once your dog learns to respond to the “quiet” command, you can use it for other inconsistent noises and he will know to stop barking.
Final Thoughts
With enough patience and consistency, you can train most bad habits out of your dog. The time spent will be well worth gaining quiet time for work, study, and relaxation. It’s much better than having to resort to muzzling your dog. And it may keep you in good favor with your neighbors as well. You can also spend more quality bonding time with your beloved pup if you don’t have to worry about behavioral issues. And your doggie can save his voice for those doggie choirs!
