Tips on How To Stop Your Puppy from Barking

To stop a dog from barking it is best to start with your puppy
and to stop the puppy barking before it becomes a real problem
and harder to solve. Many things cause a puppy barking as we
have addressed elsewhere. You should decide just how much
barking you do want and at what. Mold your puppy’s behavior
toward this goal.

For instance, perhaps you wish your puppy to announce visitors.
First decide what words you will use to acknowledge your puppy
barking at visitors or more precisely, to announce your
visitors. Perhaps it could be a simple “Who’s there?” or “Who is
it? phrase. Whatever you choose, as with all things in puppy
training, remain consistent and train your family to use the
exact same phrase as well.

Your visitor approaches the house and your puppy begins barking.
Allow your puppy to bark a few times. You say, “Who’s there?”
and acknowledge your visitor. Now you must distract your puppy
if he continues to bark. As soon as he stops barking, you should
praise him so he knows that now is the right time to stop
barking. That’s the key – to be able to stop your puppy barking
when you want him to stop.

What distraction should you use? This will depend upon you but
one suggestion is a treat, especially for an eight-week-old
puppy. Wave it quietly under his nose until he quiets down. You
may find you yourself must become very quiet and still as well.

Praise him after he is quiet a few seconds and reward him. You
may use something else such as a chew toy for the distraction.
Whatever you use to distract him, be aware like all things
during puppy training, you will repeat and repeat this scenario.
Toddlers are not able to do things exactly right the first time
you show them and neither will a puppy be able to do it
absolutely correct from the first instance.

If your puppy continues barking, he may need a stronger
distraction. Some trainers swear by a set of keys jangling
together. Another noisy distraction can be some pennies in an
empty soda can with the hole taped shut. Shake it so as to
startle the puppy barking.

To stop a puppy barking, you simply must add this training to
your other puppy training and be prepared to continue for some
duration. It may seem like a hassle to go through all this
training, but think how wonderful it will be for you and your
neighbors to have a puppy, and then a dog, that you control and
make into an excellent companion for all his remaining years.

copyright 2005. Sandra Dinkins-Wilson