Tips to Get a Dog to Stop Barking in Seconds
How to stop a dog from barking can seem like an impossible problem to solve, but if you know how to make a dog stop barking in seconds, it’s really pretty simple! After all, dogs bark at certain stimuli (noise, motion) to alert us of danger, so they’re only doing what they were designed to do—it’s our job as their guardians to control the situation and keep them quiet when we need them to be.
1) Reward them for quiet
A common misconception about training is that dogs will stop barking if you simply punish them for it. This is absolutely not true, and all it does is reinforce negative behavior. Instead, wait until your dog has stopped barking for several seconds and then reward him by either giving him a treat or just some praise. It might take some time, but your dog will eventually understand that quiet equals treat/praise! If he doesn’t listen: If your dog isn’t responding to rewards, try changing his environment. For example, if he barks when you leave him alone at home, try putting on music so he won’t be able to hear himself bark (the music should be turned up loud enough so that he can still hear you when you call him). If he starts barking again after a few minutes of being left alone with music playing, then you may need to put him in another room.
2) Use distance between you and your dog
When your dog begins barking, you’ll want to create some distance between yourself and him as soon as possible. A dog’s natural instinct is to follow his owner, so if you are slowly back away from him while he’s barking, he will stop for fear of losing sight of you. Create distance when necessary by stepping outside or backing away from him. Then reward your dog with lots of praise when he stops barking. This will help him associate not barking with being rewarded, which should eventually teach him that it’s more rewarding to be quiet than it is to bark.
The next time your dog starts to bark at something, try these tips out and see how quickly they work! You might even have an anti-barker on your hands before you know it! (And hopefully, no more unwanted guests at 3am!)
3) Keep treats with you at all times
Treats will help you associate your absence with something positive. Bring treats everywhere you go for an entire week, keeping them on your person at all times. When you come home from work or errands, give your dog its favorite treat before it gets anything else—food, water, attention from other people in your household—and then be sure to leave again. It will quickly learn that barking leads to delicious rewards and not much else. Don’t get angry when your dog barks while you’re gone; he’s simply using his voice to tell you he needs attention. Instead of getting frustrated, just ignore him until he stops barking. This is easier said than done, but if you can train yourself to do it consistently, your dog will eventually figure out that no one is coming when he barks.
Conclusion
Make sure your dog understands that he can’t bark continuously. If you want to learn how to stop dog barking in seconds, practice using positive training methods. Start with step 1 below and you’ll be well on your way toward better behavior and a calmer dog—in no time at all!
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