If your pup is a barker, then you already know how difficult it can be to stop the yapping madness. Incessant barking is one of the toughest challenges to tackle, but it can be done. See the reverse side for a couple of techniques that with some patience and practice really work!
Dogs bark for a number of reasons, from fear and protection to a greeting or simple excitement. All forms of barking are your pup’s attempt to communicate with you, so it is important to never get mad at your baby for yapping. Raising your voice or scolding your pup will only worsen the situation. Instead, try one of these two recommendations to curb the chatter:
Desensitize Barking Cues:
If your baby barks for specific reasons that you can put your finger on, then desensitizing those cues may be the easiest way to stem the behavior. Start by identifying what that stimulus is, for example, some common ones are people wearing hats, riding a skateboard or bike, or even the mailman. Your pup is simply not used to these encounters and needs to be further introduced. The key is to introduce slowly with lots of treats. Get a friend or family member to help you, let’s take the example of riding a bike. With your pup on leash have the biker ride about 100 feet away. This shouldn’t upset your pup. Make sure he sees the biker and treat him for acknowledging the situation and not barking at it. Treat well. Have the biker approach slowly and continue to treat. If your pup starts barking, have the biker move further away until the barking stops. Continue this back and forth, praising and treating handsomely as the biker approaches. Repeat this process daily un l the barking stops completely.
Divert Your Pup’s Attention:
This one is particularly helpful if your dog will bark at things randomly on the street, or passing by the house. If you need to get your pup to stop, try to ask your pup for the complete opposite behavior and praise him for giving it to you. It is hard for your pup to bark and also respond to a command like shake, lie down, or turn in a circle. The incompatible behavior will take him out of the barking frenzy.
The key to diverting your pups attention is two-fold:
- Make sure that your pup is a master at whatever the command is. Practice it every day so when he is distracted by the passerby he will start to respond.
- Load the reward. Make sure your pup knows that when he gives you the response you are looking for he is rewarded like a king (or queen).
Bringing a new family addition into the home is extremely exciting! Becoming a new puppy parent comes with a ton of new joys, challenges and responsibilities. PupBox was created to help new puppy parents like yourself, by providing all of the toys, treats, accessories and training information you need, when you need it. CLICK HERE to learn more about PupBox.
And remember, puppyhood is fast and is gone before you know it. Make sure to savor the time when your pup is young, and take lots of pictures along the way!
