Summing Up How To Stop Excessive Barking
Most excessive barking has an underlying issue, try to figure out and understand what it might be.
- Check your own behaviour – are you accidentally rewarding unwanted barking?
- Stay calm, be patient, keep trying!
- Distraction is your go-to answer for unwanted barking.
- Barking at people for attention – ignore the behaviour, reward for stopping, try to distract with a toy or calling their name if ignoring fails.
- Barking at cars/passers-by/cats/birds – distract with games, tricks, toys, name-calling and reward when stopped barking.
- Frustrated and scared barking – distract with tricks, games, toys, name- calling and remove your dog from the situation, praise when stopped barking and moved away.
- Aggressive barking – distract with their name or a toy, remove them from the situation as soon as possible, contact an expert for professional help.
- Never smack, shout (or scream!) at your dog.
- Stay calm, be patient, keep trying! – yes, I’ve put this twice, on purpose.
