How to stop barking

Barking in the car is usually caused by excitement at going out to the park etc. This can start when you pick up the car keys or any other activity that normally precedes an outing for the dog.

To stop this behaviour you must start with picking up your keys and as soon as the dog starts barking put them down again. After you have done this for a while and broken the association that picking up your keys means going out. You may then proceed to putting the dog in the car, remembering that...
...as soon as he barks you must take him out again. Eventually you can go for a short drive but if he begins to bark stop. He must not go to the park or anywhere until he stops barking.

Do not yell at him at any time, he will not obey you, so you are only teaching him to disobey.

This is a slow process as up until now he has learnt to bark and is rewarded i.e. a walk in the park. He must now learn that when he barks there is no reward.

Usually dogs bark when they are bored e.g. tied up or locked up for long periods of time. If your dog barks in this situation again, don't say anything just go out and make a loud noise against his kennel then walk away. Repeat this process as many times as necessary. This also works for dogs who bark at the gate when other people or dogs walk by.

Do remember it is neither kind nor reasonable to expect your dog to stay locked or tied up for vast periods of time - how would you like it.

Barking is a perfectly natural canine behavior. Birds sing; frogs croak; and a dog barks, whines and howls. If you have a dog, you better expect some barking, whining or howling. It is unrealistic and unfair to think you can train your dog to stop barking altogether. However, you, your neighbors and your dog will all be much happier if the barking is under control.

Dogs who are socially isolated or confined for long periods without supervised exercise need some outlet for their pent-up energy. A dog who is left alone all day is likely to take up barking as a hobby because no one is there to control him. In no time at all, barking becomes an enjoyable habit. And for many dogs, once they start barking, they tend to continue barking for the sheer fun of it.

Your dog may be barking excessively because you unintentionally trained her to do so. Poochie speaks and you obey. "Woof" and you open the door to let puppy out. "Woof" and you open it again to let her in. "Woof" and she gets a treat, "woof" for a tummy-rub . . . you get the picture. Your dog has learned to get attention through barking. It is easy to fall into this trap because the very nature of barking gets your attention. For the same reason, it is easy to forget to praise and reward your dog when she is not barking.

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