Dogs bark for many different causes, including boredom, enthusiasm, alerting, and even hostility. You'll need all the patience and determination you can muster if you want to change these ingrained habits.
If you follow my advice, you'll be able to start cutting down on her barking right away. Be patient, cool, and collected at all times. Maintain composure under pressure; losing it could make things even more dire.
First, don't lose your cool; yelling and screaming will get you nowhere.
If you want your pet to quit barking, you shouldn't join in. The dog sees it like this. Adding excitement or anxiety to an already tense situation may make matters worse. Maintain your cool under pressure and carry on as the unassuming leader that you are. Read this article: 10 Reasons Why Your Dog Ignores Your Commands
Second, watch out for sending mixed messages.
Some owners try to calm their dogs down when they bark at the mailman, for attention, or for any other reason. Although it may appear to be helping, this is actually exacerbating the issue.
Your dog is responding positively because he or she is receiving positive reinforcement, which consists of your affection and attention. That includes giving in when your dog begs to come inside, barking angrily or alertly when someone approaches the door, and other similar situations. Now we're ready to go on to the next phase.
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Third, design incentives that reward desirable actions and punish undesirable ones.
There is a basic psychology behind this, and it does indeed work. There will be situations in which your dog barks out of pure instinct; the basic (though not often easy) remedy is to link the barking with something unpleasant. There are humanitarian ways to deal with this problem, and I don't mean punishment or physical pain.
Examples:
There are instances when a simple "NO" and a pointed finger are all that's needed to stop the undesirable conduct. Some dogs have an uncanny ability to read your emotions and body language, allowing them to quickly grasp when they've made a mistake.
When they start barking, they're usually in an extremely agitated and/or hostile frame of mind. Take away whatever was exciting them, pull them aside, give them a firm "NO" while maintaining your composure, and then put an end to the interaction. If necessary, rephrase.
Read also: How to Look for and Hire a Pet Sitter
If your dog continues to bark at passers-by despite your efforts to stop it, trying a simple timeout may help.
Dogs are sociable creatures; if you catch yours barking at the mailman or strangers, it's best to use a calm, authoritative voice to let her know she's done something wrong (by saying "No" or "Bad Dog") and then confine her to a timeout area for a few minutes. Wait a few minutes and then let her go.
To sum up, the fourth step is to repeat the process over and over.
Follow through on the corrective action consistently to see results faster. Enhancing a behaviour that is so innate to an animal does take some time. It took a few months for my dogs to start getting it, and they still occasionally bark if they have too much energy, so I can't give you an accurate estimate of how long it will take yours.
Read also: Treatment and Prevention of Dog Separation Anxiety
Action #5: Give Them the Tools They Need to Succeed
When my dogs are overstimulated, they still bark and act inappropriately. For sure, this means they need to go for a stroll. Dogs, in contrast to humans, need to channel excess energy into productive behaviour when they consume it.
This includes, but is not limited to, digging, running, chewing, and, of course, barking. When I take them for a walk around the block and throw the ball a few times, they calm down and stop barking. To keep your dogs healthy and happy, daily walks with them are essential.
Moreover, you probably won't be available very often to really implement the necessary course corrections. In the event, for instance, that your dog barks while you are away from home.
Until they have made significant progress in training, it's best to keep them in a secure area away from busy streets and places where they might be tempted to bark.
If your pet is barking due of loneliness or separation anxiety, try taking it for a walk before you leave so it can relax and sleep peacefully in your absence.
Read also: Dog Foods You Should Avoid
You should help your dog in whatever way you can because you want the best for them.
Eventually, you may find that your dog barks only once or twice before she understands the new routine. This is perfectly fine with me, but if she barks more than twice in a row, I'll have to take corrective action and gently teach her that it's not appropriate behaviour in my house.
But what if my dog is easily frightened and bolts whenever I try to correct her?
In reality, some dogs are naturally timid, and they may bolt at the sight of you approaching, much less if you approach too closely. This makes it exceedingly more complicated to give her a timeout or otherwise let her know she done anything wrong.
The Spray Collar is a safe and effective substitute. These collars respond to noise by emitting a harmless lemon vapour that may annoy your dog. This is preferable to painful shock collars, which is why I use it.
What If My Dog Doesn't React to Any Form of Discipline?
There are a few possible explanations for this. Your dog could become confused if you react to her barking with excitement, frustration, or worry. Be patient and calm no matter what happens.
It's also possible that your dog is in such a distracted mood. Take her by the leash and walk her to a different area of the house, where you can have her sit and pay attention before giving her a firm "no." This might also benefit from a brief break. Time-outs should be kept to a minimum at all costs (2 - 5 minutes).
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