Every dog that’s ever lived has barked. And some people don’t like it. Especially when its loud and “unnecessary” barking.
My own take on this is that some barking is fine. It’s the sound of a contented dog telling the world what he thinks. And if the owner can turn off the happiness when it starts to irritate the neighbors, then it is just great Service dog training Houston.
So, control is everything.
Not an easy assignment if your dog has gotten into the habit of barking. Either because it has come to enjoy a good bark. (And dogs in isolation or alone may begin to bark as a way of getting some pleasure in an otherwise lonely existence.) Or because you taught him to when he was a puppy by rewarding him with attention when he made little, puppy barking noises. (Come to think of it, we sometimes teach our toddlers bad habits in exactly the same way!)
Here are some suggestions you might find help you retrain your noisy dog, so he will stop when you tell him, “Enough is enough!”
(1) Exercise your dog.
If your dog is barking a lot and the neighbors are upset, it is possibly because he is bored, frustrated, lonely or needing attention. So walk him. give him the time he craves. Be his friend and companion. Set some training objectives and work with him to learn new tricks and behaviors. Tour him around your neighborhood so he can leave his mark here and there, investigate new sensations, see what’s happening outside the range of his yard. Dogs are social animals, of course.
Over time, with attention like this, many dogs will bark less. And the neighbors will come over for barbecues more often!
(2) Keep him in a place where his barking will not disturb too many people.
Do this while you are working on his barking habit. In the back of your section, furthest from the road, perhaps. Or, with the drapes drawn, if he is with you in an apartment building.
(3) Insist he stops when you tell him to stop.
This is the key. Barking is a normal dog behavior, and you can live with a certain amount of the noise. For one thing it is a way he communicates with you. For another, he will bark to release tension or underline excitement. But your dog must stop when you tell him. And this is the trick.
So, when you’re training him try this: when he begins barking, accept two or three barks, but then tell him to stop and at the same time show him a food reward. Your dog will almost certainly stop barking immediately because he can’t get closer to the food, sniff it, and get ready to gulp it down. Wait a few second, then reward the quiet.
Next time he barks delay giving the food a couple more seconds. And the following time longer still. Some dogs can be trained this way to wait for over a minute in the first training session! But if your dog is barking from habit, then it is going to take weeks to train quietness on command. That’s OK. When your dog will stop barking when quietly, but firmly, told to you will feel like you’ve gained a whole new relationship with him. So, keep this up until he’s trained.