Barking Puppy Training Tips
So, you just got your new puppy, and have discovered you need to learn some barking puppy training! First off, you must realize that barking in itself is not an abnormal behavior. Canines bark, just like cats meow and people make promises….it’s just something they do when they want something done! Your new pooch may bark to tell you that they are hungry, or to let you know that there is someone at the door, or that they are pleased (or displeased!) about something, etc. On each of these occasions barking could be appropriate, and possibly even appreciated by you, the master. barking starts to become a problem when your dog refuses to quiet down despite your request to do so. Thus the job before you is not to shut your dog up completely but to train him to speak at the appropriate times and cease and desist at your request.
Most barking dogs have a mission, even though we dumb humans may not know what that task is. They may have learned that every time they ’speak’ they make something happen. Maybe the barking leads to your mailman leaving, or your neighbor opens his window and yells out something nasty (attention is attention, after all!). Your precious pooch may really think he’s getting things done! Unfortunately for your pup (or your neighbors), getting these things done may not be appreciated by us, the master. We must train our companion that to survive amongst humans you are expected to behave and hold your tongue at times.
So start your training with a chosen command like ‘speak’ or ‘bark’ and reward him when he woofs a bit. If he’s not feeling like talking during your training, you may have to condition him to the command by stating ’speak’ or ‘bark’ when he’s actually barking, then telling him “no” or “stop” to get him to cease. Now once you’ve gotten him to speak on command, tell him ‘enough’ or ‘that’s it’ (whatever command you want to use to cease his barking-not just a generic ’stop’ or ‘no’) as soon as his woofing escalates and immediately plop a cookie into his mouth, he won’t have a choice but to stop! It’s a good idea to have in mind how many ‘barks’ would be appropriate. One ‘woof’ is usually sufficient to state his needs- as in “I need to go outside” or “there’s someone in the driveway.” Practice this routine a bunch, until he responds to each command given consistently. Then, next time he barks to let you know the mailman’s at your door praise him heartily and then sternly ask him to stop with a ‘enough’ or ‘that’s it’ (remember to use the same command to avoid confusing him) and give him lots of love.
If he’s overly excited and doesn’t recognize your command to be quiet, give a sharp tug on his collar and say “Enough” in a no-nonsense voice. He will soon learn that that’s time to hold the tongue. This training will take a few weeks to really start working. However make sure you don’t give up before the job is done. The more consistent you are, the faster he will learn, and the more consistent he will be in the long run.
Barking puppies are in many ways like cranky crying babies. They require much time and attention to develop good manners. Also remember to provide lots of play and fun after your barking puppy training session.
