How To Train Puppies Not To Bark
Have a new puppy and find that they just won’t stop barking? Then you are in the right place we’ll go over actionable step-by-step ways to learn how to train puppies not to bark.
Don’t let the stress of your puppy barking hold you back from teaching them to be the best version of themselves. Follow our ultimate guide on how to train puppies not to bark and make living with your pup a breeze without the barking.
Table of Contents
Understanding Why Your Puppy Is Barking
Learning how to train your puppy not to bark is essential for both their well-being so they are not stressed and you can peacefully co-exist together
Just like humans, dogs can experience a wide range of emotions like fear, frustration, and anxiety in unfamiliar settings or specific contexts. By taking the time to prepare your furry friend, you can significantly reduce their barking regardless of the underlying reason, making living with your pup a smooth easy experience for both you and your puppy.
Also, being proactive about your dog’s behavior can foster a better relationship with you while you develop better habits with your pup. When a dog barks, they releasing energy and is a self reinfocing behavior meaning that the physical act of barking feels rewarding to your dog. for instance although your dog may start barking due to insecurity if left unmanaged your puppy’s barking will shift from insecurity to barking for enjoyment. This is why it’s critical to address this behavior as soon as it arises so that it doesn’t develop into a bad habit.
When you consistently practice teaching your puppy not to bark, you are equipping them with alternative coping strategies that can last a lifetime!
Common Stress Triggers That Cause Puppy Barking
Understanding the common triggers that affect your puppy’s desire to bark is crucial for teaching your puppy not to bark. It’s important to understand that the various things may trigger your puppy to bark such as, unfamiliar environments, new sights, sounds, and smells can evoke fear and anxiety in puppies.
The noise of other barking dogs, smaller animals, and all this can create an overwhelming sensory experience that can trigger your furry friend to bark but fear not here are the most common triggers that may cause your puppy to bark.
Isolation
being isolated for a puppy is likely one of the first reasons they will begin to bark. Puppies and dogs in general are extremely social animals and do not enjoy being isolated for extended periods.
This is further amplified with puppies because more often than not the first time they experience any sort of isolation is with you the owner. think about it up to that point where you brought your puppy home, your puppy has never been truly alone, he’s always had his littermates or his mother around. Now when your puppy is left alone for the first time they begin to have a stress response and bark.
Frustration
Another common trigger that will cause puppies to bark is “frustration”. Frustration in puppies can be described as your puppy wanting to have, interact, or do something but not being able to. Here’s an easy example.. you have your puppy outside on leash your puppy see’s your friend running with their dog. Your puppy will likely bark due to frustration because your puppy sees something fun occurring, your puppy begins getting excited and stimulated, but then is being restrained from engaging in the fun activity so he ends up barking out of frustration.
Frustration barking can and will lead to a variety of other problem behaviors in the future if left unmanaged.
Lack of Fulfillment
Another common trigger for your puppy’s barking is a lack of fulfillment. Depending on your puppy-specific breed your puppy may be lacking biological fulfillment. Examples would be having a high-energy athletic border collie that never gets any exercise for their energetic needs.
Lack of biological fulfillment will lead to your puppy looking for alternative ways to meet their own needs, which may lead to chasing ankles, barking nipping, etc..
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How To Train Puppies Not To Bark
Now that you’re able to Recognize the common triggers that induce barking the name of the game is preparing your pup without pushing them too far too soon before they’re ready for something. while also interrupting and preventing your puppy from practicing the behavior of barking. Especially since we know barking is a self-reinforcing behavior that will only get stronger the more your puppy practices barking.
Now lets get into specific scenarios on how to address puppy barking in various aspects.
Isolation - Gradual Introduction
here are 3 of the most effective ways how to prepare your puppy to be comfortable being alone:
- Ensuring your puppy is exercised and tired of attempting to leave your pup alone
- Ensure that your puppy is not pent up with energy when left alone remember all that energy doesn’t just disappear is has to go somewhere. why not teach your puppy to put their energy into something productive like playing with you instead of barking
2. Provide your puppy with a self-entertainment toy
- Now that your puppy is tired before you leave him alone have a puzzle toy prepared and ready. so that while your puppy is left alone they can reward there self by playing with the puzzle toy while left alone. the only time they should get access to their favorite toy should be when they’re left alone.
3. Give your puppy small doses of alone time vs hours on end
- We want to set your puppy up for success so instead of leaving your puppy for hours on end the first being left alone you want to take a gradual incremental process; sometimes your puppy should be left alone for just 5 minutes other times they should be left for 30 minutes. this varies from puppy to puppy but the most important part is randomizing the amount of time your pup is left alone, so your puppy doesn’t anticipate being left alone for hours on end,
Frustration Based Barking
When it comes to frustration based barking the name of the game is redirection, prevention and interrupting any barking.
The first thing you want to be aware of is what’s causing your puppy to bark. Is it a person jogging, a squirrel, or another dog? Once you’ve figured out what specifically is causing the barking, use the trigger to your advantage! Yes, instead of avoiding what’s causing your puppy to bark, you want to use it to your advantage to teach your puppy how to cope with something he wants to bark at.
Example. If your puppy is barking at Squirrel, first I would redirect your puppy’s attention from Squirrel to you by rewarding your puppy for seeing the squirrel and just continuing to walk. Doing this consistently will eventually teach your puppy to ignore the squirrel and usually walk past them while building their focus on you
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Lack Of Fulfillment
If your puppy is lacking biological fulfillment like playing, chasing, tugging, etc… you’ll quickly notice that your pup will begin to find alternative ways to meet their own needs like, barking for attention, chasing ankles, destructive behavior, and more. An easy fix is to commit to playing and meeting your puppy’s individual needs.
Conclusion: How To Train Puppies Not To Bark
In conclusion, now that you know how to get your puppy to stop barking always remember you are always training your puppy whether you realize it or not. Addressing the barking is the first step, now the name of the game is teaching your pup how to behave in everyday real-world settings by developing the right lifelong habits.
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