How to Stop Dog Barking with Zak George

Dog barking can be a blessing and curse when it comes to living with our favorite furry friends!

Dogs bark for many reasons, so, you’ll have to know your dog’s personality to understand why he is barking. If you have a dog that is very high energy, dog barking can simply mean that he is excited or bored. A dog that is skittish may bark due to stress or nervousness. Remember, when dogs bark, it’s their way of communicating something. Regardless of the reason behind your dog’s barking – Zak George will help you train without the pain!

High Energy Dogs

High energy dog barking
Zak George will train your high energy dog to stop barking!

Before you begin any training session with a high energy dog, it’s crucial to exercise him. If your dog has too much energy during a training session he won’t be able to pay attention and listen. In order for new concepts to sink in, like learning to be quiet when asked, you first must get their overflowing energy out. High energy dogs often get bored so it’s important to know your dog’s favorite reward. A reward can be anything from a favorite toy to a delicious treat. As long as the reward gets your dog’s attention, you’ll be able to stop your dog barking with time.

Nervous Dogs

Nervous dog barking
Nervous dog might need a cuddle to stop barking!

If you have a nervous dog, time and patience is key! The overall goal should be to get your dog comfortable around the things that is making him nervous. If you can get a nervous dog to play a game of tug-of-war around things that seem to make them nervous, then you off to a great start! But, most dogs don’t play when they’re nervous, so having high quality rewards nearby can help. This will slowly help your dog associate something great with things that used to make him uncomfortable. Over time, (sometimes a long time,) you should begin seeing improvements.

See what works best for your dog and go from there!

Use the same techniques below, but once you get your dog’s attention, move them into a room where they are more protected from the cause of the barking. It might also help your nervous dog to soothingly talk and pet him until he calms down.

Dog Barking Training

Dog barking at its cutest!
Zak George will stop dog barking!

When training your dog to stop barking, you should set up training exercises rather than waiting for the mailman to ring the doorbell. Begin training by doing the basics like come and stay (check out my other blog posts in the links). Be sure to reward your dog generously so that he knows to pay attention to you. Have a friend or family member do something that would typically trigger dog barking – like knock on the door. See if you can get your dog’s attention. The second he looks or even glances at you, reward him with something he loves. If you can’t get your dog to stop barking after the trigger, take some steps backward. Wait until you can get your dog to do the simple tasks, like come and stay. Then, have your training partner lightly knock on the door or even tap the door with a finger. If you can get your dog’s attention, reward liberally! This may take several training sessions, so stick with it!

Within a few weeks, you should be able to stop your dog barking!

When trying to resolve unwanted barking it’s important to avoid these things:
1) Yelling or scolding your dog. Remember, redirecting their attention to you with a treat while asking for something easy like a sit or down, and then rewarding the compliant behavior is a wonderful way to get traction with unwanted barking. Always have those soft, training treats ready in various parts of the house where barking occurs.
2) Don’t wait until barking organically occurs. Instead, set up training sessions in settings where you can be focused completely on your dog, say, outside the perimeter of a dog park. Here you can easily modify the distance your dog is from other dogs until you’ve determined the optimal distance where your dog does comply. This is your “working distance” Focus on improving this distance over several training sessions.
2) Don’t resort to gimmicks like electric or spray collars. At best these are superficial and will not deliver long-term results.
4)  Don’t let up on controlling your dog’s environment! If you know your dog is likely to bark while you’re away, consider having them in another part of the home where they are less likely to bark.

 

2 thoughts

  1. I like your methods. I have a
    Border Collie mix and she gets nervous and barks . I have been working on simaler ideas and can see some progress just need to be more aware.
    Thx.

  2. I just want to tell Zak how nice it is to have this help in very clear and concise instructions!! I have watched Caeser Milan but his instructions are extremely convoluted I find. He is not really direct, so it’s not always clear what he is trying to say! Except, of course, that you must be the “pack leader”. Thanks for the assistance!!

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