How to Get Your Dog to Stop Barking, Without Using a Bark Collar

It’s a fact of life – dogs bark.  It’s what they do, as nature intended.  Unfortunately for many of us humans, barking is not something we love to hear in our quiet communities or when the baby’s trying to sleep. 

What are they trying to say?
Dogs bark for different reasons – it is one of their forms of communication, after all, and if you listen closely enough, you will find that your dog exhibits different kinds of barks for different occasions.  The guarded “woo woo woo!” when there’s somebody on the street outside your house or when they hear a noise they feel is out of place.  The high-pitched and frantic “Arf! Arf!” that pierces through your eardrum when they are stressed about your vacuuming.  And the drone and demanding “WOOF!”  as they stare right at you while you’re working on your email as they try to tell you “pay attention to ME!”  In either situation, the dog is trying to communicate something to you that he feels is important.  Since he can’t just speak to us in our language and tell us exactly what that is, he speaks to us in his language (that we sometimes don’t understand).  But there’s a way to bridge this communication barrier.

The trouble with bark collars
I’ve had several people ask me of late about using “bark collars” to curb their dog’s vocalizations.  While there’s been some debate about this in the dog-training world as of late, I’ve told them what I have found to be the truth…  Whether the collars they are referring to are the less-punitive citronella spray collars (that squirt citronella into the dog’s face when a bark is emitted), ultrasonic collars that emit a high-pitched noise, or the sharper and highly punitive electric shock collars, the answer is the same: relying on bark collars to stop your dog from barking is both negative to your dog and will also be a waste of your money.

​A bark collar may possibly deter the barking behavior for just a short while, but it is not a long-term fix. While there are still many traditional-style dog trainers out there who rely on this kind of equipment to modify behavior, one thing they do not take into consideration is the psychological and emotional effect these products can have on our dogs - especially those that are sensitive.  Punitive methods that add an aversive to deter a dog’s behavior (referred to formally as “positive punishment”) have been proven to cause other more significant and highly emotional behavior issues, like anxiety and aggression!  And to some dogs, the barking has become such a practiced habit that it’s more of an involuntary compulsive behavior, not so much something they are doing on purpose.  Using a bark collar in these situations would be kind of like if I zapped you with a Taser every time you sweat when you were nervous.  It wouldn’t make you stop sweating, but it would make you more anxious that you knew the zap was coming and you didn’t know what to do to stop it!​

A more organic (and long-lasting) approach
Since a bark collar does not teach the dog what TO do to handle that situation more productively, he will very likely keep making the same mistakes over and over again without any better direction from you (which will only cause you both to get more frustrated).  If you really want to curb the barking behavior, the best option is to:

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1) Figure out why your dog is barking, and
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2)​ Redirect him to a more appropriate behavior and then reward the behavior you want to see more of.  This will teach him what your expecting of him in this particular situation.

​Focusing on what TO do and ignoring what NOT to do will help you extinguish the undesirable behavior.  Dogs are smart – they will want to keep doing what gets them the most reinforcement!  And if you address the underlying cause for the barking, you will be able to diminish the barking in a much more organic (and much less fear-inducing) way and get to the root of the problem so it doesn’t keep creeping up on you.

As I mentioned above, there are different reasons why a dog will bark.  This is why the first step to curbing the barking is to find out why it’s happening, since you may respond differently based on the reason behind the bark.  Below is a quick look at some of the top reasons why dogs bark and what you can do about it.  It’s important to note that each dog is an individual.  These methods are simplified for the general populous but you may need to add personalized steps for your particular dog.

​​IF YOUR DOG IS BARKING...

When he's outside alone:  
He’s probably bored. Dogs need stimulation to engage their brains throughout the day, and even though there are sights and smells in the back yard, it's still the "same old area" day after day.  So after the initial few moments of checking everything out to see what has changed since the last time he’s been out there, this is when a dog will begin barking at anything else new and stimulating - like a bird flying by, a critter he can't reach, the sound of the neighbor getting into their car, etc. 

The other thing to consider is that dogs are social animals, so being out in the yard by themselves while you are inside is not nearly as much fun for them.  Some dogs will bark just to be let back in again.  To handle this:

• Don’t leave your dog outside unattended for long periods of time.  Someone should be out with the dog, or coming and going periodically, so the dog doesn’t feel alone and start to get bored.
• Provide your dog with some stimulation outside to engage his mind.  This could be toys he can play with on his own that he only gets outside, toys you play with along with him (like a Frisbee, ball or tug toy), and maybe even interactive "obstacles" that a dog can figure out and climb (like tunnels, puzzles, a kid's jungle gym, a sandbox to dig in, etc).  This kind of stuff will make outside a more interesting place for your dog - kind of like a playground!
• Get a sense of how long your dog likes to be outside, then bring the dog in before he begins to bark (note: this time frame may be different for various weather conditions and times of the year).  By being proactive, your dog won’t have to bark before you take action and you won’t feed into his "demanding" behavior by opening the door at his beckoning.

At you, while you're doing something else:
He may be trying to say, “leave that stupid [smartphone, TV, etc.] alone and give me some love!”  Dogs crave attention – this is no secret.  So when they feel they are not getting enough of it, or if their needs have not been met, they might get a little demanding.  And if your dog barks at you and you then respond by giving him attention, even if it’s just to say “shhh, stop!”, the dog learns that barking works to give him what he wants.  Even “negative” attention is better than “no” attention in his mind!  To handle this…

• Split your attention while you’re watching a video, checking Facebook, etc. to praise your dog every so often while he’s hanging out and doing the right thing.  It could just be a simple smile and “good boy,” but this way he is getting attention from you for showcasing the right behavior – so what’s the point in even doing the bad behavior?
• Be careful not to get SO focused on your task that you “drop” your dog.  You wouldn’t leave a 1-year-old to her own devices while you took a bath, would you?  Probably not, unless you wanted her to get herself into trouble.  A dog, especially a young pup or a dog that has a hard time settling, may need you to teach him how to handle these situations.
• If you don’t catch him in time doing the right thing and he does start to bark, ignore this behavior with all of your might.  It may mean turning and walking away as if you are completely offended, or it may mean putting a barrier between you and the dog (he loses access to you if he’s going to demand of you that way).  Only return to him or give him attention when he is quiet.
• Be proactive by giving your dog something good to do while you are doing what you’re doing.  This may mean providing him with a good chew object while you’re cooking dinner, or asking him to come along with you while you’re moving from room to room doing chores (and you can practice some of your useful obedience skills such as sit, down, stay and come in the process!).

At something/someone out on the street, an unexpected noise, etc:
Nature tells your dog it is his job to protect the things that matter most to him.  So can you really blame him if he sees or hears something that he thinks may be threatening to you?  Your dog cannot always tell the difference between a new guest coming over and an intruder.  He may want to signal to other dogs passing by that his home is his space and the other dog is not welcome.  And he may want to tell you that the cat just knocked over a vase in the other room, which made a small crash.  To handle this alert barking…

• Since many dogs feel that alerting you to the happenings around you is his job, it’s important for you to recognize your dog for doing his job and then communicate to him that you’ve got it from here and it’s not his job anymore.”  This may mean having to go check out what he is barking at, look at it nonchalantly like it’s no big deal and then tell him “thanks, let’s go lay down” as you direct him back to his dog bed where he was quietly laying before.
• Build up a good recall.  Start by practicing asking your dog to “come” with relatively “boring” circumstances and gradually build in intensity.  The higher the intensity, the higher value the reward he should get for coming to you.  When alerting, a dog can often only focus on what’s happening at the time that’s sending his arousal level up high.  But if you ingrain a good name response or recall into him because you practice so much, the skill will be that much easier for him to call up in his mind when he’s going bonkers over the neighbor arriving home!
• Take some time to practice setting up these situations to be rewarding for your dog using desensitization and counter-conditioning techniques.  For example, if you see a person getting ready to pass in front of your house on the street, grab a great toy to redirect your dog into playtime with you or dole out some high-value treats as the person is passing to help your dog recognize that people passing on the street is nothing to alert about, rather it’s a lot of fun and good things happen for him when they do!

Out of fear/"that [item, person, etc] is scary"...
Your dog is trying to ward off the “scary” item by making loud noises.  This may be accompanied by stiff body language, hackles (the hair on your dog’s neck and back that stand up, forming a Mohawk), and other fearful body language.  To handle this…

• Allow your dog to keep a safe distance from whatever is scaring him.  Do not force him to deal with the scary item by making him get closer to it if he doesn’t want to. 
• Work on building confidence by giving him time and space to process the scary item without pressure and at his own pace.  Using a long line is helpful for this if you are not in an enclosed area.  You can still approach the item without asking your dog to explore it with you.  Chances are if you show some interest in the item and you’re not pressuring your dog to check it out with you, he may just get curious when he sees you having a good time with it!
• For more support on positive socialization and building confidence, see "Changing Associations - Turning Lemons Into Lemonade".

Out of excitement...
Perhaps your dog starts getting yappy when he sees one of his favorite people, while you’re preparing his dinner, or during playtime.  Excitement is a natural emotion when your dog has such a positive association with something.  You don’t want to take this feeling of excitement away for your dog – you just want to help him learn to handle this feeling a little more appropriately.  To handle this…

• Work on building your dog’s impulse control by exposing him to the stimulus that causes his excitement in small slices.  Start at a distance and reward your dog with praise and some food treats for calm behavior. 
• Practice frequently in small doses so you do not push your dog’s threshold and gradually decrease the distance from the stimulus and increase the intensity (but only build one at a time for the greatest chance at success).  For examples of small slices, see "Small Slices - What Do These Really Look Like?"
• Make the stimulus less exciting by treating it in a more nonchalant and casual manner.  For example, rather than greeting guests in a high-pitch tone with excited body language, smile and give them a calm hug.  At the same time, direct your dog with a skill he knows, such as sit, and reinforce him for maintaining his sit as you greet your guests.  Ask your guests to ignore your dog for the first bit after their arrival until the dog is completely calm.

While there are more reasons that a dog may bark (frustration, pain/discomfort, stress, etc), these are the most common offenders.   And some breeds of dogs, as well as individuals, are more vocal than others.  With these dogs, you may never extinguish the barking completely, but you can diminish it by giving your dog something better to do.  Remember, you do not want to punish your dog for barking or he will start to think that you’re crazy (if he hasn’t already!) and he may even take it out in the form of anxiety or aggressiveness towards you.  Using positive methods that utilize recognition of good behavior and redirection will get you finding more harmony in no time!  If you would like more specifics about how to help your dog with his barking, contact Maria at (845) 549-0896 or maria@mghcanineconsulting.com.