Scott Haiduc is the Director of Publishing for iHeartDogs, iHeartCats and The Hero Company. When not working, Scott spends his time on the farm, taking care of his animals and crops.Read more
There is nothing quite as obnoxious as a dog who has learned to get what he wants by whining and barking at you. In fact, there are many dogs in shelters because the owners (or their neighbors) just couldn’t handle the barking.
Before you give up on your dog, tries these tips and tricks to get your dog to listen instead of talk.
1. Ignore it
This is the HARDEST thing to do BUT it WORKS BETTER than anything else. Remember, your dog is DEMANDING attention from you. So, even if you are correcting him, you are still giving him what he wants. The best way to get rid of demand barking is to ignore it. As soon as you have a few seconds of quiet, give the dog what he wants – praise, a treat, a toy, attention, whatever. This starts to instill in him that quiet is how he gets what he wants.
Be warned, it will get worse before it gets better. Dogs have something called an “extension burst” where they try a behavior harder, longer, louder, etc., before they stop trying it. So, if his current level of barking is suddenly not working, he will get louder or longer before he stops. Just like kids who start out by calling your name softly and end up screaming it before they finally give up.
If you live in an apartment or somewhere you fear your neighbor’s wrath, make them cookies or buy them coffee before you start your training and explain to them what you are trying to do. Hopefully, they are kind and understanding.
Teach your dog to sit quietly if he wants something, rather than bark at you
2. Give Them a Job
You can also teach them a “default” behavior. For example, when my older dog wants a treat, she automatically sits and waits politely for one. With my younger dog, who does herding, he is learning to lie down for things he wants including the ball thrown, treats, or even sheep. This gives them a job to do other than barking.
3. Auto Trainer
If your dog is a severe demand barker and you have a hard time “catching” those quiet moments, you may want to try Premier Pets new Auto Trainer. It is the first POSITIVE reinforcement bark controller. It works a lot like their Manners Minder, except it rewards your dog when the barking stops. I have been using mine for a week now for an alert barker and it works well. This way, you can completely ignore your dog and let the machine reward him when he stops pestering you. It also tracks your progress so you can tell if he is getting better.
4. Avoiding It
If you have a puppy that has not yet started this, just wait, it will happen. You can avoid having to go back and retrain, by being diligent the first go around. Usually, puppies will start demand barking while playing with you. For example, you have the ball and they decide you haven’t thrown it quick enough, so they bark. Most owners think, “oh how cute, she is excited.” And throw the ball. You just rewarded barking for something. Or, they want you to play with them so they come over and nose you. You ignore them. Then they whine or bark, you give in and play. Some owners even encourage the barking by talking back to the dog in a sweet voice – “do you want it, you do?” or something similar. Do this a few times and your smart pup has learned to bark when it wants something – the monster is created.
As soon as your puppy barks AT you, play stops. Don’t throw the ball, don’t give them attention. If they were barking at another dog to try and get them to play, remove them from the other dog for a few seconds. When they are quiet, play can resume. This teaches your puppy that being quiet is the way to “ask” for something.
Since it’s never too early for training, start teaching your puppy a default behavior mentioned above. This will help you avoid the demand barking and will make your dog a more relaxed house mate.
About the Author
Based in Tustin, Calif., animal lover Kristina N. Lotz is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer – Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA) and works as a full time trainer. She also owns her own custom pet products company, A Fairytail House, where she makes personalized collars, leashes, beds, keepsake pillows and blankets, and anything else your imagine can think up. In her spare time, she trains and competes in herding, agility, obedience, rally, and conformation with her Shetland Sheepdogs.
