Stop My Dog From Barking - New Dog, New Tricks

I did a lot of things wrong with training my first dog. I even went so far as to purchase some earplugs because I couldn’t stop my dog from barking. I was young and single and had never learned any training methods previously. I had never been an alpha dog before, let alone know what that expression even meant.

Barking dogs are so annoying, aren’t they? My dog would bark to go outside, bark to be let back in 15 seconds later, bark to go back out, bark for table scraps, bark if I came home from the pizza place and didn’t bring her any, bark when the door bell rang, bark at people at the door, bark when people walked by the front window, and bark when I shut her in the laundry room because I couldn’t handle the barking. The older she got, the worse it got. Have you been there?

She lived a long, bark-filled life, and passed on. Six months later we got a new dog and I was determined to do things differently.

1. I got a different type of dog. Some dog breeds lend themselves more to barking, like guard dogs and some small dogs.

2. I got a dog with a more laid-back personality. This one wasn’t nervous and overly excitable. She seemed to like to communicate with me by using facial and body expressions rather than “talk” verbally. Now if she has to go outside, she patiently sits against the back door until someone lets her out.

3. I read training books. I realized that I had been letting my first dog be the alpha dog and run the show. Since she was in charge, it was natural for her to tell me what to do, and tell me often! Now I’m the alpha dog and my second dog knows it.

4. I learned that yelling at a dog while barking makes them think that you’re just joining in on the barking. Besides, it doesn’t work to yell.

5. I found out that if I had kept my front blinds closed with my first dog, she wouldn’t have barked at passerbys.

6. If I knew then what I know now, I could have trained her with a treat to not bark at visitors at the door. I have discovered that training can work if you’re consistent and don’t give up on it.

7. My second dog does not get fed table scraps from the table. She does not expect table scraps and does not demand them. She’s more than willing to watch the floor for something to fall, but she doesn’t ruin our dinner by barking insistently at us to give up our food.

8. I also learned that if I give my dog plenty of exercise she’ll get tired and want to take a nap rather than get all bothered by who’s walking by and who’s doing what.