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Excessive barking from a pet can be a problem, especially for people who live in apartment buildings or for those who want to walk their dogs in public places.
According to the University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, a dog may bark out of fear or anxiety; to defend territory; to seek attention; or in response to play or the barking of other dogs, and there are ways to curb this behavior at home without special tools.
The trick to get your dog to stop barking: how to change this behavior with games
The institution says there are “games” to grab your pet’s attention that can be taught to interrupt unwanted behaviors, such as excessive barking.
One of them is calling the dog when it starts barking. Asking it to come over helps capture its attention “even in situations of high arousal”. It is a simple trick that is easy to use.
Another option is teaching the dog to touch its nose to your hand, since this command also shifts its attention to an alternative activity and stops it from barking.
Other expert recommendations to curb unwanted barking
In addition, among the university’s recommendations are:
- Make sure the dog is getting enough physical activity and stimulation
- Positively reinforce good behavior. For example, reward the moment when the dog stops barking.
Another recommended technique is to use desensitization and counterconditioning. This means first introducing the dog to a stimulus that usually triggers barking -for example, another dog it is afraid of- so gradually that it does not even notice it. The intensity of the exposure should increase over time, but not to the point that it causes barking.
Likewise, and just as gradually, each time the dog approaches this stimulus, it should be rewarded so it begins to associate the situation with something positive rather than a moment of stress or tension.