Dogs! You gotta love them, and we do. Did you know that 39% of American households share their homes with dogs! I wonder how many of these dog owners come home to nasty notes or messages because of their bestest buddy’s barking! Yes, dogs bark. But some bark more than others and if your bestest buddy is an excessive barker; you may be wondering how to bring peace to your neighborhood and home by helping you stop excessive barking.

Dogs bark for various reasons, some of the reasons we (the peoples) find totally acceptable. Some of the reasons we just don’t get at all. If it’s 3 o’clock in the morning and someone is snooping around our house, well we want Fido to let us know. Now on the flipside, if it’s 3 o’clock in the morning and Fido wants his bum scratched, well we don’t want Fido to let us know. Thankfully Fido likes to please us, so he can quickly alter his behavior if we (the peoples) provide him with the right tools and instruction.

The very first step in to stop excessive barking habits is identifying why your dog barks. Some dogs never exhibit any clues that they are excessive barkers. They wait til mom or dad leave, then they carry on like banshees, driving the neighbors bonky. Mom and dad clue in only when the neighbors shun them and/or send them nasty notes and messages. Other dogs are more obvious about their barking, they don’t wait til mom or dad leave, but bark whenever, like when that leaf passed too closely to the window. Whichever the case, Fido thinks his reasons are justified. He feels the need to share with whoever is in earshot!

Helping Fido change his behavior and stop excessive barking is easy when you are home and he starts barking. You can spend some time and teach him a command for being quiet. Whichever command comes most naturally to you. When he starts barking, attempt to shush him with your command, if he obeys, give him a treat. If he does not obey, use a noise maker to startle him. Rinse and repeat, in other words, be consistent as this is the only way to train a dog.

More so excessive barking occurs when you are not home. This makes it difficult for you to correct the behavior. There are many devices on the market to help with this problem, but once again zeroing in on the reasons Fido is barking is the key to fixing the problem and stop excessive barking.

Boredom/Lonely Barkers-If you suspect your pooch is a boredom barker, you can try giving him something to do. Some breeds of dogs need stimulating activities; after all, it’s in their blood. Try toys that challenge your dog, like puzzle feeders. Leaving the radio or TV on when you leave can also be helpful, this can help stop excessive barking when your pet feels lonely.

Git-a-way-from-my-house barker-We’ve all seen these guys; they sit in the window and bark at every passerby. This can also be attributed to boredom, but if you limit Fido’s view, he cannot access this form of entertainment. Crating might be helpful, or limiting your pooch’s access to windows can be helpful as well and be a big help to stop excessive barking.

Separation Anxiety Barkers-This can be a big problem for you and your bud. Separation anxiety is different than just plain loneliness and it can be difficult to stop excessive barking when this is the case. You can identify the difference if Fido is being destructive and barking excessively when you are not home. Crating the dog can help. This often times makes the dog feel secure, especially if they’ve been crated from a young age. Pheromone collars can be helpful too; these produce the scent of a nursing mother and can be calming to your dog. For more extreme cases, contact your veterinarian, there are medications available for extremely anxious dogs.

Whichever situation you and your best bud are in, there is a solution. Looking for answers is always the first step in finding that solution! A barking dog can be a challenge, but one that can be overcome rather quickly with the right tools and information and you too can stop excessive barking in your dog.

I wish you and your pooch a long, harmonious, peaceful and joyous life together!