Helping a dog to kick a strong barking habit is hard. But without your help, the dog is powerless to change the behavior you don’t like. It is a process that requires time, patience, and understanding, especially in the beginning when all efforts to affect change are soundtracked by a frustrated barker. Stick to the task and you will achieve lasting quiet.
I have helped a few dogs kick the barking habit and the process remains both difficult and immensely rewarding.
The following list, written by a pioneer in behavioral training, includes science-based strategies that work along with a few common responses to problem barking:
- When the dog barks, hit, slap, yell, squirt liquids, or threaten with blunt objects. Punishment is humanity’s favorite method. And it seems to work because the dog stops. But if the dog starts barking again, is it because we didn’t inflict enough punishment?
- Turn your back or leave the room when the dog begins barking. Return and give attention at once when the dog stops barking.
- The dog will eventually stop barking. If the barking is to get attention, giving attention will reward the barking. Motivation aside, all barking is self-reinforcing and seldom will a dog decide to spontaneously quit.
- Train an incompatible behavior. Teach the dog to lay down on command. Like most of us, dogs seldom bark while lying down.
- Train the dog to “speak” for a food reward. Easy to capture since the dog already has a barking habit. Once trained, gradually fade the command. This method is surprisingly effective but proceed with caution. A clever dog could turn it around on you.
— From Don’t Shoot The Dog! The New Art of Teaching and Training by Karen Pryor
The title suggests this is a dog training manual. But Don’t Shoot the Dog! is so much more. Karen Pryor wrote an empowering how-to guide for anyone wanting to change behavior. Pryor translates reinforcement training into easy, practical recommendations for managing behavior in dogs, cats, children, co-workers, spouses, … anyone, including yourself. No yelling required.
