Stop Dog from Barking

Most dogs are extremely smart animals and can pick up commands fairly quickly. Barking is a natural instinct dogs are born with, so breaking the habit of them barking at strangers or even at passing cars may prove to be more of a challenge that most commands, but with the right instructing and training, your dog can stop their unnecessary barking.

If a dog barks at someone, whether while in your house or out for a walk, let the dog know the behavior will not be accepted. Treat the dog the same way you would if it went to the bathroom in the house. Yank his chain if out on a walk and give him a quick pop on the backside (nothing that would hurt them of course). This will negatively reinforce the barking. However, you will need to make sure you do this every time the dog barks. If not, your dog will not catch on to the fact that barking is bad.

On the flip side, praise your animal when another dog or person walks by and your dog does not bark. This will positively reinforce not barking. Give them a treat for not barking. Given enough time, the dog will eventually stop barking with the combination of positive and negative reinforcement.

If your dog doesn't respond to the positive and negative reinforcement, a shock collar can be placed around a dog's neck. A shock collar is just like any other collar, except it has a small device attached to it that rests close to the dog's throat. The small device on the collar can read the vibrations barking causes. When the dog barks, a shock will be emitted from the collar. It is similar to the invisible fence an owner might use to prevent a dog from wandering off. Eventually, the dog will learn that a bark results in a shock, and it will stop barking. Once this has happened, you will be able to remove the collar.

This collar is similar to the shock collar, but instead of shocking your dog, it will spray your dog with water. It is for those individuals who do not want to zap their dog when they bark. When a dog barks, the collar will read the vibrations from the throat, and a quick burst of water will spray onto the chin of the dog. It doesn't hurt, but is more of an annoyance. Eventually, the dog will equate barking with the spray of water, and will stop barking.