Is there any way to limit the barking of my dogs without hurting them?

Question

My dogs bark A LOT! I love them, but it gets a little annoying. I don't approve of those bark collars or the old fashioned newspaper. Is there a nicer way to handle this? I've tried a squirt bottle but it seems to be inaffective.

Answer 1

Ive had big yappy dogs in the past and have found bark collars to be quite effective (Only the ones that vibrate on their neck).Ignore it to and they should soon learn that barking doesn't get your attention-which is probably all they want

Answer 2

Yes there is a way with Clicker Training. Go get the dogs trained with a professional trainer.

If yo happen to live in Southern NH area I can do it with you. Call me at 603.791.4247 ask for Gil the trainer.

Answer 3

This all depends...if your dogs are outdoor dogs, there won't be any way for you to limit.  If they are indoor dogs, there are a few things that you can try.  Try teaching them to "speak" on command.  When they bark, say "good speak!" and reward them with treats.  Repeat this process until they are barking when you say "speak!"  Once they have that down, teach them the "quiet" command.  You can then use the quiet command as soon as they start to bark.  This worked for my brother's dogs but they aren't dogs that are known for yipping.

Bark collars are ineffective.  The dogs eventually get used to the pain and bark through it.  My neighbors still keep the collar on their dog, but it doesn't stop him.  That is what happens with the water as well.  They get used to being squirted and don't even notice it after awhile.  Hitting a dog only teaches them that you are a painful person to be around.  I'm glad that you don't want to use either of these methods.  If you are willing to put in the work with your dogs, you will likely be able to break them of this habit.

Unfortunately, if you have a breed that is known to bark a lot, you may be out of luck.  Good luck!

Answer 4

My foster dog was a barker when I got her. What I did was leave her leash on in the house and I would give it a quick (not harsh!!) tug and a loud "no noise!" when someone was coming to the door/ walking by/ etc. It's important to interrupt them BEFORE they start barking because in many cases once they start there's no stopping it! Also get to the door first, the dog has to realize it's your job to greet people, not theirs. My dog will still try to bark at the garbage truck but the "no noise" stops it right away!  

Answer 5

to get this to be work when on a walk or when on leash basically when the dog starts barking because there's a person walking beside you, you literally have to stand in front of your dog and block the your dogs view of the person and say NICE(dogs name) firmly and continue blocking until he stops and realizes that your not letting him see. BY THE WAY YOU HAVE TO DO IT EVERY TIME!!! when you see a person or dog stop walking and make him sit and say nice(dogs name) and once he starts barking stand in front of him and basically just block his view. GOOD LUCK AND DON'T GIVE UP!!!     :)  by the way i dont like those collars either.

Answer 6

They are probably bored, take them for walks, play with them, keep them active.

As soon as they bark, go outside and tie them up for 30 minutes then unleash them, and if they do it again repeat this for about a week until they learn.