Barking is a natural behavior for dogs. Since they can’t speak, they use the sound they make to communicate with humans. You can’t ask your dog never to bark. That is like asking them not to act like dogs at all. But you can very well make them bark minimally and only when necessary.
To address excessive barking in dogs, you should:
1. Show your pet some attention.
Dogs that bark the loudest are dogs that are desperate for attention. If your dog barks excessively, then he might want something. Attend to its needs. Know what the problem is. Sometimes, a loving tap in the head is everything that your dog wants from you.
2. Give your dog some treats.
Treats are the best tools a dog trainer has. If you want your dog to be quiet, tell him to stop barking. If he does stop, wave the treat in his nose and give it to him after several seconds of not barking at all. This would teach your dog that it has to minimize making sounds if he wants more goodies.
3. Distract your dog.
Some dogs bark because they see something or someone they are not familiar with. If this is the case, distract your dog’s attention and tell him to be quiet. You can throw his favorite toy, give him some biscuit, or ask him to fetch. Doing so would make your dog forget about what it is that forces him to bark for the time being.
The simplest yet very important to command you have to teach your dog is to stay. This keeps your dog at bay while you are out doing a quick chore or something. The stay command is very applicable outdoors. But before you attempt to teach your dog to stay, you have to teach it how to sit and go first. Once you have that done, you can follow the steps below:
1. Make your dog sit or lie down.
This is the initial position of the stay command. Make sure that your dog understands these commands clearly. Otherwise, you can’t teach your dog to stay at all.
2. Tap your dog’s nose and say ‘Stay’.
Your dog has to associate the word ‘stay’ to the act of sitting or lying still. Say ‘stay’ and observe what your pet will do. Attempt to move away, just to know what your dog’s reaction is. Practice this outside. When your dog assumes the right behavior, don’t forget to say ‘Good’.
3. Give the release command or say ‘Go’.
You also have to train your dog to stay up until you want it to go. Don’t stop with stay. You have to complete the training with the release command. Keep some treats because whenever your dog does things correctly, you should reward him accordingly.