Barking for puppies is a natural behavior. Barking can’t always be totally eliminated, but you can teach your puppy to reduce barking. Here are five ways to stop your puppy from barking for attention.
Five Tips on how to Stop Your Puppy from Barking for Attention
Determine the reason
First, you need to determine why the puppy is barking; this way, you can reinforce the do’s and dont’s as they mature.
Provide rules and consistent responses
It’s important to be consistent in your training techniques and use the same voice commands when training your puppy. If you are inconsistent with your reactions or commands, then you are not training your pup, but instead confusing them. It is also recommended that other people who interact with your dog should use the same vocal commands as well.
Check in with your Vet or Trainer
Make sure that your puppy does not have any mental and physical problems. Do not let health and environmental factors be a hindrance to your puppy’s good behavior. Contact your veterinarian or dog trainer if you have any concerns.
Implement the right approach
A puppy is like a small child, you must learn how to simplify the task so your puppy can easily understand it. As much as possible, stay away from extreme disciplinary measures while training. A well-behaved dog is a dog raised with kindness and positive reinforcement.
Tough love
Do not comfort or praise your puppy when they are barking. Why? Because they will view it as a reward and will continuously do it to get attention. Find ways to redirect this behavior by going out for a walk, or giving them a toy or bone to play with.
Just like people, keep in mind every dog is unique in their own way. If you do not see any progress after training your puppy within a few weeks, then it might be a wise idea to try a different approach or consider hiring a Saratoga dog trainer.