To stop a dog from barking it is best to start with your puppy and to stop the puppy barking before it becomes a real problem and harder to solve. Many things cause a puppy barking as we have addressed elsewhere. You should decide just how much barking you do want and at what. Mold your puppy's behavior toward this goal.
For instance, perhaps you wish your puppy to announce visitors. First decide what words you will use to acknowledge your puppy barking at visitors or more precisely, to announce your visitors. Perhaps it could be a simple "Who's there?" or "Who is it? phrase. Whatever you choose, as with all things in puppy training, remain consistent and train your family to use the exact same phrase as well.
Your visitor approaches the house and your puppy begins barking. Allow your puppy to bark a few times. You say, "Who's there?" and acknowledge your visitor. Now you must distract your puppy if he continues to bark. As soon as he stops barking, you should praise him so he knows that now is the right time to stop barking. That's the key - to be able to stop your puppy barking when you want him to stop.
What distraction should you use? This will depend upon you but one suggestion is a treat, especially for an eight-week-old puppy. Wave it quietly under his nose until he quiets down. You may find you yourself must become very quiet and still as well.
Praise him after he is quiet a few seconds and reward him. You may use something else such as a chew toy for the distraction. Whatever you use to distract him, be aware like all things during puppy training, you will repeat and repeat this scenario. Toddlers are not able to do things exactly right the first time you show them and neither will a puppy be able to do it absolutely correct from the first instance.
If your puppy continues barking, he may need a stronger distraction. Some trainers swear by a set of keys jangling together. Another noisy distraction can be some pennies in an empty soda can with the hole taped shut. Shake it so as to startle the puppy barking.
To stop a puppy barking, you simply must add this training to your other puppy training and be prepared to continue for some duration. It may seem like a hassle to go through all this training, but think how wonderful it will be for you and your neighbors to have a puppy, and then a dog, that you control and make into an excellent companion for all his remaining years.
copyright 2005. Sandra Dinkins-Wilson