Everyone is used to hearing a barking dog,
but excessive barking can be really annoying, especially at night when you
are trying to sleep. If you dog barks excessively, you need to find out if
there is a problem that causes the barking. It is unrealistic to expect a
dog not to bark, but if you have the dog’s favorite treat within easy
reach, this often stops it for a while. Once the dog stops barking you
should make sure that you help lots of praise on him/her so he will know
that this is something that you like.

If you wave a treat in front of the nose of a barking dog, the excessive
barking stops. Repeating the phrase “Be quiet” as you are doing the waving
motion will teach the dog to quiet down. At the same time, you have to
keep praising the dog for being quiet. Wait three seconds before you allow
the dog to have the treat. The treat will be the reward for the cessation
of barking. If the dog starts barking as soon as the treat is gone, repeat
the process with another treat, but wait longer until you give him/her the
treat. As each repetition gets longer, the dog will gradually learn to
stop barking all the time.



Some breeds of dogs bark more than others and some dogs have a louder bark
than others. Before you purchase a dog, you should check on its barking
habits and find out how the owner manages to subdue the barking dog.
Excessive barking can cause problems with your neighbors because the noise
carries a lot farther during the night when the sounds of traffic are
less.