Barking is a perfectly normal behavior for a dog; it is what comes naturally to him. However, this fact means nothing to an angry neighbor who has to listen to a dog that barks excessively all day every day.

Put yourself in their position and you would understand that you cannot have a dog barking all day, it is just not acceptable.

However, it is also very unrealistic to expect your dog to never bark at all. Other than having your dog surgically debarked – which I do not recommend – you will always have a certain amount of barking going on. There are some methods that you can use though to reduce your dogs barking so that he is not a nuisance to your neighbors.

1. The first step is to try and find out why your dog barks. If you can find the cause then you may be able to eliminate the cause. If you’re dog is barking because he is being provoked by someone, then understandably he won’t stop as long as that person keeps provoking him.
2. Many dogs bark because they are bored. Try to spend some quality time with your dog each day. Take him for walks and play ball games with him. The less bored your dog is, the less he will bark.
3. There are dog toys on the market that can keep your dog busy while you are away and he is left alone. There are balls in which you can put dog treats inside and he needs to play with it for the treats to come out. These sorts of toys can keep him occupied for a while and stop his barking.

There is also a very good method to train your dog to be a bit quieter.

1. This method works by using a food reward, so have some treats close by.
2. When your dog barks praise him and say ‘good boy’ and then say ‘what’s the matter?’
3. Once you have assured there is nothing happening to make him bark, tell him to ‘be quiet’.
4. Show him the treat, most dogs will quiet down when they see and smell a treat. Their focus moves from the barking to the treat.
5. Once he has become quiet praise him. Wait about 3 seconds of quiet time and then give him the treat.
6. If he starts to bark again show him another treat. This time try to wait for about 5 seconds of him being quiet before giving the treat to him. The aim here is to teach your dog that after each quiet time he will be rewarded.
7. If your dog barks while waiting for the treat, tell him in a stern voice to ‘be quiet’. Then if he stops barking reward him.
8. Increase the time period of his quiet time by about 3 seconds each time until you have gradually worked up to a couple of minutes quiet time.
9. You may need to repeat this method a few times and gradually your dog will learn that there is a reward for being quiet. So he will quite down in general in the hope of receiving that reward. This process can be very effective at breaking your dogs barking habit.

Some dog breeds to tend to bark more than other breeds. Do some research on your dogs breed to find out if he is a breed that is more likely to be a barker.

Breaking your dogs barking habit will not happen overnight, it will take a little bit of time. Try to be as calm and patient with him and eventually he will only be barking when it’s necessary for him to do so.

If you have trouble getting your dog to stop barking, consult a veterinarian trained in behavioral problems.

Great advise. Iam lucky none of ours Bark excessively not much at all really.
I have to say our Chihuahua does bark when someone comes to the door, but Snack has a small bark.

My grey doesn't bark at all ... the Lab only barks when people are in the laneway. weird thing is he doesn't bark if he is outside and someone comes only when in the house. Crazy critter. LOL
Tara

MaggieLynne is a loud mouth, she will bark & talk when I am on the phone, or the computer. She barks for snacks, and pee pees. BobbyCorbin will roo 7 howl, when he watches animal planet!! Thomas the weiner dog is HORRIBLE!!!!! He will bark at anything!! Thunder, cars, etc... he is just a little yappy boy!!!!

If you blink the wrong way my 4 Iggies will bark and bark and bark. I always tell everyone DO NOT RING MY DOOR BELL! When they start barking EVERYONE barks. If the Iggies don't start it the big dogs generally never bark. But now that the people behind us got the Rottie, about a year old, Butch and Harley will both run the fence and bark and pounce on the fence. So everytime they start that mess I pick up the spray bottle and start pointing it at them and yell ENOUGH and they usually stop asap. I let them run the fence all they want but I will not tolerate a bunch of nonsense barking!

The only reason the little ones bark like they do is because I don't take them out walking like I do the greys. If I were to take them out everyday and wear their little butts out they would bark a heck of alot less. I know this because I use to do it all the time. I am a BAD Mom neglecting my little buggers.

Bobbi

Yes, all my kennel dogs bark.

Ours bark if someone is around the house, knock on the door, ring the door bell. The also bark at cats and critters that should not be around. they bark at each other. Softee very sledom barks escept if someone with four legs is bugging her. My neighbor who has MD says he does not mind them barking as he knows by their bark what is going on out side.

Yes, on our walks, there is a huge doberman who is out in his yard, a fence yard, who usually barks at Misty, she whines and hurries past the house. She looks for the dog every morning and he doesn't bark first then she starts, dancing around and lifting her front feet off the sidewalk. I suppose she is saying, "Good Morning, big fella".

Hershey & Belle bark at thunder and fireworks and drive me nuts. Koolaid sometimes helps with the fireworks but not the thunder she become my velcro dog with storms

I have two GSD'S that bark at nothing, or at least nothing we can see. When they go out to potty we keep an eye on them to make sure they don't bark too much. Sky is not a barker where Time is, he barks at Sky when he wants to play, he barks when he wants out or in, he barks at the air and at his hind end, when he does that it's funny he keeps looking for what he lost.

I know it's not funny, but at the same time it is. We keep telling Time he needs to read the book, Greyhounds DON'T bark.

Mindy runs out the door barking just in case there might
be something out there! I think she wants the others to bark
cause when she's rinning out she'll look back at the others but they don't bark.

Ive never heard slim bark, Bullet Barks either on command only, or if he hears my Volusia rumbling towards the house

Lincoln has great hearing. If he hears the neighbor come home, he'll go to the front window and bark. Or if someone knocks on the front door. Bear barks when we get home, and sometimes when they are running in the backyard.

Someone was at my door last night looking in the little window and you would of thought it was WWIII with the comotion. All four in the living room barked their fool heads off. Don't know who the guy was as he disappeard real fast and if he got a look of Penske through that little window he probably had second thoughts for trying my door if he intended to do that.

Thank you puppers for not reading Greyhound 101 the section that says "Greyhounds Don't Bark"

Misty has two different barks, one that she used when I pulling in my driveway, oh, hurry, your home, please hurry and one with a growl she uses on someone she doesn't know, a warning bark, and its the same bark she uses when she sees a pit bull, or doberman or any other large breeds, but, whines when she sees a little dog.