Help! My puggles bark constantly in our apartment. How do I stop them?

As Dr. Phil says, "You don't break a bad habit so much as you replace it with a good habit." For the barking, you can teach the dogs the word "Quiet." Have some treats handy and, when they are barking, show them the treats. In order to eat a treat, they have to stop barking as they can't chew and bark simultaneously! As soon as they stop barking, give them a treat and praise by saying, "Quiet! Good dog!" They will soon learn that "Quiet" means a treat and when stop barking when they hear it. Some (but not all) dogs will even train themselves to appraoch you for a goodie when they feel the urge to bark! This is something you can be grateful for if it happens, but don't expect it. As for barking in the van . . . it depends on where in the van they are in relation to you. If they are nearby, you can use the same technique. If they are in the back in crates, you can get a "Treat and Train" device for each crate. You control it by remote to dispense a treat when they deserve one. In fact, you can even use it in your home if you want to reward them from another room after you've yelled "Quiet!" and they've complied. Good luck with this!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! There are medications that can be used to reduce anxiety at times. These types of behavior can improve though this does require in person training with the help of a qualified dog trainer. I would encourage you to contact a dog trainer that can work with you and your pups in person to really take care of this behavior. The sooner these behaviors are dealt with, the more likely it is that you can improve and resolve them. Good luck and have a great day!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. I would suggest using a citronella spray collar or bark collar and see if this helps deter Austin from barking. You can also try using a spray bottle filled with water and every time he barks, spray him in the face lightly and say "no!" or use a can filled with coins and shake it loudly and throw it on the ground near Austin when he barks and say "no!". I hope this helps with the barking! These tricks worked great for my own pet but it took patience and persistence. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. Please remember to rate this answer as helpful or not. Thank you!

If this is a temporary situation I would suggest you get a citronella bark collar. I think that may work to curb the barking in the short term. Of course, if this dog is going to be a long term resident I would suggest you work with a professional dog trainer. The trainer could help you determine the dog's triggers and work with you on how to resolve them. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your question. I see that Oliver is not neutered. The behavior you are talking about is likely Oliver trying to establish dominance over the other 2 dogs. I would recommend neutering Oliver to see if this helps reduce this behavior. You can also try the Adaptil products and see if this helps to reduce the behavior. Adaptil products can be found online or at your local PetCo. To deter him from barking, I recommend using a spray bottle and spritzing him in the face every time he barks. You can also use citronella spray collars that are triggered by barking and then emit a fine mist of citronella oil in front of the face. The citronella collar can be found online as well. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Excessive barking in a young dog of Spyro's age is not at all uncommon. If you noting barking fits at certain times, it is extremely important not to reinforce these behaviors. For instance, if you note that he is barking at you in the house, do not reward this behavior by taking him outside to play. You are inadvertently telling him this is a preferable behavior. In the event that he is barking at you in the house, the best thing for you to do is walk way and ignore him (I realize this might be difficult, but in the end it is going to pay off). Some dogs will never stop barking no matter what, and ultimately require something external to discourage them. I usually tell people to start with something like a citronella collar. This is something that sprays a harmless liquid that your dog will dislike the odor off every time it barks. Many dogs will stop barking at the mere site of these, while others will show no response. In the worst cases, shock collars can be used, but I do not recommend their use unless all other options have failed multiple times. I would also recommend consulting a trainer so they can show you how to use a shock collar safely and effectively, as improper use can result in dangerous consequences. Hope this makes sense.

Yes, it's certainly possible to improve this behavior through training. To give any specific suggestions, we would need quite a bit more information - there are many different reasons that dogs may bark, and the recommended training approach will be different depending on why he is barking. Please feel free to post again with more details about this behavior, such as when he tends to do it, what seems to trigger it, etc. We would be happy to try and help.