My 9-month-old dog barks constantly at sounds. How do I stop it?

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.

There are many different training methods for helping dogs to stop barking. Repetitions, consistency, and positive reinforcement are the three mainstays of training for almost all aspects of canine behavioral modification. Since she is stopping immediately sometimes, she is either recognizing your desire for her to stop or there is something that is occurring that both you and her are unaware of that is making her stop. You will have to think hard about the times that she stops and the times that she doesn't, and consider what may be different. If you are able to figure that out, training her will become much easier. Since I am assuming the majority of the barking occurs while you are walking Snowball, the best thing you can do is reward any positive behavior you see while you are partaking in this activity. Carry a small pouch of dog treats with you at all times. If Snowball starts barking and going towards whatever the stimulus might be, stop movement, have her her heel, and then the moment she stops barking reward her and continue the walk. Another method you might consider is training Snowball with a separate command that breaks her concentration in order to divert her attention elsewhere. If you are able to teach her the touch command, she might stop her barking in order to come to you in hopes of receiving a treat. The touch command is very simple. You basically are teaching your dog that every time you say touch, she is to come to your hand and touch her nose to it. While in the beginning this will likely only work from a few inches away, eventually with practice you should be able to divert her attention from quite far. If training does not seem to be effective, there are collars available that are meant to discourage barking. They range from ones that make annoying noises, ones that spray out something that smells unpleasant, and ones that shock the wearer. The shock collars should only be used in extreme circumstances when all other collars and training methods have failed. Hope this helps.

You say you have tried many things that don't work. Do these include telling her "no," throwing a can of pennies in her direction, and other such interventions? If so, you may be encouraging the very behavior you want to stop. Dogs seek attention in various ways. When they want it, even negtive attention (scolding, etc.) is better to them than none. If you are certain that all of Juniper's needs have been met, and she has been vet-checked for a possible undiagnosed condition, then you must ignore the barking. Totally. Completely. Every single time. No matter how long she carries on! If barking has worked so far to get your attention, she is going to continue to do what works. But, as Dr. Phil says, "You don't reward bad behavior." She may even get worse temporarily, because if you always responded to the barking before, she may try the "more, longer, louder" approach. This does not mean that the treatment isn't helping. On the contrary, it means she has noticed a shift in the response (in this case, lack of response) she is getting and is making a last-ditch effort to get it to work again. Just stand your ground and you will find that, once the barking is no longer effective, it will stop. If you need additional help with this, you can click on the prompt to start a consult. Good luck!

Lab puppies are very active and need lots of exercise and attention. I would train him to retrieve a ball and play with him a lot and walk him often so he’s tired. You can give him a chew toy when in the house or crate so he’s busy too which should decrease the barking. I have also used a Sonic Egg to decrease the barking. You can buy one at PetCo. It gives off a sound when they bark and that will help also. Remember he’s just a baby and this behavior should improve as he matures. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Scooby.

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.

What you're describing sounds like a reaction to the general excitement level and maybe the volume in the room. Some dogs will actually become aggressive that type of situation (for example, they will bite ONLY when there's a touchdown -- not so fun for the visitors). As far as stopping it, keeping her a quiet separate area during big gatherings is one way, as long as she doesn't bark to be reunited with the group. You can also try feeding her a continuous steam of small treats to help change her emotional reaction to these events. One thing to avoid is any yelling or punishment, since that may push her over the edge from barking to aggression

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your question. Dallas is exhibiting typical puppy / dog behavior. This is just behavioral and can be corrected. I would recommend using a spray bottle filled with water and every time he barks, lightly spritz him in the face while using a command such as "No barking!" If he continues to bark, you can also use what is called a citronella collar, which can be found online quite easily. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any further questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.