Why do dogs bark? Why do humans talk? You have a voice for expressing your thoughts. So does your dog. It’s all about communication. You may not want to listen to every “word”, but expecting your dog to be quiet all the time is as unrealistic as expecting you to be quiet all the time.

For starters, you need to understand that your dog doesn’t view barking the same way as you. He or she (s/he) is telling you – someone s/he loves -- to pay attention to something s/he thinks is important.

Much depends on the breed and personality of your dog. Some, such as Dobermans, German Shepherds and Rotweillers are bred as guard dogs and bark whenever they perceive a threat. Sporting breeds, i.e. Beagles and Bloodhounds, are trained to ‘bay’ when they catch scent of the quarry. Many of the toy breeds just like to hear themselves articulate.

Breed aside, there are circumstances when almost any dog will bark – hunger, need to go out to potty, boredom, loneliness, extending you an invitation to play, and, of course, sensing danger when strangers – human or animal – approach. Presumably, you were aware your dog had a voice when you brought him or her into the family. Therefore, if your dog barks for any of these reasons, it’s unrealistic for you to try to stop him. It’s a dog’s nature to bark at certain times in given situations.

There are, however, times when barking isn’t only unwarranted, it’s totally undesirable. So what do you do?

First, remember that dogs are not children. They are most comfortable and behave best when they know you are in charge. Your dog has to respect your leadership to be a happy, well-adjusted, well-behaved pet. You, in turn, must respect your dog.

Some dogs can use their voices as a means of manipulation. Scenario: you are lying on the couch engrossed in a good book when your dog wakes from her nap and decides it’s playtime. She picks up her ball, brings it over and drops it in your lap. You ignore her and continue to read. She nudges your hand and barks with her tail wagging. You finally look at her and she assumes the ‘play-bow’ position (elbows near the floor, bottom in the air, tail wagging). You return to your book. She barks again, loudly – and when you don’t respond -- barks repeatedly. You finally put down your book, pick up the ball, and take her outside for a game of fetch. She stops barking immediately.

Dog ownership is not about equality: it’s about YOU being the boss, and her being the pet. She wasn’t inviting you to o play. She was harassing you to play, and by ignoring her, you allowed her to do it. In effect, giving in to this behavior taught her that to get what she wants, she has to make a noise – and she has to keep barking up until her goal is achieved.

Respect is an essential part of your relationship with your dog. You respect her by taking good care of her regardless of the convenience of doing so, feeding her nutritious and tasty food, and showing your affection for her in ways that she understands and enjoys. In order for her to be worthy of your respect, she has to respect you, too.

Affection and play times are obviously necessary aspects life with your dog, but they have to occur when you decide, not her. If she learns she can get what she wants by barking, then you and/or your neighbors are not going to be very happy campers. To prevent bullying behavior from your dog, you must prove to her that you will not be manipulated. It’s simple. Just ignore her. This does not mean passive ignorance -- where you pay no attention to her and simply continue with what you are doing. You need to take an active role by conveying to her through your body language that she is not worthy of your attention when she acts in such an undesirable manner. Give her the cold shoulder.

That is absolutely the most effective thing for you to do. When she starts trying to ‘bark you’ into doing something, get up, avert your eyes, and turn your back toward her. Don’t look at her, and don’t talk to her – not even a “no”. She’ll probably be confused at first and bark harder. This is particularly true if you’ve given in to her bully-barking in the past. The more times you’ve reinforced the behavior, the more persistent she’ll be, and the barking will probably get a lot worse before it gets better. After all, it’s worked for her the past, so it’s understandable that she’ll expect it to work again.

In all aspects of dog training, consistency is paramount. You must ensure that you don’t change your mind halfway through and give in to whatever she wants. Doing so teaches her to be even more persistent (“OK, so I just need to bark for ten minutes instead of five to get a walk,” is the message she’ll get.)

In other situations where bullying isn’t an issue and you just want her to stop the racket, you want to get the message across that you’d like her to cease and be quiet. The most effective thing you can do is to use your hands – never to hit – but in a perfectly humane, pain-free method of conveying that what you require right now is peace and quiet.

Here’s what you do. When she’s barking, give her a second to ‘get it out of her system -- express herself before firmly asking her to be quiet. If she doesn’t calm down, clasp her muzzle gently, but firmly, in your hand. She’ll try to shake you off or back away, so you can place your other hand on her collar to maintain control. This method is useful for two reasons: first, it effectively silences the barking and secondly, it reinforces your authority. You’re showing her through direct physical action that you’re a benevolent but firm leader who will accept no nonsense, and who won’t balk when it comes to enforcing your guidance. Hold onto her muzzle and collar until she’s stopped trying to break free: only when she calms down and stops wriggling does it mean that she’s accepted your authority. When she’s still, hold on for one or two more seconds, then let her go and praise her.

In addition to this short-term fix, there are other things you can to do to reduce your dog’s need to bark.

The number-one cause for unwanted barking (i.e. barking that’s repetitive and is directed at nothing) is nervous, agitated energy which comes from not getting enough exercise. Most dogs function best with 90 minutes of exercise daily, which is a considerable time commitment for you. Of course, this varies from dog to dog, depending on breed, age, and general health. You may think that your dog is getting as much exercise as she needs, but if her barking is coupled with an agitated demeanor (fidgeting, perhaps acting more aggressively than you’d expect or want, restlessness, destructive behavior) then she almost definitely needs more. Fortunately, the fix for this problem is pretty simple: you’ll just have to exercise her more. If you don’t have the time, hire someone to walk her or you will have a loud barking, frustrated, agitated dog which will make neither of you very happy.

The second most common cause of excessive vocalization in dogs is too much ‘alone time’. Dogs are social animals and need lots of attention, interaction, and communication. Without these, they become anxious and edgy. If you’re at home with your dog and not paying much attention to her and she’s spending a lot of time evidently barking at nothing, she’s probably bored, lonely and in need of a healthy dose of affection and attention.

One of the best sources I’ve found for correcting unwanted behaviors in your dog is Secrets to Dog Training by Daniel Stevens. It’s a complete, A-Z manual for the responsible dog owner that deals with recognizing, preventing, and dealing with just about every dog behavior problem under the sun. You can check it out by clicking HERE