Dogs normally bark because it is part of their nature. But when the barking gets out of control, it can be a problem. In some situations when your dog keeps on barking, it could cause a lot of discomfort, irritation and might even subject you to some legal problems if your neighbours get offended by the continuous noise.
This is why it is important to know how to stop a dog from barking for attention. It is also very important to be able to differentiate between the normal and the problematic pattern of barking.
Why do dogs bark?
Dogs bark to express how they feel because it is one of the limited forms of communication they have. A dog barks when he is excited or wants to play. Sometimes dogs bark to express that they are angry or threatened. Dogs will bark when they are bored, stressed, or having nothing to play with.
It is usually easy to distinguish between the different types of barks. A dog that barks because he is excited or happy barks in a higher tone than a dog that is barking to express a threat.
A bored dog will bark in a depressing low pitch monotone that may last for hours. A dog that is feeling lonely and suffering from separation anxiety will sound absolutely desperate in his bark and you will be able to tell the difference.
Watch these free dog training videos from The Online Dog Trainer to show you how to train your dog to obey you in everything! Almost all behavioural issues can be dealt with promptly if your dog is obedient.
How to stop a dog from barking for attention?
Remove the motivation:
If you want to understand how to stop a dog from barking for attention, then you need to understand what his motivation is. Usually a dog barks to seek attention and will continue to do so because he knows it works. He knows as long as he barks loudly and persistently, you will leave whatever you are doing and attend to him.
See what your dog gets out of barking and remove it. This will take some time especially if your dog has been doing it for years. Don’t weaken your resolve, stand your ground because this will help retrain your dog in appropriate barking and eliminate the incessant barking.
Ignore the barking:
After your dog notices the pattern of you not giving into his incessant barking in order to get what he wants, it will then be time to completely ignore him when he barks. Don’t punish your dog but don’t pay attention to him when he is in this state It is sometimes better not even to look at him. This will communicate displeasure with your dog for his behaviour and motivate him to stop.
Reward a positive behavior:
The best way to learn how to stop a dog from barking for attention is to teach your dog that good behaviour gets rewarded by enforcing a positive behaviour. As soon as your dog stops barking, it is very important that you reward him on the spot.
Give your dog a healthy treat like this immediately after he stops barking to teach him that this behaviour will be rewarded. Use this technique to further enforce the positive behaviour by extending the time your dog has to be silent before you reward him.
Teach your dog an alternative behaviour:
If you want to learn how to stop a dog from barking for attention, then you need to give him an idea of what else they can do if they want to play with you.
This will take some time and creativity on your part but will teach your dog that they can get your attention in a different way besides barking. For example teach your dog to grab his favourite ball or toy and bring it to you to express that they want to play instead of barking non stop.
Train your dog to deal with your departure:
Separation anxiety is one of the main reasons why some dogs will keep on barking to attract your attention. If you want to learn how to stop a dog from barking for attention then you need to expose him to different signals that show that you are leaving the house before you actually do to get him ready for your departure.
You can hold your keys or put on your coat to show him that you are leaving. Also it is important to leave your dog alone in the room for a while until he can get used to staying on his own.
How to avoid boredom barking:
The best way to avoid boredom barking is to give your dog more play and more exercise to keep him busy. This is especially important if you are leaving. Just let your dog play with you for a while before leaving for work.
Teaching your dog to overcome their fear and anxiety is a key factor in making your dog stop barking for your attention. Counter-conditioning will teach your dog to associate their fear with a treat. For example you can leave a slow feeding puzzle bowl with treats for your dog to enjoy while you are not in the house and then remove it once you come back.
This will associate something they don’t like with something that they actually do. Training your dog takes time and effort but the rewards are priceless.