Dogs bark for many reasons. In some cases, your dog may be alerting you to the presence of a stranger or some other potential problem in your home. However, many dogs simply bark at unfamiliar sights and sounds, such as people walking on a sidewalk across the street, sounds of the neighborhood, thunderstorms and so on. Over time, all this barking can get aggravating, but you can help reduce the behavior with patience and training. The following is a guide that will help you train your dog to stop barking at random noises.
Identify what sound or sounds make your dog bark the most
First, you need to figure out what sound or sounds make your dog bark the most. Do they tend to bark during storms? Or when cars pass by on the road? Do they bark if they hear something drop in another room? The more you can figure out about what is making your dog bark, the better you will be able to train your dog to stop barking at that particular sound.
Do what you can to reduce your dog’s exposure to the sounds
Before you start working on any type of training, you need to do what you can to reduce your dog’s exposure to the sounds that make them bark. For instance, buy noise-dampening curtains to help reduce the sounds of cars and other neighborhood noise; or play gentle music when it thunderstorms to help cover up the sound of thunder.
Practice condition training
The best way to train your dog to stop barking at random noises is to condition them to those noises. This means you will need to gradually expose your dog to minimal amounts of these noises, reward them for not barking, and continue until they can handle the “normal” volume without barking. For example: if your dog tends to bark at the sound of cars passing, you can start by playing a low-level audio clip of a car passing by on the street. If your dog doesn’t bark, immediately reward them. Continue by playing another clip louder—and so on, until they are able to handle actual car noise without barking.
Make sure your dog is getting enough exercise
Some dogs may bark at plenty of random noises because they aren’t getting enough exercise and they have too much energy. You can help reduce excessive barking by making sure that your dog gets enough exercise each day via both walks and play time.
Avoid yelling at your dog for barking
As a general rule of thumb, don’t yell at your dog for barking. Dogs may view you yelling as your attempt to join in the barking or they may be confused as to why you are yelling at them. Instead, reward with positive reinforcement, not negative punishment.
Remember that it may take time to condition your dog to stop barking at random noises; remember to be patient and train your dog gradually over time to see the best results.
