All dogs bark – it is an instinctual function for them. However, there is a difference between a normal amount of barking and an excessive amount of barking. Excessive barking can quickly become disruptive to your own household as well as people around you, such as your neighbours.

Dogs bark for many reasons: to protect their territory, because they are alarmed or frightened, or when they play. In these instances, barking is usually short lived and should not be a cause for concern. Excessive barking typically occurs because of boredom, a need for attention, or separation anxiety.

It is important to never yell at your dog when he is barking. When you yell at him to stop or be quiet, your raised voice will only encourage his barking. Using a calm, quiet, and assertive voice is the first step in curbing this problem. While using this tone of voice, have your dog lay down since they tend to bark less in this position.

Rewarding quiet behaviour is the next step. You will need to teach the “quiet” command to your dog. When he quiets down after the quiet command, reward him with a treat. This will encourage him to be quiet on command – a useful tool to curb excessive barking. However, it is important to keep the treats out of sight and to not offer him the treat in exchange simply for quietness – he must learn the “quiet” command instead of learning he will get a treat when he stops barking. Never dissuade your dog from barking by petting him or giving him treats, this only rewards the barking behaviour.

If your dog suffers from separation anxiety, your primary focus is making sure he is as happy as possible while you’re away. He should be exercised, have adequate food and water, have toys to play with and a have a comfortable place to sleep. If he immediately starts barking excessively when you return home, it is best to go to another room and ignore him completely for a period of time. Immediately giving him attention teaches him that his barking in your absence causes you to return home, which is not the case. Furthermore, any attention given to him while he barks will encourage the barking.  Once he stops barking and settles down, you can reward him with a treat or attention.

If you have tried these tactics and nothing seems to be working, it may warrant a trip to your veterinarian or hire the services of a trainer. Excessive barking can affect the quality of your life as well as people in close proximity to you; your veterinarian or a trainer may be able to provide other solutions to curb your dog’s barking.