Can you train a dog to not bark?

[Diamondeye]

I’m considering getting a puppy, however the breed I love apparently is prone to barking and can be quite yappy.

Can you train a dog not to do this even if by nature that’s what they’re like?

Not if it’s a dachshund.
Generally it’s easier to train a dog to do something rather than not to do something. Also easier to prevent situations where they might bark. (Eg block access to windows etc.)

My dog virtually never barks in the house.

As a puppy she was immediately put on a time out whenever she barked and rewarded with treats when for example the doorbell rang and she was quiet.

However, I have heard a number of people with the same breed as me say theirs are relatively quiet so I’m not sure how well it would work with a naturally barky/watchdog breed as you’d be working against instinct I imagine

I'm sure you can, think of police dogs,etc., but no idea how.

If you find out, let me know.

I'm trying to get my lab TO bark. Someone could literally come in my house and steal everything and he would be delighted to see someone new. He barks about once a week and only at one particular dog that he doesn't like. Never barks at anything else.

If you can, can you tell my next door neighbours? They have a Highland terrier which barks/yaps quite a bit but it wasn't too bad - he usually just does it when he goes to the loo at night.

But then they decided to get another dog (larger, not sure what breed) and it barks a lot more. Not at night although sometimes they let it out at 5am which I think is a bit anti-social.

So if someone knows how to get the second dog in particular to stop barking it would be great, I suspect my other neighbours would appreciate it too.

One of mine is a barker and it's extremely difficult to stop it.

It's infuriating but I'd never resort to adverse type pain inducing shock collars.

Ideally if you know your getting a barker you'd train them to bark on command "speak" then another command for them to stop. I missed the boat with this and have an excited lunatic who barks his head off

It really depends on the breed.

I can stop my dog barking once he's started, but I've never managed to stop him barking altogether. He is a beagle, though, and they are (by their very nature) gobby little shits!

What breed is it you want? Certain breeds are just naturally loud and there's not a huge amount you can do about it. Yes, you can use distraction or desensitisation but in my experience a barky dog will always be barky in some way or other!

You could make a fortune if you work it out (owner of two barky cockers)

Signing in with another gobby cocker! He's a fairly recent rescue and is currently barking at every noise from outside. I'm teaching him to bark on cue, which sounds counterintuitive, but if you can get them barking on command in a controlled manner, it's easier to teach 'quiet' from that (reward for five seconds quiet initially) rather than from excited barking.

Training 'Quiet' command

Perhaps check out your local rescue centre to find a dog who would suit your lifestyle (And save a life), rather than buying one from a breeder which creates more demand, thus leaving dogs needing homes in shelters?

No thank you.

There are plenty of legitimate reasons why someone may want a deliberately bred puppy rather than a rescue.

It doesn’t mean they are ‘against’ rescue necessarily..

It's not really @Kylee300, the OP clearly has her reasons.

All my dogs are rescues, but it's not for everyone. With respect, it's not really what the thread is about.

I've got one Barker, one non barker. The barker is bloody annoying when he does it, and nothing will stop him at times. It's his only fault.

To a certain extent, picking a breed is a case of picking your poison ie picking what flaws you can live with. If barking is something you can't live with, this probably isn't the breed for you.

To a certain extent you can limit the barking by removing the causes of barking (eg barking at passers-by = close the curtains) and by ensuring the barking isn't rewarded (eg ignore them if barking for attention, or a game of fetch, but giving them attention / fetch / whatever when they're quiet) but the tendency will always be there and some dogs do just like the sound of their own voice

Yes, it does. What are the reasons to want a purposely bred puppy? A puppy from a pound and a puppy from a breeder have had the same limited time on this earth. Go find one at the pound who will suit you

Well, let’s see.

Maybe you want a specific breed which all have different traits that appeal to different people?

Maybe your specific breed is prone to certain, serious health issues that you want to avoid by getting a puppy that has been bred from health tested parents and guaranteed not to inherit said horrible condition?

Maybe you acknowledge that temperament in dogs is actually largely inherited and a puppy born to nervous parents is highly likely to mature into a nervous adult dog even with a really good upbringing so you want to ensure your puppy has parents of a stable, confident, friendly temperament?

Maybe you want a working dog?
So you’ll be after a puppy specifically bred to do the activity you require?

Not to mention that a pound is totally different to a reputable rescue..

Many pounds don’t temperament test/assess the dogs very well, if at all and virtually no pounds home check or thoroughly check out prospective owners.

This can mean inadvertently adopting a dog utterly unsuited to you and all the distress that causes to everyone.

My tosser of a cocker barks like fury when the door goes. No other time. And apparently when we are not home, I have been told by several people that she doesn't bark at them when they come to the door...it's only when we are there to "impress". God it's annoying.

Interested in this "time out" of which you speak

Interested in this "time out" of which you speak

She was on a house line, bark = ah! sound from me, pick up line and escort pup out the room, close the door. Wait for whining to stop, open the door and let pup back in. Repeat.

Whenever the doorbell rang and she was quiet I would stroke her, give her treats, tell her what a good girl she was etc

I agree with Avocados. You need to be honest about what you can live with. I couldn’t cope with excessive barking or frequent trips to a groomer. I wanted a dog that was chilled at home and didn’t need hours and hours of exercise a day. All breeds have traits that can be a challenge.

Mine says no. He only started barking ta about a year old- he thinks that he is protecting us all.

Go find one at the pound who will suit you

Are you american? It really doesn't work that that in the UK. We were approved and waiting at 3 rescues- quite flexible as to type and age but no dogs came up in 6 months. It isn't that easy. Our last dog and 2 cats were rescues.

Our current dog was a rehome at 9 weeks (failed adoption).

It is possible but you need to be very dedicated. I find barking very annoying so I work hard on this with my dogs.

I teach three commands.
“False alarm” means “Stop barking, there was no one there in the first place”
“That’ll do now “ means “You we’re right to bark but that is enough now”
“Shhh” means “You must be joking to be barking at this time/in this place”

I use the usual positive reinforcements techniques to teach them, but you do need to intervene every single time the dog barks to manage the behaviour. With a puppy this means multiple wake up calls at night to go deal with the barking.