Can a dog be trained not to bark/ya

[Barcamug]

BF's parents have a sausage dog (I'm not a dog person, can you tell? 😄).

BF looks after the dog quite a bit , but it barks....at everything. A passing cat or squirrel when indoors and when taking it out, at literally everything that moves.

I find it embarrassing to accompany a badly behaved dog on walks. BF (or his parents) says this is just what these dogs are like.

I'd have thought it wouldn't if properly trained, but what do I know? I doubt there's anything I can do but if it's normal, I'll feel less bothered by it.

Yap!

I hate yappy barky dogs. My mate has one and she occasionally puts a bark collar on it but isn’t consistent.
it does work tho, it vibrates 1st time he barks as a warning and if he barks again it sprays water on his face.
it was working really well then she stopped using it and he’s a noisy little bugger again now

My elderly rescue, who I've had for a year, barks at a leaf flying past the window, a bee farting, just anything really. I've put up privacy film so she can't see anything. That worked a while, then I got one of the air cans that hiss whilst shouting no. Then praising. That's worked to where I no longer need the air can, I can just give her a look and she'll come for fuss instead.

Fear aggression with other dogs in the street, though. Forget it. She's full on nasty - but all mouth, no trousers. I put myself in front of her, apologise to the poor unwitting fellow dog owner.

So, yes, they can be trained. But dogs are animals at the end of the day. Unpredictable and we have to be in full control always.

They are a yappy breed unfortunately. Hard to train and hard to stop barking. Every one I have ever met is a yappy wee fecker. It’s normal.

@Mumblechum0 @DinoLil
You are both recommending aversive techniques, which are not ethical or kind and should not be legal for use.

@Barcamug Some breeds naturally bark more than others do. The dachshund is a particularly barky breed unfortunately.

If you start when a puppy is very young it is possible to discourage them from developing a barking habit by teaching "quiet" "shhh" "that's enough" or similar. We have a guarding breed and this is what we do with ours from the start. But some breeds or individuals will always be more barky than others.

If the dog is food focused you can try teaching it "quiet" by offering a reward only when the barking ceases, but you need to be very consistent and get the timing right. For barking in the home, distraction with food or play so the barking is not prolonged. If it's barking on a walk you can try to get it to carry a toy, but it may not work with such a tiny dog as a Dachshund.

In truth it is one of the most barky breeds so your BF and his parents are correct in what they say.

To stop the barking you need to treat the cause not the symptom. It sounds like reactivity which yes absolutely can be improved but the dog needs help to feel better or less frustrated rather than punished. A good reward based trainer will help you.

I agree, treat the cause not the symptom.
Also, if you use collar, water or compressed air, what happens if you run out, its in another room or forget where you put it?

I overheard someone ask a trainer this and she said you can stop a dog barking at certain things and have to in certain instances but she finds it unfair when people want to shut up dogs who are barky, that it’s inherent in them and is like trying to stop a chatty child talking. The irony of my dog barking at me as I type this 😅

I completely agree with @CoubousAndTourmaIet reply. Please do not use a collar like that or compressed air. Both are scaring the dog so they become afraid to bark, that's a horrible thing to do.

@Tryingatleast @noctilucentcloud

I should probably also point out that when training our pups we aren't shouty; we use a very quiet gentle "shhh" or a whispered "quiet!", never a harsh correction. But that's with a guarding breed, so it's more an acknowledgement that we have checked the situation out and it's okay. They can still bark when they need to though.

Nobody should be using bark collars or spraying a ddog with water..
Poor thing.

Sometimes it works to teach them to speak and then it’s easier to stop them when you don’t want them to bark.

It’s definitely possible to reduce barking, even in breeds like sausage dogs who are known for being a bit vocal. They were originally bred to alert and hunt, so reacting to every movement is kind of in their DNA, but that doesn’t mean nothing can be done.

The key is consistency and patience. Try rewarding calm behaviour and using distractions before the barking starts (like asking for a “sit” or offering a treat when they notice something but stay quiet). Punishing or shouting usually makes it worse, because the dog just gets more worked up.

This article has some really practical tips on managing barking and teaching a quieter response: How to stop dog barking.

So yes, it’s normal for the breed, but with training and structure, it can get much better. Don’t lose hope!

I’ve personally never met a dachshund that wasn’t a yappy little shit, but I suspect (and this won’t be popular) that it’s because most people don’t treat them like a the working breed they are - they treat them as cute, tiny handbag dogs that are picked up and babied.