We have two dachshunds, a male (3 years old) and a female (5 years old), who bark intensely whenever we get home. I walk them every day for about 30-45 minutes and they are well cared for. Our female tends to bark a lot more than our male, but he at least calms down after a few commands. We’ve tried ignoring them, and we’ve tried keeping them at the door until they stop barking, but the sound is so high-pitched it’s actually painful. Right now, we give them a treat when they stop barking to calm them down, but this doesn’t feel like a long-term solution. Anyone have suggestions? I’m happy to provide more details if needed.
First thing you should do is figure out why they’re barking. Are they barking at something outside, reacting to sounds or sights? Are they barking to get your attention? Or maybe they’re barking at nothing? It sounds like they’re barking at you, which is probably attention-seeking. If ignoring them is difficult, try using headphones and avoid giving them anything when they bark. Don’t even look at them. You could walk away into another room when they bark more, and when they finally stop, give them some attention. If you ignore them during barking, they will learn that barking doesn’t lead to attention and silence does. Giving treats might be reinforcing the barking, so try to avoid that. They could start to associate barking with getting quiet and then receiving a treat.
Thanks for the advice. They definitely bark to demand attention when we come home. Our boy had some issues when we first moved in, barking at nothing when we left (we have cameras for the backyard), but we worked on that and it stopped. Now, when we get home, they’re usually at the back door and can see us clearly. Should I ignore them until they’re quiet and not let them in? Or would it be better to let them inside and then ignore them? Appreciate your thoughts.
@Sophia_2
Since they can see you and clearly want to come inside, you can definitely use that to your advantage. When they bark, step away from what they want (opening the door). Walk out of sight if needed, and only return when there’s silence. At first, it might only be a second or two of quiet, but as soon as they bark again, walk away. If they stop barking as you walk away, turn back and come towards them. If they bark as you reach for the door, close it and walk away again. This process may take time, but with patience, they will learn that barking means no access and silence means attention. Be consistent, and don’t give up too soon. Just ignoring them doesn’t teach them much, but this strategy should help.
@Sophia_2
I love this approach. I’ll give it a try. Though I’m sure the neighbors will notice, I might let them know we’re training the dogs for the long term so they understand it’s for their benefit too.
Do you have neighbors who might be bothered by leaving your dogs outside while they’re barking?
CoachKate said:
Do you have neighbors who might be bothered by leaving your dogs outside while they’re barking?
Yes, we do. That’s why I’ve been letting them inside sooner so the neighbors don’t have to deal with the noise.
Have you considered giving them something to do when you get home? Maybe tossing a ball into another room might distract them from barking. That way, they could get your attention with something else.
That’s a good idea. I’ll try a toy or ball. It might be a better solution than giving treats, as I don’t want to form a habit with those.
I use a metal coffee can with some coins in it. Shake it when they bark and they will stop.
I’ll give that a try. Thanks for the tip.