Puppy barking is perfectly natural for canines. Be prepared for puppy barking, whining and howling when you bring them home as it is what they do! If you are one devoted dog owner, you’ll know you will experience barking, whining and howling at any time. There is no way to train your puppy to stop barking completely and you would not want him to anyway. Of course, everyone will benefit once you have your dog’s barking under control.  You, your neighbors, and even your dog will be happier.

Here are the Reasons for Why Barking Begins

Dogs who are confined or alone a lot without exercise store up energy and need an outlet for it. If there is nobody with your dog all day, then they may bark just to hear itself and nobody tells them to stop. Pretty soon, barking will become an enjoyable habit for him or her. Many dogs, once they start barking, do it because they think it’s fun and enjoyable.  

Unintentionally, you may have trained your dog to bark excessively. You obey your dog when he speaks. “Woof” and you open the door to let them out, another “woof” and you open it again to let them in. A puppy quickly learns that barking earns him a snack; they bark and they get rewarded. A puppy gets attention from you by barking.  For this reason, it is easy for barking to become a habit.  After all, the puppy wants your attention, and if he barks, he gets your attention. And sometimes, it is very easy to forget to provide positive reinforcement such as praises and treats for your dog when they are not barking.

Exercises and Puppy Barking

It is important to realize that when your puppy barks there are many reasons for this, like boredom, being lonely, mad, or scared. Behavioral problems are usually alleviated when you are spending more time with your new puppy. If your puppy is happy, contented and adequately exercised, he will probably spend the day napping when you are not at home. So take some time and play with him, train him and exercise him.

The repetition involved in puppy obedience training can be as boring for puppies as it is for their owners. “Come here”, “sit”, “heel”, and “stay” all make enjoyable games for your dog.  Why not make it even more fun by rewarding good performance with treats, hugs and praise.  Remember that dogs and puppies like a quick pace and high energy! Try to think of new training ideas for your puppy so it won’t get bored.

For dogs living in the backyard for the majority of the time, they probably need some “social” exercises. You may need to walk them around your neighborhood to minimize the puppy barking. Puppies find daily walks an adventure because of all the exciting sounds and smells they can investigate when they are outdoors. Pet dogs and puppies may dash madly around your backyard but this is not a form of puppy exercise. Just like humans, they pace, fidget, and have other nervous tendencies. Give your puppies fun things to play with and occupy themselves with such as chew toys for puppy biting and a digging pit for dogs.

Dogs, like humans, are naturally social animals. They are just like us.  They need companions and friends. Your dog needs to be taken for walks and exercised every day or every week as well as to let them socialize with other dogs. They will sleep great after a good hard day of playing, dog training, and exercising.