Stop Your Dog From Barking When You’re Away With A Little Treat Training

Stop Your Dog From Barking When You’re Away With A Little Treat Training

There’s a lot that goes into finding the right dog for you, but there’s even more that goes into training it. If your dog likes to bark and annoy the neighbours while you’re gone, this little training trick might help them deal with things better.

Photo by Angelia Sims.

There are a lot of things that can cause a dog to bark: seeing things out the window (if it’s inside), strange noises, and just the idea of being away from you. When you leave, your dog wants to know everything is ok. That’s why commenter HannaBear51 at Apartment Therapy recommends a simple method of letting them everything is all good:

Give the dog something positive right before you leave the house. The key here is immediacy – give the good thing, and then walk out the door immediately. For my dogs, this is a treat, and I walk out while they’re distracted with chewing. After a week or so, they were in the habit of associating the treat with my departure, and they actually started looking forward to it (hurrying me along at the appointed time, etc.).

As HannaBear51 points out, it might feel a little insulting when your dog gets excited for you to leave, but it’s better than the alternative of them barking up a storm. So the next time you’re headed out, give your dog some positive reinforcement and make your way out. Other things like chew toys and turning the TV on for background noise might help as well. Obviously your mileage may vary depending on the dog, but if you can keep up the habit, it might make things easier for both of you.

Neighbour Favours: Tips to Help Keep Your Dog from Barking When You Are Out [Apartment Therapy]


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