How To Get My Poodle To Stop Barking So Much

A lot of people ask the question How To Get My Poodle To Stop Barking So Much and I wanted to share some good advice. The good folks at the Humane Society have some very good suggestions and training advice as to how to go about teaching your poodle not to bark the right way. One problem is that a lot of people don't realize they are actually teaching their dog to bark. If your poodle is barking in the crate and to quite them down, you give them food or let them out of the crate to shut them up, they will think that if they bark enough, they will get what they want. The reward is associated with their barking, instead of the other way around. Here are some tips on teaching and training your poodle or dog to eliminate or limit their barking from the Humane Society. Ignore your dog's barking for as long as it takes him to stop. That means don't give him any attention at all while he's barking. Your attention only rewards him for being noisy. Don't talk to him, don't touch him, and don't even look at him. When he finally quiets, even to take a breath, reward him with a treat. To be successful with this method: * You must wait as long as it takes for him to stop barking. If he barks for an hour and you finally get so frustrated that you yell at him to be quiet, the next time he'll probably bark for an hour and a half. He learns that if he just barks long enough you'll give him attention. * Be consistent. You must ignore the barking EVERY time. Example: barking when confined If your dog is in his crate or confined to a room behind a baby gate or other barrier, he may bark because he wants to be with you. * Turn your back and ignore him. * Whenever he stops barking, turn, praise him, and give him a treat. * Make a game of it. As he catches on that being quiet gets him a treat, lengthen the amount of time he must remain quiet before being rewarded. * Start small. Reward him for being quiet for just a second or two. Work up to longer periods of quiet. * Keep the game fun by varying the amount of time. Sometimes reward him after 5 seconds, then 12 seconds, then 3 seconds, then 20 seconds, and so on. Desensitization and counter conditioning Gradually get your dog accustomed to whatever is causing him to bark. Start with the stimulus (the thing that makes him bark) at a distance. It must be far enough away that he doesn't bark when he sees it. Feed him lots of good treats. Move the stimulus a little closer (perhaps as little as a few inches or a few feet to start) and feed treats. If the stimulus moves out of sight, stop giving your dog treats. You want your dog to learn that the appearance of the stimulus leads to good things (treats!). Example: barking at dogs Dogs that are afraid of other dogs will often bark at them. * Have a friend with a dog stand out of sight far enough away that you know your dog won't bark at the other dog. * As the friend and dog come into view, start feeding your dog lots of very yummy treats (tiny bits of cooked chicken usually work well). Keep feeding treats until the friend and dog are out of sight. * Stop feeding treats as soon as the friend and dog disappear from view. * Ask your friend and her dog to gradually walk closer. * Don't try to progress too quickly; it may take days or weeks before your dog can pay attention to you and the treats without barking at the other dog. * Contact a behavior professional for assistance if you need help. Teach The Quiet Command It may sound nonsensical, but to stop your dog from barking, first teach him to bark on command. * Give your dog the command to "speak." Have someone immediately make a noise—such as knocking on the door—that is sure to make your dog bark. * Let him bark two or three times, then stick a tasty treat in front of his nose. * When he stops barking to sniff the treat, praise him and give him the treat. Repeat until he starts barking as soon as you say "speak." Once your dog can reliably bark on command, teach the "quiet" command. * Start in a calm environment with no distractions. * Tell him to "speak." When he starts barking, say "quiet" and stick a treat in front of his nose. * Praise him for being quiet and give him the treat. Example: Intruder at the Door When the doorbell rings, your dog alerts you to the presence of an "intruder" by barking wildly. Once you've taught your dog the "quiet" command in a calm environment, practice in increasingly distracting situations until your dog can immediately stop barking when asked to, even when that "intruder" arrives at the door. See the original post here If you are consistent and patient, these tips and training techniques will definitely help solve the problem of your poodle's barking over time. Just don't expect miracles overnight. It took time for your dog's behavior to set in and it takes time to correct it, so be persistent and be patient.