For families with dogs, the biggest worry is dogs barking randomly at home, which not only disturbs the family’s rest but mainly affects the neighbors. Moreover, when one dog barks, other dogs will join in, and if there are many dog owners around, well, it turns into a big chorus, which is really headache-inducing. Today, the PetsZone editor will talk about how to correct this behavior of dogs barking randomly. Let’s take a look below.

Dogs not only have a keen sense of smell, but their hearing is also excellent. The phrase “ears listening in all directions” fits perfectly. Slight sounds, such as a neighbor passing by the door, can trigger a burst of barking. However, if you play a very loud sound near the dog’s ears, like a person’s scream upon seeing a mouse, or the clanking sound of coins in a tin can, the dog will immediately stop barking.

If you observe carefully, you will find that dogs mostly like to howl at the sky out of boredom, a typical sign of excess energy. Since this is the case, treat the root cause by using plenty of exercise to consume its extra energy.

Exercise not only consumes a dog’s physical strength a lot but also greatly satisfies the dog mentally. But don’t foolishly exhaust your own strength helping the dog burn energy. You can use tools such as a bicycle, roller skates, or a skateboard to help expend the dog’s energy. You run in front, and the dog chases behind, ensuring that when you get home, the dog will only do two things: drink water first, then sleep soundly and sweetly.

Sometimes using some necessary force can also help dogs quickly understand: random barking annoys the owner, and if they don’t want to be hit, they should stop barking immediately. Of course, this “violence” here does not mean you take a stick and hit the dog; otherwise, not only will you be accused of “animal abuse,” but the dog may retaliate and refuse to obey, which will cost you more than you gain.

A safer method is: when the dog is barking wildly, spray it with a water gun. Dogs don’t like being wet; when they have water on them, they are busy shaking off the water naturally, leaving no time to bark “woof woof.” In fact, if the dog is trained regularly, just a frown from you with an order to stop, and a gesture as if to hit the dog, it will know to be quiet, so you won't need to actually “hit” it.

When you interact with a person who completely ignores you, would you continue to engage with them? Of course not. Dogs are the same. If you remain indifferent to their barking, they will ultimately stop because of boredom. Of course, using this method presupposes the same as with exercise: the dog just wants to get your attention and play with you.

When using this method, you must be “ruthless” and completely ignore the dog. Never turn away only to feel sorry and look back to comfort it. To you, this may seem like a polite refusal, but to the dog, it may become an invitation to play.

The above are methods for correcting dogs’ random barking behavior, and we hope they can help everyone.