Why dogs bark
Barking is normal. Dogs speak up when they feel excited, anxious, frustrated, bored, or when something startles them. The goal is not to silence your dog. The goal is to teach calm, give clear cues, and meet their needs so barking eases on its own.
What not to do
- Do not shout. Your dog may think you are joining in.
- Avoid punishment. It can increase stress and make barking worse.
- Skip harsh collars or aversives. Choose humane, reward-based methods.
Your positive training toolkit
- High-value treats to reinforce quiet and calm.
- Enrichment to reduce boredom and lower arousal.
- Management such as baby gates, blinds, or white noise.
- Clear cues so your dog knows what earns rewards.
- Gentle attention aids like QuietPaws™ Ultrasonic Bark Control to interrupt and refocus humanely.
Step-by-step plan
- Find the trigger. Note when and where barking happens. Door knocks, passers-by, neighbours’ dogs, or garden wildlife are common.
- Pre-empt. Close curtains at busy times, add a chew or sniff game before triggers appear, and keep a treat pouch handy.
- Teach a “Quiet” routine. Wait for a brief pause, say “Quiet,” mark with “Yes,” then reward. Gradually lengthen the quiet period.
- Desensitise. Play low-volume versions of the trigger or create controlled set-ups. Reward calm. Increase difficulty in small steps.
- Redirect with a task. Ask for a sit, go-to-mat, or nose-target, then pay well for compliance.
Using QuietPaws™ kindly and effectively
QuietPaws™ is a handheld, humane attention-getter. Use it to interrupt a barking spiral so you can reward calm behaviour. Keep sessions short. Pair every successful interruption with praise and a treat for quiet. Over time your dog learns that calm earns rewards.
Tip: Do not use any tool to suppress fear. If your dog is anxious, work at a distance where they can stay below threshold and succeed.
Product spotlight that truly helps
PawQuest™ Snuffle Mat is brilliant for pre-empting nuisance barking that stems from boredom or excess energy. Five minutes of sniffing is mentally tiring in a healthy way, which makes calm much easier.
Shop the PawQuest™ Snuffle Mat at Hunter’s Doggy Shop
- Encourages natural foraging and problem-solving.
- Reduces restlessness before common trigger times such as the postie arriving.
- Pairs perfectly with reward-based training and QuietPaws™ refocus cues.
Daily calm routine
- Morning sniff-walk or scent game at home.
- Short training snack: sit, down, go-to-mat, then release.
- Window management during busy hours and a chew to settle.
- Evening enrichment with the snuffle mat, then a cuddle and rest.
Troubleshooting
My dog barks at visitors
Park a treat jar by the door. Ask for a go-to-mat as the visitor enters, then scatter a few treats on the mat. If arousal spikes, use QuietPaws™ to interrupt, then reward calm on the mat.
My dog barks at other dogs on walks
Increase distance so your dog can notice without tipping over. Cue a nose-target or look-at-me. Mark and reward each calm glance. If needed, use QuietPaws™ to break fixation, then return to rewarding calm from a safe distance.
My neighbour’s dogs set mine off
Run a pre-emptive enrichment session with the