Control Excessive Barking

Control Excessive Barking
by G Miller
Excerpted from BouvLovers Email List, June 9, 2006

Training aid: a plastic (squeezable) lime bottle filled wth lime juice

Using the lime or lemon juice usually works to stop the barking in a hurry without any trauma to the dog.

I want my dogs to bark, but I want them to stop when I give them the quiet command. If they don't stop when I say quiet then I squirt them. Hitting them anyplace near their front is usually good enough as the dog will automatically lick where he is squirted.

I don't use any voice command after the initial quiet. I just squirt and then quietly praise for the quiet.

Initially you also have the startle reaction from the squirt going for you. I have used this on hundreds of dogs and it is rare that it fails. It never stops the dog from barking just makes the dog stop barking when you give the command.

As in all training you must be consistent. If the dog stops barking when you reach for the lime you must still follow through with the squirt. When the dog listens and stops barking when you give the command you praise to reinforce.