While it may be nice to be safe in the knowledge our dog will protect us from harm, sometimes it can be nuisance when they start barking at even the slightest disturbance outside.
Whether it be a delivery or someone simply walking past our homes, sometimes our four-legged friends can unecessarily go barking mad when they don’t need to – much to our frustration. A dog trainer, however, has shared some advice on how to prevent this from occurring.
Emilee Mahar took to TikTok to detail her “really easy tip” for those whose pets “bark like crazy” when they hear a noise outside. “I promise you, yelling at them and punishing them is not going to get you as far as you want,” she explained.
The key is to “change the way they feel” about the noises on the outside of the home, Emilee explained. “How do we do this?” she asked. “Not by adding in more stress from us, therefore breaking our relationship with them.”
Instead, Emilee says she teaches her clients that when their dog hears a noise, it means it is “time to play a really fun game.” Pulling out some leftover fruit, she revealed that this can prove useful in a mini training session.
Emilee showcased her own pooch playing catch with raspberries – something she says they practice multiple times per day. “Just a handful of treats – and then when he hears a noise outside I tell him ‘no’, and I immediately redirect him to start playing this game with me,” she said.
“It’s going to be difficult to break the habit in the beginning, but I promise if you start playing this game often, it will help,” Emilee closed. She also summarised her clip in a caption: ” You’re not rewarding the barking with this method, you are redirecting their attention as well as forming positive associations with things that typically trigger them.
“I would consider this a management technique, but for some dogs, this can be the final destination because they just needed a little boost of help.”
The RSPCA offers additional advice online. “Some dogs will bark at people passing by your house or garden,” their website explains. “You can try preventing your dog from seeing anybody passing the house by reducing access to windows or gardens.”
Complementing Emilee’s tip, the charity adds: “It’s a good idea to have tasty treats and exciting toys to hand – you can use these to distract your dog. Ideally, this would happen before they start barking, or you could use a treat to interrupt their behaviour.”