Watchdog Barking

This type of barking is generally triggered when the dog hears or sees other dogs, people, animals, moving objects like cars or skateboards and by general noises. It often involves the dog staring out the window and barking at anything that passes by. Barking occurs both when the family is home and when they are away. There are several ways you can train a dog to stop doing this behavior and below are the most common methods.

Close The Blinds

This involves absolutely no training or money and can greatly decrease the incidents of watchdog barking. By making sure all the windows are covered securely so the dog can poke her way through, you can avoid your dog compulsively watching people walk by.

Give A Timeout

Timeouts are really effective for dealing with this type of barking when you are home. They do not always translate to when you are not home but they are definitely worth a try first. You can read instructions for Timeouts on our resources page.  After you make progress, you can decide if your dog should have access to the window during the day when you’re gone or not. Crating a dog is a great option and one that can be really fun for your dog.  Read our Crate Training handout if you’re interested in this.

Get A Toy Instead

This is the most time consuming and difficult way to train your dog to stop barking but it can be really fun for you and your dog. What you do is train your dog that every time something walks by the window, he has to go get a toy from his toy basket. Your dog can continue to watch people and get excited but instead of barking, he has to grab a toy. Then, once the toy is in his mouth, he can’t bark anymore! It’s a counter productive behavior and so it solves your problem by giving your dog something else to do! This handout is enclosed. If you’re having difficult teaching this behavior to your dog, contact a trainer for advice or private training sessions.
 

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