Stop Dog from Barking Now

Stop Dog From Barking NOW!

Barking, at the very least, is a very annoying habit. But it can be the beginning of a much more serious problem. Therefore, you need to stop dog from barking now!

Barking and Aggression

Barking can also be an early level of aggression and it would be very important to stop dog from barking before it escalates into something more serious. Some years ago I had an Akita and my neighbour had a Bull Terrier. They did not like each other and would bark and act aggressively whenever they were in the yard near the adjoining fence. Once when the two men were talking at the front of my house, they both let the dogs free with them; a really foolish thing to do! There was a massive fight and the dogs were bitter enemies from that day forward.

One day when I was walking the Akita, I noticed my neighbour coming towards me, also walking his dog. I was expecting trouble. But when we got close to each other we stood (albeit on opposite sides of the road) and had a chat. To my surprise, both dogs completely ignored each other as both were away from their territory and were on leads and under the control of their owners. Neither of us had to stop dog from barking as both dogs were entirely different to when they were in their own yards. This is a great example of why dogs will bark and be aggressive in their own territory and how leadership and training can eliminate the problem.

Barking as a Warning

The most fearful dog is the one who doesn’t bark, just attacks! Barking is a warning, but some breeds will simply act aggressively with no warning whatsoever. Dogs like this will often use their eye to eye contact as the main warning, that is why you should never eye to eye with a dog that is barking aggressively. You need to stop dog from barking as quickly as possible, as if the barking is a warning of aggression, you want to stop the entire aggressive focus immediately.

My Akita was one of those dogs that did not bark a warning. When the Akita was only 3 months old I was walking her when I heard barking and turned to see an Australian Cattle Dog and a Labrador running towards us, barking madly. I stopped and the Akita turned towards them and stood very still. I had my eyes on the other dogs but at the same time I noticed just how still and focussed the Akita’s eyes were. She was a baby, but she never flinched.

As the aggressive adult dogs got closer to us, they slowed a little and the barking lessened. When they were a few feet away and could see the Akita’s eyes, their uncertainty was apparent. As soon as this uncertainty showed, the Akita took one step forward. The two dogs, as one, turned and ran back from whence they came with a howl instead of a bark. What a difference! The Akita had not barked once, had not even moved until that one step and her eyes never left the target. To stop dog from barking, which could lead to a dog fight, you and your dog can depend on your own body language.

I realised that if I wanted to make sure this dog did not become aggressive, I had to train her well so that she looked at me as her leader and would follow my instructions to the letter. I never had to stop dog from barking with my Akita, I just had to learn to read her body language. Consequently I never did have any trouble, except that one time the two men let the two dogs out together, without me being present. I consider that was the men’s fault, not the dogs!