The German shepherd can be very loud at times, and it is frustrating to see your dog barking at your friends or even strangers.
If you find yourself in this predicament, you may be wondering why your dog barks so often and so loud and as such if you are looking for answers on how to get your dog to stop barking, this article will guide you through it.
Let’s get into it.
How To Get A German Shepherd To Stop Barking
Use treats that are soft, like cheese, tiny pieces of fresh-cooked chicken, or even homemade dog training fudge.
Reserve these treats only for outside training times, which makes them more high value to your GSD. Use one of these treats that are highly scented to catch your German Shepherd’s attention before they bark.
What Are Some Reasons for Your German Shepherd’s Barking?
Some main reasons your dog may be barking include excitement, protection of territory and owners, pain, fear, boredom etc. The location and time your dog is barking can also help you ascertain what the reason may be.
- It is Excited
When German shepherds anticipate that something good is about to happen, they often bark in excitement. This is one of the most common causes of barking in shepherd dogs. If your dog senses you coming back from work, it will likely bark in excitement, if it notices that you’re about to take it for a walk, or that a treat is coming its way, it can also bark in excitement.
- Protection of Territory and Owners
One other common reason your shepherd friend will bark is when it perceives that someone is trying to invade its space or yours. For instance, if someone visits your home, your dog is likely going to bark at this stranger unless you direct otherwise.
Again, if you are with another dog, your shepherd friend may bark as it may feel it is being replaced or has lost your affection. Thus, it’ll register its displeasure by barking. One way you can prevent your dog from barking at strangers is to train it to listen for a command from you before doing so or not.
- It is Scared
Also, your dog may be barking because it is scared of a situation like going to the vet. Also, thunderstorms and loud noises could occasion your dog to bark out of fear or be nervous. If your dog has a bad experience with a particular situation in the past and now deems that it is about to have the same experience, it could bark to let you know.
- It is Hungry
Your hungry shepherd dog will also bark to let you know it’s time you feed it. This usually happens around the time you normally feed it and so if you are not there with its diet at such a time, you may notice your dog barking because of this.
- It’s Still Young
It’s common for German Shepherd puppies to bark more. If your German Shepherd is still young, then it should reduce its barking as it gets older. With that being said, it’s important that you start to train it while it is still young so that it will better behave as an adult and so that you’ll be able to control when it barks.
- It’s in Pain
An injured German Shepherd will back to let you know it is injured or in some form of pain. This sort of barking is always louder than usual. You may notice other signs of the injury as well, such as limping or any other visible sign. You should immediately take your dog to see the vet.
- It is Bored or Frustrated
German shepherds are naturally active dogs. That means they require lots of exercises and always need to have something to do. Thus, if you neglect your dog for several days with little or no exercise at all, it can become boring and tend to be destructive, barking here and there just to get your attention.
Give your shepherd friend a lot of exercises and tasks to keep it busy and distracted, so it doesn’t bark much.
Note These Before Trying To Stop Your Dog From Barking
If you are trying to get your German shepherd friend to stop barking, note these before you rather escalate matters:
First, you should be extremely patient when training your dog to stop barking, as this takes time. Rushing through training to try to get quick results will only backfire. Take your time and even your dog will appreciate the efforts.
Again, never punish your dog physically for barking too much. Hitting your dog or any form of physical infliction will only drastically reduce the level of trust it has in you and might tend to be scared of you. This can occasion even bigger problems than barking.
Then, know that barking is absolutely natural for dogs, including your German shepherd. Trying to stop it from barking completely is not possible, nor is it wise. The aim is to try to get it to reduce it or know when to bark.
How To Train Your German Shepherd Not To Bark
Getting your dog to stop barking can be daunting and yet, it is important to do, especially at a young age, so you can have a quiet, well-behaved adult dog. You do not want a dangerous dog that will be causing you lots of trouble in your house and with strangers. The good news is, that German shepherds are fast learners. This might make your quest a bit easier. Here’s how to go about it:
Know Why Your Dog is Barking
Knowing the root cause of any problem is a significant aspect of solving it. Thus, if you are able to identify why your dog barks often, you’ll be able to determine how best to curb it. It is barking because it is hungry, in pain, feels bored, or senses intruders? These will help you a lot in dealing with the issue
You Should Never Yell at Your Dog
One mistake most owners make is to yell at their dogs to stop barking. This rather makes the dog more anxious and nervous. When you yell at your dog, the message it gets is that you’re also nervous, and that is not good as it won’t help you attain your goal of getting it to stop barking.
Figure Out Why Your Dog Gets Anxious
If it is the case that your dog only barks when you are not home, it could mean it gets lonely and anxious. It is very much possible that your dog will bark throughout the day until you are back. One way you can help your dog is to get someone to exercise it while you are away. An hour of walking and other activities could go a long way in helping curb this barking problem.
Obedience Training is Important
Training your dog to obey your commands is very important. If your dog will not listen to you, it can be very frustrating. It is natural for your dog to bark, yet, you should train it with certain commands, so it knows it has to stop barking when you issue that command. Again, do not yell, issue the command gently.
Distract Your Dog with Something Else When It Bark
If your dog is fond of barking at other dogs when you are at the park, you should find ways to distract it from doing so. One of the ways you can do this is to give it treats even before it starts to bark.
Once you notice that your dog wants to bark at another dog, you can immediately give it a treat to distract it. Giving it a treat after it has already started barking is not ideal as your dog is likely to associate treats with barking. You should give it treats until the other dog leaves.
Socialize Your German Shepherd
Another effective way to get your shepherd friend to stop barking is by introducing it to the strangers it perceives as threats when they pass by your house. The best way to do this is to take your dog to community parks, where it’ll be exposed to people and other dogs. It is important that your dog knows how to behave when they see strangers and other dogs.
Ignoring the Bark Helps a Great Deal
This may come as a surprise, but ignoring your dog when it barks can be an effective way of teaching your dog not to bark. For instance, if you are on a walk with your dog, and it starts barking at another dog, you can stop and stand still.
Do not move or say anything to it until it stops barking, then you can continue walking. If it starts to bark again, you do the same thing, until he stops completely. By this, your dog will notice that if it wants to go on a walk, it should not bark since that would mean no walk.
How do I tell my dog to shut up?
There are several ways to distract your dog from barking. You can use these strategies to stop it.
- Break your dog’s concentration so he stops barking.
- Make loud noise or throw something in front of his feet the moment the barking starts.
- Use an air horn or clash two pans together, so the noise is louder than the barking.
- Throw a can filled with coins in front of your dog to stop the nuisance.
Conclusion
Your German shepherd constantly barking can be very disturbing, not just for you, but for your neighbours and friends.
Even though it is really natural for dogs to bark, there are measures you can adapt to help you control this behaviour, and we are hopeful that this article has given you some thorough insight into those measures.
The key thing is to find out why your dog is barking and be patient in trying to get it to stop.
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