Whether it’s your own dog or a neighbor’s dog, excessive barking can get on everybody’s nerves!
Our neighbors across the street have a dog. He’s a German shepherd sort of fellow, very cute. Very loud mouthed. (I used to call him “Barky” even though his name is Skittles.) Poor Barky would sit at the fence all day every day and bark. Mostly I felt bad, though I’m probably a little more tolerant that some.
Eventually, our neighbors switched from a chain link fence to a wooden privacy fence. Suddenly, Barky was silent! I guess he doesn’t bark at things he can’t see. If you’ve got the ability to switch to a privacy fence, it may cut back on your dog’s barking. If your dog is an indoor barker too, try closing the drapes so he can’t see out. Keep a radio on softly, to mask outside noises.
Barking is a natural instinct for dogs. It’s how they communicate! Stay away from my yard! Hey, I see a dog… cat… squirrel… kid on a bike! I hear something weird and it hurts my ears! Barking can also be a reaction to boredom. If your dog is socially isolated or left alone for large parts of the day, he may take up barking as a recreational sport.
If your dog is a boredom barker, you can relieve the audio assault with more stimulation. Obedience training is a great way to entertain your dog. You should also increase the number of walks your barky boy gets. If he gets a chance to explore the neighborhood and investigate all the sights, sounds, and smells, he may cut back on the barking.
You may want to also try retraining your dog. First, pick your command. STOP BARKING! As your barky boy is sounding off, hold a treat in front of his nose and say STOP BARKING! He will stop barking, because you can’t sniff and bark at the same time. If he stays quiet for three or more seconds, praise him: “Good boy, stop barking! Good boy!” And give him the treat. The next time he barks, increase the time he has to be quiet before he gets the treat. You’ll have to spend some time working on it, but he’ll get the idea. Quiet = good boy, barking = bad dog.
When all else fails, there’s always the citronella spray collars (find them online or at your favorite pet store) or sonic bark prevention. Personally, I believe that a combination of training and stimulation is a better choice. You’ll get to bond with your boy AND teach him a nifty new trick!