Young dogs and dogs who spend most of their time indoors tend to bark excessively at any sudden change.
Some dog breeds are hyperactive and more likely to bark more often if they encounter an unfamiliar setting (either people or place). There are plenty of additional reasons why your dog might start barking nonstop.
Again, your dog may be barking to draw your Attention or is bored with the toy in hand and wants you to play with it.
Therefore, you must first understand where your dog may start barking to reduce your over-the-top barker puppy or big dog. Afterward, try to communicate and reason with your dog to stay quiet by rewarding them afterward.
Eventually, your clever pet will realize that staying quiet is followed by a treat, not barking. In this article, we have included all the possible scenarios similar to this and suggestions on how you can control it.
Understanding Why Your Dog is Barking and How to Prevent It
Depending on the context, dogs’ barks can signal anything from playfulness and excitement to frustration and anger. When you get a dog, you grow with them and learn why they behave in the ways they do.
If your dog has an excessive barking issue, you must first learn why they are so much. Once you figure that out, you can condition them to reduce the barking or use training or tools like the best shock collar for large dogs or small dogs to stop them from barking if they start.
Such tools can also help train them, but before you get to that stage, let’s list common reasons for barking and how to stop them.

1. Barking to See a Stranger or (Another Animal) Knock on the Door:
This is the protective reaction of your dog as they see any stranger or another animal as a threat or danger to their master. And they want to protect you from every danger in the world.
Again, dogs consider their home or around their home area their own territory. Hence, anyone with whom they are unfamiliar is not welcome in their territory.
This is quite a cute gesture. However, the barking can often become excessive, and it becomes harder for a dog parent to draw Attention with a treat or reward as they are too focused on the threat.
How to Prevent Barking on the Knock at the Door:
Here are the steps you can follow to train your dog not to bark at the doorknock
Step 01:
Drop something tasty as a treat on their mattress and tell them to “go to your bed.”
Step 02:
If they consistently follow your command and go to bed in exchange for a reward, you can boost the pace by opening the Door a little while they enjoy the treat. If they stand up, you must shut the door quickly.
Step 03:
Keep doing this until they finally learn to stay in bed, even when the door opens.
Step 04:
Then, to make things even more challenging, have someone ring the doorbell when your dog sleeps.
Step 05:
Wait with a treat in your hand, and when they stop barking, give them a treat. Remember not to give or offer a treat when they are barking.
Step 06:
Eventually, your dog will find out that it will get a treat for keeping the silence while the bell is ringing, and barking at that time doesn’t come with a reward.
Remember that this process may take 3 to 4 weeks and even more months. Therefore, you must be patient while training your dog in this repetitive command.
Compulsive Behavior for Separation Anxiety:
Separation anxiety causes dogs to show symptoms such as excessive barking, depression, pacing out, and destructiveness.
Poorly trained dogs show such symptoms whenever their parents are not at home. It can happen for both long-time and short-time separations – whether they are out for work or went out to the grocery store.
To address excessive dog barking, it’s important to understand the underlying causes. Sometimes, anxiety can be a contributing factor. You can find helpful insights and tips on managing dog anxiety at ChiDog, a valuable resource for creating a peaceful and harmonious environment for you and your furry companion.

2. How to Prevent Your Dog From Barking When You Are Not Present:
Here are the tips you need to follow to train your dog the patience they need to learn and to wait for you to come home or get released from confinement.
Tip 01:Play With Your Dog Before Leaving
Carefully avoid releasing a barking dog from a crate or gated room when you go out or have guests over. In that case, you can play with them before leaving or confining them.
Tip 02: Give Them a Reward When They Are Not Barking
Using puzzle toys and giving them plenty of activity before confining them will significantly reduce barking.
Or, exercise them before you leave the house or play fetch with them.
You need to wait until they have stopped barking, even briefly, before releasing them from their confinement or rewarding them with a treat or new puzzle toy.
When they learn that remaining quiet rewards them, you can gradually increase the time between treats.
Tip 03: Increase the Time Gradually:
Change up the time limit to keep things interesting. Sometimes, it’s after ten seconds; sometimes, it’s after five; sometimes, it’s after thirty, and so on. Leave them for a shorter period and then go for even longer.
Tip 04: Take Them to Doggy Day Care:
If you don’t have enough time to walk your dog or exercise them before leaving, you can look for doggy daycare and leave them there. In such places, other dogs are also present where they can play and have a great time socializing.

3. Seeking Attention:
Dogs feel bored and lonely when their master is busy doing any household chore, watching TV, or hooked on their phone screen.
Your dog always wants to spend time with you and wants you to pet him for the tricks they are doing or putting effort into doing. If you ignore them, eventually, they start barking to draw your Attention.
However, be careful when your dog keeps seeking Attention, as it can also mean some illness is causing discomfort if you feel like your dog is seriously ill. Make sure you take them to a trusted vet.
How to Prevent Them From Barking to Draw Your Attention:
Train your dog to ring a bell at the Door whenever it needs to go outside, is hungry, or needs to use the loo instead of barking.
You may get them started by taking them to the bell and rewarding them with a treat whenever they put their paw on it.
Encourage them to gradually begin to ring the bell each time they exit the room to use the bathroom before a meal and go out to take a stroll.

4. Alarm or High-pitched Noise:
Your dog may start barking at any noise they hear, either a knock on the Door, an alarm clock sound, another dog barking in the area, or footsteps.
Dogs find loud noise a danger, and they bark out of fear.
How to Prevent Your Dog From Barking at Any Noise:
If your dog starts to bark at any noise, the first thing you need to do is remove the source of the noise.
You can close the windows in case the sound is coming from outside. Otherwise, by turning off the alarm or petting them, telling them to calm down, and reassuring them that you have acknowledged that there is a noise and it’s not dangerous, your dog might stop barking.
Again, you can use a few signs using your hand instead of shouting at them. For example, when you close your hand from being open and say quiet, your dog will sit quietly and stop barking.
However, it may take months to train such command.

What Are the New Commands You Can Teach Your Dog to Stay Quiet?
You can follow the given commands to teach your pet puppy new instructions. However, don’t forget to make it more fun by adding tasty treats like chicken to make it worth the effort.
Speak:
Teaching your dog when to bark can be an effective way to teach them not to bark excessively and at other times, particularly when combined with the command “Silent” or “Quiet.”
Sit and Stay:
These are two commands that can be used to assist in keeping your dog engaged when there is something in the environment that causes it to bark.
If your dog has a habit of barking while walking on a leash, work with them on sitting and remaining still. After that, you should offer a reward for quiet and calm behavior.
Show Me:
Teaching your dog can take time and patience, but it could be beneficial if they make a nervous barking sound when they get close to specific objects or locations.
This command intends for your dog to approach the thing from a further distance before turning their attention to you. After that, you congratulate them and give them food as a reward.
Do You Need to Stop Your Dog from Barking Every Time?
Barking is a natural way for dogs to draw Attention or become protective of their master. So, feeling worried every time your dog barks is unnecessary.
For example, very few breeds of Australian shepherds are incredibly high maintenance, and they start barking in every possible situation, whether it’s someone knocking at the Door or in the middle of playing with a toy.
Furthermore, your dog may start barking to greet you or when you come home after work. You will know that it is a happy bark at you when you can see the tail waggling and jumping simultaneously. They may also want to lick your hand and show any gestures that they are happy to see you.
Such barking will stop right after you pet them or show appreciation for their effort. Otherwise, you will see sudden physical changes in a different situation, such as putting their tail between their legs or their ears backward, showing they are afraid or concerned.
What you need to do, then, is teach and train them how to stay calm in similar situations. If your dog barks excessively in public, it will disturb others, quickly making them dislike your dog.
Excessive Dog Barking: Conclusion
The best time to stop barking is right before it occurs. It may take a few weeks to realize what your dog does right before barking. It can be either a particular facial expression or the position of their ear.
And before they are ready to bark, you must try to communicate with them and discourage such behavior. If they comply with your command, give them a treat, give your undivided attention, and spend a long time together to build a connection.
When you start bonding and reasoning and communicating with them effectively, barking without any plausible reason will stop after a few days.