Stop Dogs from Barking with a Tin Can

Written by Doris Donnerman (last updated February 17, 2009)

My grandparents' dog is quite a handful. It's pretty ridiculous actually—he barks like mad whenever somebody leaves the house and whenever he's miffed about food, about company, about whatever. Like I said—it's ridiculous. If your dog barks excessively, you might be at a loss for how to fix it. How do you stop a dog from barking so much? There are a couple of techniques to try, but this is one that is quick, cheap, and effective.

Something you can try to keep them quiet is to put some coins in an empty coffee can. The next time that they bark without good reason, shake the can near their face. Dogs hate the noise and will quickly be quiet. In time, just the sight of the can will remind them that they are barking up the wrong tree.

This technique will often work and is known as sound aversion. Aversion therapy requires you to use a strong 'aversive' which is an unpleasant thing, in this case a sound to punish the behavior. If your dog is barking because of fear, it is really cruel to punish them for this and you should seek positive reinforcement methods instead. Dogs who are serious barkers are doing so for a reason and, if that reason still affects the dog, the need to bark remains and they will learn to ignore the aversive so you need a stronger one; if, however, the aversive techniques get physical in any way, or seem abusive to the dog in any way, stop and seek other methods of behavior control.

This will work most effectively if you use this technique early on. The younger the dog, the better he or she will respond to and adhere to this training. Despite the old cliche "You can't teach a dog new tricks," it does need to be acknowledged that new tricks are harder for old dogs to learn. The younger the dog, the easier it will be to train.

Author Bio

Doris Donnerman

Doris is a jack of all trades, writing on a variety of topics. Her articles have helped enlighten and entertain thousands over the years. ...

MORE FROM DORIS

The Great Stuffed Manicotti Recipe

Having a dinner party for some friends and family? Want to look like you know what you're doing? Well, just use this ...

Discover More

Finding a Bankruptcy Lawyer

Most people run from them screaming, but if you're going through bankruptcy, you may want to pluck up the courage to hire ...

Discover More

From-Scratch Pumpkin Pies

What is it about pumpkin pies that so many people love? Is it the fact that they seem inexorably linked to the fall and ...

Discover More
More Pet Tips

Crate Training Your Dog

Crate training your dog is a long process, taking anywhere from several weeks to several months. There are a few steps to ...

Discover More

Train Your Dog Not to Jump on Guests

Chances are, whenever you have guests over, you are excited to see them; if you have a dog, chances are it is at least as ...

Discover More

Stop Puppies from Chewing Carpet and Furniture

While puppies are unbelievingly adorable, they do have their not-so-great behaviors. If you have a puppy and are fed up ...

Discover More
Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is 4 + 9?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)