How to stop the dog from barking at the neighbors

The barks They are one of the most frequent reasons for disputes between neighbors. And it is that when they feel their threatened territory, dogs usually emit a series of barking fast and serious to warn potential intruders of your presence. Although this is completely normal behavior in these animals and usually does not last more than a few minutes, the tolerance level of our neighbors is not always reasonable.

Sometimes it is not possible to avoid these kinds of problems, but without a doubt it will be much easier if we manage to educate our pet to react silently to the passage of neighbors near our door. We give you some tactics for that.

No to screams and punishments

The worst thing we can do to calm our dog is to yell or scold him, as this will only increase his nerves and make him bark more. That is why it is best that we react calmly, without losing your cool but acting firmly. It is also not a good idea to restrain the dog by force, because in this way we will reinforce its anxiety. And, of course, physical punishment is totally out of the question.

Take charge of the situation

The most effective method is to make the animal see that it is we who must take charge of the situation. It is not easy, especially if our dog is nervous. We must show an immense calm, putting ourselves in front of the door and making the little one move away from it. Once the dog is silent, we will make a signal that the dog can easily recognize; for example, showing the palm of your hand.

We will stay in this position until the noise ends, that is, until the neighbor leaves. Then we will resume the task that we were previously doing without saying anything. In this way, the dog will understand that we are responsible for protecting the home in the face of threats and you will not find it necessary to become defensive. Little by little he will understand until the barking stops completely.

Positive reinforcement

Another good idea is to make the animal associate the noise of the neighbors with some positive stimulus. We can perform an exercise similar to the one described above but introducing sweets or snacks, which we will give to the dog when he walks away from the door and stops barking. Another tactic is to encourage him to come to your bed or resting place when the neighbors pass by, and give him some pieces of food there.

This whole process takes time and patience. However, on some occasions it is necessary to resort to a professional trainer. It is worth it to avoid annoying disputes with our neighbors.