Stop Dog Barking - Schnauzers

"Stop Barking? But it's what I do..."

Teaching Your Miniature Schnauzer not to Bark

Since dogs bark for many different reasons and are hard-wired to do so, it is one of the most difficult behaviors to get complete control over. And as I stated on page one of Teaching Your Dog Not to Bark, your Miniature Schnauzer really is after all, just a dog and that's what dogs do, they bark. So you can't expect your Miniature Schnauzer to stop barking completely as this is an instinctual innate behavior for him.

There is good news though. You may not be able to stop your Schnauzer from barking all the time, but you can train your Miniature Schnauzer to bark when you want him to, or when it is appropriate.

Schnauzer Barks Alerting You to a Situation

Alert Barking:

Let’s say your Miniature Schnauzer is sitting in front of the window looking out and begins barking. If after a few moments the barking continues, go see what the fuss is all about. You may notice the UPS truck, a kid riding his bike, whatever it is, your Miniature Schnauzer is conveying an alert bark. And you should welcome this.

If this is the case, after witnessing the outdoor event for yourself, praise your Miniature Schnauzer for alerting you to the goings on by saying something like... I see it, It’s Okay... and then go back to doing what you were doing before. I think it’s important to acknowledge the bark because I want my Miniature Schnauzer to communicate with me. I want him to alert me or put me on notice that something’s amiss. I can then decide if it's something important or not. And once I acknowledge what it is my Schnauzer is trying to tell me, the barking stops.

Schnauzer Barks Excessively for No Reason

First, let your Schnauzer bark for a few minutes to get it out of his system. If he doesn’t calm down on his own, it’s time for a time out.

Put your Schnauzer on his leash and say TIMEOUT. Take him to a designated timeout area of your home. Perhaps a half bath or a corner of a room. Secure your Schnauzer's leash to a door knob or piece of furniture so he has to stay there. Now have your Schnauzer sit there in silence for 5 seconds. When he does say Yes and give him a treat. Wait for 10 more seconds of silence and say Yes and treat. Then wait 20 seconds of silence before treating. Continue expanding the amount of time your Miniature Schnauzer is expected to be silent before receiving a treat until 5 minutes of training time has lapsed in the timeout area.

note: It’s a good idea to talk to your Miniature Schnauzer during this quiet time (no barking timeout) to let him know he is being a good dog for being quiet. Your Schnauzer will quickly learn that being quiet is a good thing.

After the 5 minutes, release your Schnauzer from timeout and praise. If he goes back to undesirable barking put him back into the timeout area and have him be silent for a minute before rewarding him. Again, you can talk to him during this silent period and encourage him to remain quiet.

Once your Schnauzer is aware that timeout means no fun, he will learn to stop the undesirable behavior that got him there. In fact, you can use this timeout training on other undesirable behaviors. Once your Schnauzer has completely learned to be quiet during timeouts, you won't have to watch him there. Just put him in his timeout area (even if you have to leash him to a door knob to make him stay there without your presence). Remember, consistency is the key to training. As soon as undesirable barking ensues always say and put your Schnauzer in a timeout.

Preventative Measures to Stop Dog Barking

What I mean is you can train your Miniature Schnauzer to SPEAK or bark on command AND you can train your Miniature Schnauzer how to be QUIET or not bark on command. Teaching your Miniature Schnauzer both of these commands will give your better control over his barking behavior.

You can also reduce your Schnauzer's need to bark in the first place by heading off the barking triggers. The number one cause for unwanted dog barking is pent-up energy from the lack of exercised. So if you take you Schnauzer on a brisk 30 minute walk and engage him in some physical activity, you will find he no longer needs to bark. So just exercise your dog and you'll see dramatic improvements.

The second most common cause of excessive dog barking is too much alone time. Dogs are social animals and our Miniature Schnauzers need lots of attention and communication from us. Even if you are at home with your Schnauzer but not paying attention to him, he gets bored and agitated because he is lonely. Again, this is an easy fix. Take breaks throughout the day. Every few hours spend 15 minutes playing, training, or walking your Miniature Schnauzer. You both will benefit from a healthy dose of affection and attention.

And remember.............

Miniature Schnauzer Dog Training Series

• Dog Obedience Training
• Miniature Schnauzer Dog Training Tips
• Miniature Schnauzer Dog Training Aids
• Positive Reinforcement Training
• Dog Tricks and the Schnauzer
• Advanced Obedience Training
• Cool Dog Tricks for your Schnauzer
  
  
  FURTHER DOG TRAINING INFO:
  
  
• Teach Your Dog or Puppy Any Trick
• Dog Tutor Training Course

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Related Topics:
★ Teaching Your Miniature Schnauzer not to Bark
★ Teach Your Dog to Speak
★ Teach Your Dog to be Quiet
★ Separation Anxiety in Dogs

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