When your dog has got into the bad habit of barking at the slightest thing that moves and there is no way to make him stop, you can adopt strategies to distract him and therefore calm his barking which in addition to shaking the walls of the house, to break both your eardrums and those of the neighborhood.

There are several ways that can help make a dog stop barking. Let’s see what they are.

• Exercise. Long walks or daily play help to “tire” our four-legged friend. The movement tends to calm the dog that instead of spending time barking will spend it resting and sleeping.
• Mouth busy. The dog will hardly find time to bark if he is busy gnawing on bones or rubber puppets.
• Block out external noises. If your dog is very sensitive to external noises, you can try to cover some of them so that they don’t want to bark. They can serve the purpose of devices that emit white noise , that is, a noise made up of sounds whose frequencies are evenly distributed in almost the entire acoustic field (try turning on the stereo at a medium volume).
• Insist on firm commands. In case the dog continues to bark even after you scold him, say “Shut up!” firmly, but without shouting. If he blinks and stops barking, praise him warmly.
• Leave him alone. Some dogs, like some people, hate talking without listeners. So if your orders fail to silence him, leave the room. It may be that the dog wants you close, so turning around and leaving him alone can make him understand that he is doing something wrong.
• Try to make him jump. To make dogs feel the same way we do when their fingernails scratch a chalkboard, put a few coins in an empty can and tape the slit shut. When the dog continues to bark and doesn’t want to stop, shake the can a few times. Dogs don’t like hearing that noise and often stop when they hear it.
• Bring him into the house. If your dog sleeps outside and enjoys exercising his vocal cords at night, let him stay indoors. He will have less reason to bark.

Beyond what has been said, however, it must be kept in mind that a barking dog is a dog that wants to communicate something. With a little attention you can learn to understand his language, listening carefully to what the dog intends to express. There are a lot of different tones in a dog’s bark.

For example, if your dog occasionally stops barking to whine , it could mean that he is afraid or does not want you to leave.

A dog that barks for a long time , with short pauses between barks of identical sound, is likely bored, while an exuberant bark means the dog is eager to play.

Eventually, with proper attention, you will be able to understand what your dog needs just by listening to him.