The Solution To Labrador Barking
If you just found this article you might want to read the first part to this two part series by going to
Part I – Labrador Barking
What was the solution? How did I stop my Labrador from barking?
Lets start off with
Barking In The Car
A labrador barking can be a very annoying thing especially in a small confined place like the inside of your car.
As a guide dog puppy raiser I had to bring my puppy to work every day as a part of his socialization…and every day he insisted on barking in the car until we arrived at work. The first thing we are told to do when our dog barks is to use a command such as “Quiet” to let him know it’s time to be quiet. The other common command to use is the “shhhhttt” sound. I found the second option to work slightly better for me. However, neither worked very well they just interrupted my puppy before another barking session began.
So what did work for me? This may be difficult for you to handle (if you have a barking puppy), but ignoring him until he became quiet for just a second and them giving him tons of praise saying “You’re such a good boy…” in a very happy tone was what eventually got my lab to stop barking in the car.
Barking In The Crate
I used a similar method to stop his crate barking. However, his crate training was much more difficult. He never had potty accidents in his crate, but he would bark non-stop for hours on end in his crate. Since I needed to sleep this called for drastic measures. His crate was right next to my bed and the method that worked best for me was to:
- Ignore him when he was making noise (barking, howling, crying…)
- As soon as he stopped barking give him praise like “You’re such a good boy…
- Instead of just stopping at “You’re such a good boy…” I continued to praise and talk to him in a happy tone as long as he was quiet. As soon as he started crying or barking I’d stop praising. I’d go on for up to 5 minutes praising and almost talking to my puppy and eventually he’d fall asleep. I think it was almost like listening to a lullaby for him.
After about 4 weeks of following these simple rules my little guy stopped barking. In fact, I only remember him barking one time over the next 12 months and it was because he was bouncing up and down at the front door. I didn’t notice him and he let out a big “WOOF!” I hadn’t heard him bark in so long I didn’t even know what his voice sounded like.
I won’t guarantee that the above will get your Labrador Retriever to stop barking, but it worked for me. Every dog is different and will have different reasons for barking. This is just one way to stop Labrador barking and hopefully it will solve your problem. If not, delve deeper into this website as we will talk further about the many different ways to stop barking dogs and puppies.
One final note: Always remember the 4 keys to successful puppy training:
Make sure that you are:
- Consistent
- Persistent
- Insistent
- Patience
Is Labrador barking something that plagues your home? Have you found some good methods to stop a barking dog? Let us know what has helped you in the comments section below.
@Deepak, that is unusual that he was perfect before and just developed this problem. Did you change anything in your crate training routine? You might already do this, but one thing I’d make sure to do is take him out to pee/poop right before you put him in his crate for bedtime.
If he’s barking for no other reason then he wants to see you or wants to be let out of the crate then you need to leave him in the crate and over time he will understand that barking will not get him out of the crate. Only let your puppy out of the crate if he stops barking.
Here’s a great article on crate training your puppy:
Crate Training Puppies
By the way, I’ve raised several Labrador Retriever puppies over the past few years and each one is different. Sometimes they have no problem in the crate, some take days to stop barking in the crate, others weeks, and yes, I’ve heard of puppies taking several months before they stop barking in their crates. Hopefully your puppy is just having a little hiccup in his training and it will resolve itself over the next couple days. Just be sure you’re consistent, persistent, and patient with your puppy.
I hope that helps. Good luck with your new puppy!
Hello; my female labrador is now 10 months old. She has never barked in the house, car, or in her crate. She has loved her crate from day one. She has been excellent in every respect and retrieves extreemely well already on live birds. However, when I take her out for walks or her business, she barks quite viciously at any passing stranger, including my neighbors. Can anyone give me some adise on how to get her to quit this. Thank you
my Golden Lab is 5 months and was brilliant at first, now he wakes up about 3am and barks constantly until one of us go and speak to him, this is becoming a nightmare as we often end up sleepin on the settee just to get some sleep, please advise???
@John, I came across this article recently from another blog that might help you with your dog when passing strangers:
http://www.thatmutt.com/2010/0.....ggression/
I hope that helps.
@Sallyanne, are you crate training your puppy? If so, you might try moving the crate into the bedroom. We usually have our crate right next to the bed.
It sounds like your puppy has learned that when he barks he gets your attention. This is obviously not a good thing. You want to do your best to not reward him with your attention when he’s barking. On the other hand, if he’s being quiet that is when you want to give him lots of attention and praise.
hi im just wandering about my puppy of nearly four months has not barked. She does bark when she is playing but not at strangers or when she hears the door bell
Is there a certain age she will start?