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.
Subscribe to this blog's RSS feed
