Does someone in your neighborhood have a guard dog on duty that barks incisively at everything that goes by? Does your dog have a problem where it can’t stop barking at windows?
If you said yes to these questions, then I’m here to help you. I have all the answers you need to stop your dog from barking out the window. In this article, you will learn why your dog does this and how to train your dog to stop.
Why Do Dogs Bark at the Window?
There are a few reasons why your dog may bark out the window. Sometimes it is to alert you, the owner, of something outside or potentially someone coming up to the house. Your dog may also be barking due to boredom or anxiety.
To truly determine why your dog likes to bark at the window or while looking out the window, you should start an experiment of watching your dog. This will help you narrow down why your dog is exhibiting this behavior continuously.
A professional dog trainer can help determine the cause of the barking as well. You can also begin training your dog to stop barking constantly.
Why Do Dogs Bark When Someone Walks By?
Sometimes dogs bark at people as they pass by the house or window. It can be due to excitement, boredom, or even as protection.
Most of the time, it is due to boredom, and your dog is longing to be outside exploring the world outside. Try taking your dog outside each day for the required amount of exercise to see if that helps the bored barking at people problem.
This should make your dog tired from all the exercise that it is resting in the home instead of staring out the window.
How to Stop a Dog from Barking at Window
When training your dog to stop barking at the window, it is essential to note that changes will not happen overnight. The longer that your dog has kept up this bad habit, the harder it will be to break.
Step 1: Stopping the Source of the Problem
The first thing you need to do is figure out the source of the problem and remove it. Every time your dog barks, it gives your dog some sort of validation and reward. You need to remove that from your dog.
The window that your dog uses needs to be examined. Can you shut the blinds or curtains to block your dog from being able to see outside? This will do a lot for your dog just in this first step. See if you can block the view.
Step 2: Ignore the Bad Behavior
If your dog continues to bark even if the curtains or blinds are shut, it is very important to ignore your dog’s behavior to the best of your ability.
Showing any sort of reaction is telling your dog, wow my owner started to talk to me when I barked, so I’m going to keep doing that.
Try your best when your dog is barking, not to react, look, or even touch your dog until the dog has completely stopped barking.
When your dog is quiet, you can reward the dog with a treat. This teaches the dog that it will get rewarded when quiet and not barking.
Step 3: Get your Dog Used to the Problem
Now you can gradually get your dog used to the issue. Open the window’s curtains or blinds and see if the window makes your dog begin to bark. Feed your dog treats to show your dog there is nothing to bark about.
If your dog begins to bark, stop feeding treats. Whatever triggers your dogs barking the most should be tested. If it is just a person walking by, have a friend go outside and walk past the house. Feed your dog treats until your dog starts to bark. If your dog barks, stop.
This may have to be tested many times over the course of weeks until you have successfully trained your dog not to bark.
How to Teach Your Dog the Quiet Command
This is a unique way to teach your dog that it will get rewarded when it stays quiet. Here are the steps in which you can start training your dog this:
Step 1: If your dog begins to bark out the window or at anything distracting, say the word “quiet” in a happy tone. Did your dog respond to your voice and look up at you? Did the barking stop? If you just said yes, then grab a treat from close by and give it to your dog.
Step 2: If your dog is so into the distraction and cannot hear you say quiet, you can try this next step. Place a treat into a closed fist and put your fist in front of your dog’s face. If the dog reacts and stops barking, say the words quiet. If your dog stays quiet, give your dog the treat.
Step 3: Continue this training and practice saying quiet to see if your dog stops. Reward your dog that way, it gets the idea of being rewarded when it doesn’t bark. Eventually, your dog will respond faster and faster each time. This is an indicator that the training is working.
Step 4: Eventually, you will be able to use fewer treats and reward your dog with praise and even with a new toy. In the beginning of training, treats are always a great incentive.
Should I Let My Dog Look Out the Window?
You can let your dog look out the window, but most of the time, it can just cause unwanted anxiety for most dogs.
When a dog looks outside, the dog starts to get all of those excited, anxious feelings of exploring outdoors and going on a walk. When your dog sees things outside, such as people, other dogs, or even cars, it may work your dog up so much that your dog may begin the bad habit of barking.
Then because of this, you then get into the situation that led you to find this article. As you can see, it is a cycle.
The reason most dogs look outside windows is that your dog wants to be outside playing and exploring. The dog sits watching, wishing it was outside.
So, it isn’t necessary to allow your dog to look out the window.
Why Does My Dog Bark at the Window at Night?
This could be just because your dog is bored and has nothing better to do. Many owners do not take their dog out for their required amount of exercise. So, your dog ends up being rather bored throughout the day.
Looking out the window, even at night, can be quite distracting to your dog. Your dog may bark more at night due to car lights passing by or even pedestrians out for a walk.
Get your dog tired with good vigorous exercise. Trust me, your dog will be so tired it won’t have time to look out the window to bark.
Should I Let My Dog Bark Out the Window?
I suggest that you try to avoid letting your dog look and bark out the window. Dogs do this because they are bored. This boredom can lead to bigger issues such as anxiety and even bad behavior.
Your dog may get angry or anxious that it can’t go outside on a walk or chase the mailman like other dogs it sees. This will make your dog bark, and if let out, your dog may even run away.
A Tired Dog is a Quiet Dog
You may be unaware of this, but most dogs need between 30 minutes to over an hour of exercise a day. Many owners get caught up in their business that they forget that dogs need a lot of playtime through exercise.
When your dog doesn’t get the required amount of exercise, it can start behaving badly. Some dogs chew on things they aren’t supposed to while others bark at anything and everything, and sometimes, they even bark when there is nothing there.
When your dog gets a lot of exercise, it tires your dog out, which makes your dog uninterested in doing any of these bag things. A tired dog is a quiet happy dog.
You can try this along with some of the other training techniques to see if this improves the situation, I’m sure it will.
Crate Training
Getting your dog, a crate is a helpful tool that allows your dog to create its own safe space. Make the crate a happy space, not a punishment area. Dogs associate things with emotions, so if your dog is put into time out in the crate, your dog may lash out and even associate the crate with unpleasant memories.
Make the crate an area that your dog can go to feel safe and to relax in. make sure you get the right size crate to accommodate your dog, depending on the size. Put the crate in a room that is away from your Dog triggers, such as a window. Maybe put the crate in an area that your dog would not a view to lookout. You will have to do training with your dog to teach about the crate, and eventually, your dog might prefer resting inside the crate.
Bark Collar
Sa bark collar is a device that your dog wears like a regular collar. It can feel the vocal cords of your dog’s neck and detect when your dog is going to bark. When the dog tries to bark, the collar stimulates a shock that will train your dog to stop barking in time. There are many different types of the best bark collars, so it can be tough to choose.
Many people assume that bark collars are inhumane, but it can be a very purposeful training device in reality. The shock does not leave your dog in pain; it just teaches your dog to correct the behavior.
Biggest Takeaways from This Article
- Your dog is barking at the window because your dog is bored.
- Close blinds, curtains, and windows to remove the stimulant from your dog.
- Ignore the bad behavior and reward with treats when your dog stops.
- Teach your dog the word quiet and reward your dog with treats when it responds to the word.
- Give your dog more than enough exercise to tire your dog out; a tired dog means a quiet dog.
- Put your dog in a safe place like a crate to help control the barking.
- The use of a bark collar might be beneficial to you in your training.
Conclusion
After you try some of the methods on this list, you will soon have a trained dog that should stop barking at windows. Remember that training takes patience and practice, so you may be going at this for a few months before your dog is truly over its obsession with windows and the things beyond it.
Has your dog ever barked at the window? Did you find these tips and steps helpful? Let us know what you did to stop your dog from barking at the window below.
