My new Yorkie puppy barks too much. How can I reduce his barking?

One recommendation I have for all new puppy owners is to go to a puppy training class. Even if you've raised puppies before it's always a great refresher course for you and Olie has never been to school before. Right now she's probably a little bit too young, you do want to make sure she's had several set of vaccinations and your veterinarian says she is healthy enough to go to class. Another great resource is how to raise a perfect puppy by Dr. Sophia Yin. https://drsophiayin.com/product/perfect-puppy-in-7-days-how-to-start-your-puppy-off-right/ Barking and biting our normal puppy behaviors but they do need to be addressed so that they do not interfere with being a good companion. When she is biting tried to redirect her to a toy or other objects she is allowed to bite. Www.veterinarypartner.com also has some good articles on puppy training. Good luck and thank you for using PetCoach

You say you have tried many things that don't work. Do these include telling her "no," throwing a can of pennies in her direction, and other such interventions? If so, you may be encouraging the very behavior you want to stop. Dogs seek attention in various ways. When they want it, even negtive attention (scolding, etc.) is better to them than none. If you are certain that all of Juniper's needs have been met, and she has been vet-checked for a possible undiagnosed condition, then you must ignore the barking. Totally. Completely. Every single time. No matter how long she carries on! If barking has worked so far to get your attention, she is going to continue to do what works. But, as Dr. Phil says, "You don't reward bad behavior." She may even get worse temporarily, because if you always responded to the barking before, she may try the "more, longer, louder" approach. This does not mean that the treatment isn't helping. On the contrary, it means she has noticed a shift in the response (in this case, lack of response) she is getting and is making a last-ditch effort to get it to work again. Just stand your ground and you will find that, once the barking is no longer effective, it will stop. If you need additional help with this, you can click on the prompt to start a consult. Good luck!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your question. I see that Oliver is not neutered. The behavior you are talking about is likely Oliver trying to establish dominance over the other 2 dogs. I would recommend neutering Oliver to see if this helps reduce this behavior. You can also try the Adaptil products and see if this helps to reduce the behavior. Adaptil products can be found online or at your local PetCo. To deter him from barking, I recommend using a spray bottle and spritzing him in the face every time he barks. You can also use citronella spray collars that are triggered by barking and then emit a fine mist of citronella oil in front of the face. The citronella collar can be found online as well. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! Lucci's behavior is common. He is still young and you can still work on this. I would take him to a trainer to have him learn the "leave it" and "look" commands. I would purchase a gentle leader face harness and use that on walks. Do not take him off the leash around other dogs or children until he listens to you perfectly. Little breed dogs are loud and they bark. Some are more pushy with their dominance and you will need to figure out how much Lucci will exhibit these behaviors as he grows up and reaches social/behavioral maturity (up to 3 years of age). I recommend you get aggressive with training and using professionals. Good luck! https://www.petsmart.com/dog/collars-harnesses-and-leashes/training-collars-leashes-and-harnesses/petsafe-gentle-leader-training-dog-collar-8851.html

Many dogs bark at sounds or unfamiliar objects or people, especially when they are first getting used to a new environment. If she is barking all the time, I suspect that she is somewhat anxious and "on-edge" about lots of different things - she may have been poorly socialized as a puppy, which often leads to excessive anxiety about new things and lots of barking as a result. If you think this might be the case, there are a few things you can do to help. A DAP pheromone collar along with a natural calming supplement like Zylkene or Composure can help to relieve some of her anxiety - these can be purchased online with out a prescription, and are helpful for many dogs with this issue. Inside the house, you can also use a white noise machine or some other type of background noise to help block out sounds from outside that may trigger the barking. Outside, I would carry treats with you when you take Mitsu for walks. Anytime she sees something and starts to bark, call her back to you and give her a treat. Over time, she will learn to look at you for her treat when she sees something that startles her, rather than barking and lunging. If you need help with this, I would suggest getting in touch with a good reward-based trainer who can work with you in person. You can search for a qualified trainer in your area here: www.ccpdt.org

I am sorry to hear about your issues with Pacha. These are quite common problems in puppies. I would recommend reviewing these articles by veterinary behaviorist Dr. Sophia Yin for ideas on how to stop these issues: https://drsophiayin.com/blog/entry/excessive-barking-why-some-dogs-bark-and-how-to-fix-it/ and https://drsophiayin.com/blog/entry/puppy_play_leads_to_nip_marks_on_hands_and_arms/

Hi there. I'm so sorry to read about Scarlet's troubles. There are a lot of reasons dogs can bark. They can be nervous or scared, protective of their families, excited in general, curious, etc. Lack of structure and exercise can make them more nervous as well. Some dogs respond to you teaching them a "bark" or "speak" command in a very quiet setting when there isn't anything making them bark. This shows them that you will tell them when it's time to be vocal. You can also try crating her in a kennel when people come over. Once everyone arrives you can let her out to socialize. The kennel isn't for punishment, but just her private, comfortable area where he can feel secure when the stressful situation occurs. Placing her in the kennel in a separate room can also help break her of the barking if you just let him "bark it out" without yelling or responding to her until she is quiet. Desensitizing to the stimulus can be helpful too. I am including a link that I think has some good information about how to help with the barking behavior. However, please keep in mind that any aggression like growling, snarling, biting, or lunging at other dogs or people, should be taken seriously, and I would not continue to try training without a professional. And that being said, the best way to get this behavior under control is to contact a reputable trainer in your area who can work with you. I hope you find this answer helpful! Best of luck!