Your dog may bark to tell you that she needs to go outside to do her business or that she senses someone is near your house. However, most dog owners go through hell living with excessive barking and faces complaints from neighbors.

When do barking gets too much? Well, just like human misuse their ability to talk, dog barks when they are convinced that it gets them what they want, such as playing session, meals or just plain attention. And they are not giving up barking as long as you can’t stand it and eventually give in.

Training your dog about barking can be done relatively easily if you know the way. Most of the time, there is an underlying reason why she barks, and barking to play actually signifies that your dog is demanding, although you may think it as cute and go along with it. Know the underlying reason and you are closer to tackling the problem. In this case, dogs are hierarchy animal and you need to tell her that you are the lead of the pack and she should respect you.

A popular reason for excessive barking is lack of exercise and boredom. Dogs are rather active and they need their daily exercise to feel happy and healthy. Take your dog out for a walk or play a game of catch, but do it only when she has stopped barking. This will reinforce your authority and the idea that barking gets her nowhere.

Shower your dog with affection so she does not feel alone or bored. Make her kennel comfortable with clean water and some snacks. Just like human, dogs need to be cozy and feel loved. It wouldn’t be very humane to shut her up without looking into her needs when barking.

Do your dog only bark at the mailman or strangers? If so, this could be a sign of fear. Do not shut her up because she is alerting you of what she sees. You certainly want her to bark when an unknown person enters your house. Instead, you can familiarize her with the picture of a mailman and she will soon get desensitize to it. With your guests, sometimes all she needs is to smell around them to make sure they are friends.

Of course, you can upset a non-stop barking dog with a spray from a water gun. Don’t let her see it’s you. She may be stunned and confused and will think twice before barking the next time.

Sometimes, the best way to stop barking is to do nothing. Well, just make sure she is really making a nuisance out of herself and not barking out of hunger or need to alleviate herself. Ignoring your dog will discourage her barking.