So let's talk about barking specifically, how we sometimes accidentally reward it without even realizing it. So here's a scene that might sound familiar You're working from home, your dog starts barking at the window and you yell hey, enough, stop. Your dog pauses, he might even stop and in your mind you're thinking cool, that worked. But your dog, your dog just learned that barking gets your attention and attention. Even negative attention can be very rewarding to your dog. Another common one your dog barks at you while you're on a Zoom call. So you toss a toy across the room or maybe throw a handful of treats at them Anything, just to buy a few minutes of quiet. Totally understandable, we've all been there. But what did your dog just learn? Bark at my human and I get stuff. And it's not just food or toys that reward barking. Your reactions can reward it as well.

Direct eye contact, talking to your dog, standing up, moving toward your dog all of those will register as attention for your dog. Even just looking frustrated and sighing might be interpreted as attention. So how do we fix it. Here's the trick Barking has to stop working.

If your dog is barking to get attention, the most powerful thing you can do is to not respond at all. Don't look at him, don't talk to him, don't touch him. Wall, Don't look at him, don't talk to him, don't touch him. No direct eye contact, just calmly turn your head or walk out of the room for a minute or two. But here's the downside your dog's barking might get a little bit louder and last a little longer at first, and that's called an extinction burst. It's like they're saying hey, hello, I barked at you yesterday and got your attention. Why aren't you looking at me now? Look at me. But if you stay consistent, they'll start to learn.

Oh, I guess barking doesn't work anymore. But here's the catch we can't just ignore barking and hope it goes away. We have to actively teach our dog what to do instead. So, for example, if your dog barks because they're bored when you're on a phone call, give them a foodstuff puzzle before the barking even starts. Or if they bark for attention, teach them that sitting quietly gets a treat or affection. If you know, the moment that you start that Zoom call, that your dog is going to start barking, then give your dog a foodstuff toy before you even open that laptop. That way you won't inadvertently reward barking, you're actually preventing it and your dog starts to learn a new routine. Oh, when the laptop comes out, I should go settle on my bed with my treat. So it's not about silencing your dog forever. Barking is a normal dog behavior. But we just want to teach him when it's useful and when it's not.