The Modern Guide to Barking
Why your dog barks, and what to do about it
Most barking advice gives you the same answer for every bark: find the trigger, don't shout, teach a quiet cue. The trouble is that a dog barking at the postman, a dog barking at you for their dinner and a dog barking because they're frightened of the dog across the road need three completely different answers. This guide starts by working out which kind of barking you've got, then gives you the plan for that kind.
You'll also find out why I never say "quiet" while a dog is barking, how to get ahead of the bark before it starts, and why changing what your dog can see from the window often helps more than any training. It covers puppies, teenagers, rescues and older dogs, and every plan tells you when to move on and when to go back a step.
I've been training dogs for over 30 years, and I wrote this the way I'd explain it if we were sat at your kitchen table together.
What's inside
Which bark is it? A finder that sorts barking into nine kinds, from alert and demand barking to worried, excited and night barking, and sends you to the right chapter
Why dogs bark, why some bark far more than others, and what research says about dogs using different barks for different things
Before you start: when to see your vet first, a one-week bark diary, and reading your dog's body while they bark
The first fixes: windows, doors, the garden, sound and routine, and why management isn't cheating
The tools every plan uses, including rewarding quiet, getting ahead of the bark, "thank you for telling me", and speak and quiet as two cues (and when to leave them out)
Step-by-step plans for the window, the doorbell, noises and the TV, demand barking and phone calls, fences and the dog next door, other dogs on the lead, the car, visitors and play
Worried barking: the early signs, distance first, visitors, children and new things, and when it's time for one-to-one help
Barking when alone and at night: telling boredom from distress, crate barking, night barking and early mornings
Puppies, teenagers, rescues and older dogs, each with their own adjustments
What not to do and why: shouting, bark collars of every kind, sprays, "be the boss", and when "ignore it" works and when it doesn't
Twelve common problems solved one by one, how to keep it going, and when to get more help
Pages to print and keep
A "Which bark is it?" finder
A one-week bark diary and a progress tracker
A house and garden checklist
A note for the neighbours and a front door card
A "what to do, and when" page and a quick-reference page
Why this guide is different
It sorts barking into its real kinds first, because each kind needs a different plan
It starts with management, the changes at home that bring barking down within days
It never asks you to say "quiet" over a barking dog, and explains why that backfires
It's honest about the popular advice that makes barking worse, including bark collars and ignoring the wrong kind of bark
It's built on reward-based training and up-to-date research, with no punishment and no shouting
Who it's for
Families whose dog barks at the window, the door, visitors, other dogs, them, or in the night, and puppy families who'd like to stop a barking habit before it starts. It works for puppies, rescues, teenagers and older dogs.
What you get
A 99-page PDF and an EPUB in one ZIP file, emailed to you straight after checkout. Read it on your phone, tablet, e-reader or computer, and print the pages at the back.
