How to stop a small dog barking in an apartment

Barking is not one problem. In a flat it is almost always one of three, and each needs a different fix. Treating them the same is why the usual advice fails.

First, work out which barking you have

Drill 1: the doorbell and the knock

The problem is that the sound predicts excitement. You are going to make it predict going to the mat instead.

1. Record the knock or bell on your phone. Play it at the lowest volume where the dog notices but does not erupt — often much quieter than you expect.
2. The moment it plays, drop treats on the settle mat. The dog does not have to do anything yet. Sound, then food on the mat.
3. After ten or so repetitions the dog will start moving to the mat when it hears the sound. That is the behaviour you want.
4. Raise the volume one small step. If barking comes back, you went up too fast — drop back a step and do more repetitions there.
5. Move to the real door last: knock on it yourself, then have a helper knock, then a helper who then comes in.

Expect two to three weeks at five minutes a day. The common mistake is jumping straight to a real visitor on day three.

Drill 2: corridor noise

This one is mostly management before it is training. A dog that rehearses barking at footsteps fifty times a day is getting very good at it.

• Block the view. Frosted film on the lower half of a door pane or a screen across the hall sightline removes most of the trigger.
• Add sound cover. A fan or low radio near the door raises the floor so individual footsteps stop standing out.
• Move the resting spot. If the bed is by the front door, the dog is on guard duty all day. Move it to the quietest wall in the flat.
• Then train: mark and reward the dog for hearing a passing footstep and not reacting. You need the first three steps for there to be quiet moments to reward.

Drill 3: teaching "quiet" properly

"Quiet" only works if the dog knows what it means, which means teaching it when the dog is already calm — not mid-bark at a stranger.

1. Get one or two barks on purpose (a soft knock on the table works).
2. Wait. The instant the dog pauses to breathe, say "quiet" and treat.
3. Extend the pause before the treat: one second, then three, then five.
4. Only now use it in a real situation, and only at a distance from the trigger where the dog can still hear you.

What makes barking worse

• Shouting. To a dog this reads as joining in.
• Letting the dog out to check. This rewards the patrol.
• Anti-bark collars. They suppress the noise without changing what the dog feels, and for an anxious dog they add a second thing to be anxious about.
• Inconsistency. If barking at the door works even one time in five, it is on the strongest possible reinforcement schedule.

Covers: stop small dog barking apartment, dog barking at neighbours fix, dog doorbell barking training