Dogs bark. This is a fact of life for dog owners. Sometimes, however, this barking can become excessive and disruptive. Toy poodles can exhibit this behavior and make a lot of noise for their small size. In this article, we will look at how to minimize your toy poodle's barking through games, commands, and disinterest.

Play With Me

One way to stop barking is to engage your toy poodle in another activity. Humans get restless when tense and bored and so do dogs. Providing activities can help to decrease barking and give your pet stimulation and a chance to get some exercise. Going for a walk or playing a game are both suitable choices for distracting your dog from incessant barking behaviors. Toys are another viable option as they can provide the necessary stimulation without requiring as much of a time commitment at that moment from you. Of course, toy poodles require lots of attention, but this can be a temporary fix until you have the time to play.

Commands

Another way to stop your toy poodle from barking nonstop involves teaching him commands. It is a good and often desirable behavior when your dog barks to announce someone is at the door, but the barking must be quickly curtailed. Once you have been notified that someone is at the door, the barking is no longer necessary. After the first bark telling your dog to be quiet or hush and pairing this command with some sort of treat will, in time, teach him to stop barking on command. Because of this specific pairing, it may work better in this particular circumstance, but you have to start somewhere.

The Nonchalant Approach

Dogs bark for a multitude of reasons. Sometimes the reasons for barking are simple and easily dealt with. Often dogs bark when they want attention. If they get attention every time they start barking then they will use this behavior whenever they desire attention. The key to discouraging this behavior is to feign an attitude of disinterest. If your toy poodle does not receive attention when barking, then he will not bark to get attention. It is as simple as that. After pretending to be apathetic to barking, you can follow up with praise or a treat after he has been quiet for thirty seconds or so. If he learns that he gets praise for being quiet then he'll do that. Basically, he will learn what you teach him.

Dogs incessant barking can be a drawback to owning such a vocal pet. You can, however, minimize barking in toy poodles by using activities, training him to follow orders, and discouraging the behavior through apathy. With a little luck, your toy poodle will learn the joy of peace and quiet in no time.