Quick answer
Puppies bark to communicate. Common reasons are boredom, fear, excitement, alerting you to a noise, wanting attention or feeling lonely. To stop puppy barking, first meet their needs for exercise, enrichment, food, company and sleep. Then reduce triggers, teach your puppy to settle, give them an alternative behaviour and train a calm ‘quiet’ cue with positive reinforcement. Never shout, as your puppy may think you’re barking along.
Key takeaways
- Barking is normal communication, so look for the cause before trying to stop it.
- Many cases of excessive barking ease once a puppy’s physical and emotional needs are met.
- Young puppies need around 16 to 18 hours of sleep a day, and overtiredness is a common cause of barking.
- Shouting ‘quiet!’ often makes barking worse; a calm, rewarded cue works better.
- Terriers, hounds, toy breeds and guarding breeds tend to be the most vocal.
- Teach ‘quiet’ before you teach ‘speak’.
Worried your puppy is barking a little too much? You’re not alone, and there’s no need to stress. In this guide you’ll learn:
- why puppies bark in the first place
- how to reduce puppy barking in five simple steps
- how your puppy’s breed affects how vocal they are
- how to teach your puppy to be quiet, and to bark, on cue
If you’d like extra support, the Zigzag app has science-backed training exercises and games, written by accredited behaviourists and trainers, to help you and your pup build a calm routine together. With Premium, you can also head to ‘My Coach’ to chat to our expert trainers about your puppy’s barking, 24/7.
Why do puppies bark?
Puppies bark to communicate. Your puppy is telling you how they feel about a situation, and sometimes it’s entirely justified. It may not be the soundtrack you want with your morning coffee, but it’s the only voice they have.
Here are the most common reasons your puppy might struggle to stay quiet.
Boredom
A puppy without enough mental or physical stimulation will often bark just for something to do. You may also see other unwanted behaviours alongside it, such as chewing things they shouldn’t.
Fear or worry
A worried or frightened puppy is likely to bark. To a puppy, something as ordinary as a bin lorry rumbling past or a stranger walking towards them can be enough. Look out for a tucked tail and pinned-back ears, which signal fear.
Play and excitement
This is the ‘I’m so happy I don’t know what to do with myself’ bark. It usually comes with a loose, wiggly body and a very waggy tail.
Talking to other dogs
Dogs love a chat as much as we do. A bark at another dog might be a friendly hello or a firm ‘please give me some space’, so watch their body language to see how they’re feeling.
Alarm and territorial barking
‘Intruder alert!’ Many breeds were bred to be built-in burglar alarms, so a puppy who barks at strange noises is often doing exactly what their ancestors were bred for.
Attention seeking
A barking puppy is hard to ignore. But if we repeatedly ask them to be quiet in an excited voice, they often think we’re joining in, and the cycle begins.
Loneliness
If your puppy only barks a lot when left alone, they may be struggling to cope on their own. Our guide to puppy separation anxiety can help.
How to stop your puppy barking in 5 steps
To stop puppy barking, meet your puppy’s needs, reduce what sets them off, teach them to settle, give them something else to do and train a calm ‘quiet’ cue. Like all training, it takes time and patience, but keeping things positive will get you there.
Step 1: Make sure all their needs are met
A puppy who is missing something will often bark to tell you. Before any training, check these boxes are ticked. A good daily puppy routine makes this much easier.
Mental exercise
Puppies are little sponges, and positive training is excellent for a growing brain. Use puzzle toys or food dispensers every day; mental stimulation helps puppies settle more easily later on.
Physical exercise
Puppies have plenty of energy to burn, so keep them active with the right amount of exercise for their age. Not vaccinated yet? You can still play indoors.
The right food
Feed a balanced, age-appropriate diet, and increase the amount as your puppy grows so they don’t go hungry. Find out more in our article on puppy nutrition.
Chews
Puppies chew a lot, so giving them appropriate things to chew keeps them busy. Our favourite edible chews are:
- buffalo or cow ears
- vegetable chews
- bully sticks (also known as pizzles)
To learn more, read our articles on puppy teething and puppy chewing.
Company
Dogs are social animals and thrive on companionship. Puppies need to be taught how to be comfortable on their own, but they shouldn’t be left alone for hours, or shut downstairs alone just after leaving their mum and littermates.
Sleep
Lack of sleep is often the hidden cause of unwanted behaviour. If your pup is barking, biting or acting a bit frantic, they may simply be overtired and struggling to switch off. Puppies need around 16 to 18 hours of sleep a day, so give them a cosy, quiet spot where nobody will wake them for a game.
If your puppy finds it hard to settle, a regular nap routine can work wonders. Our night-time tips can help you both get a peaceful night.
Breed-specific needs
What satisfies one breed might not work for another. Spaniels love to sniff out every scent, while Border Collies often feel more settled with a job involving herding or focused movement. Knowing these traits helps you give the right outlet for their energy. The Zigzag app tailors bite-size lessons to your puppy’s breed, age and personality.
Once these needs are met, you may be surprised by how much the barking drops. A puppy who feels calm, understood and content has far less to shout about.
Step 2: Reduce the triggers
Visual barriers
Is your puppy barking at birds, delivery drivers, passers-by or thin air outside the window? Closing the curtains or blinds for a while is a quick fix. If you don’t want to lose the light, frosted window film on the lower part of the glass lets you see the sky while stopping your puppy seeing movement outside.
Sound buffers
White noise machines and music can soften sounds from outside so they don’t startle your puppy. Studies suggest classical music, talk radio and audiobooks are among the most relaxing for dogs, so experiment to see what your pup prefers. Bonus points if the humans enjoy the soundtrack too.
Step 3: Teach your puppy to settle
Teaching your puppy to relax is one of the most valuable things you can do for their development. Our ‘settle’ exercise teaches them to relax on a specific mat or blanket, and the Zigzag app walks you through it step by step, so your puppy learns that being calm is rewarding.
Step 4: Teach an alternative behaviour
An alternative behaviour is a different job that makes it physically impossible for your puppy to bark at the same time. It shifts their focus from the ‘intruder’ to something more productive.
If your puppy barks when the doorbell rings, you can teach them that the sound is a cue to:
- go to their bed and wait for a special treat
- fetch a favourite toy to hold in their mouth while they greet your visitor
If they bark at other dogs on walks, seeing a dog can become a cue to:
- sit quietly and look at you for a reward
- touch their nose to your hand for a ‘target’ treat
Over time, these new habits help desensitise your puppy to the things that used to set them off, making walks and unexpected deliveries far more relaxed for everyone.
Step 5: Teach a ‘quiet’ cue (the positive interrupter)
A ‘quiet’ cue lets you tell your puppy, calmly, that you’ve heard them and they can stop. Personally, I don’t mind my dog telling me someone is at the door, but I do want her to know I’ve got it covered once the message is delivered.
Use your cue in a calm, informative way. If you get frustrated and shout ‘shush!’, your puppy may think your raised voice means you’re joining in, and you end up in a noisy back-and-forth of ‘bark, shush, bark, shush’.
Choose a neutral word instead. Mine is ‘thank you’, but many people use ‘quiet’ or the equivalent in their own language, such as ‘stil’, ‘calmatevi’ or ‘cichy’.
What you’ll need
- a training pouch or pot of soft, tasty treats
- a quiet, neutral indoor space
Build the association
- Say your cue word, for example ‘quiet’.
- Immediately give your puppy a treat.
- Repeat 10 times.
Your puppy doesn’t need to do anything yet; they’re simply learning that ‘quiet’ means a treat is coming. Do this a couple of times a day for about three days.
Add a little difficulty
Next, say your cue when your puppy is slightly distracted, such as sniffing the grass or looking at a toy, but before they start barking. Their head will likely whip round, because ‘quiet’ now means treats. Keep practising over several days and they’ll start responding quickly.
Pro tip: Don’t rush these early sessions. A rock-solid foundation while things are easy makes the cue far more likely to work when you really need it.
The first real test
When your puppy is ready, try the cue with a low-level distraction, such as a faint noise in the distance.
- Say ‘quiet’ as soon as they notice the noise.
- Reward immediately, just as in practice.
- If they stop barking and look at you, you’ve both done brilliantly.
- If it was too much too soon, that’s fine. Go back a step and practise somewhere calmer until they’re more confident.
Keep practising until the cue is reliable, and you’ll be able to ask for quiet whenever you need it.
Which dog breeds bark the most?
Terriers, scent hounds, toy breeds, Spitz types and guarding breeds tend to bark the most, because many were bred to use their voice for hunting, alerting or protection. That bark isn’t always ideal in a flat or when the kids have just gone to sleep, so if your puppy is on this list, the ‘quiet’ cue will come in handy. For tailored advice, see our breed guides.
- Beagles: Bred to bay and howl as they track rabbits and other quarry, so it’s in their DNA. You can still teach them when you’d like some peace.
- Fox Terriers: Another hunting breed whose bark was essential to their job.
- Other terriers: West Highland, Cairn and Yorkshire Terriers and Jack Russells were all bred for vermin control, and they can be very noisy when excited.
- Miniature Schnauzers: Not true terriers, but they act a lot like them and make excellent, vocal watchdogs.
- Toy breeds: Maltese, Toy Poodles, Miniature Pinschers and Affenpinschers will likely have you practising ‘quiet’ early on.
- Bloodhounds: Essentially a nose with a dog attached, and very vocal when they’ve found something.
- Chihuahuas: Small, sassy and fond of a good bark. They can feel overwhelmed by our big, loud world, so go gently with them.
- Pomeranians: Members of the Spitz group, bred as little watchdogs. They tend to bark first and ask questions later.
- Dobermans: Fantastic guard dogs, and often quite noisy with it.
- German Shepherds: Natural guard dogs with a very loud bark.
- Belgian Malinois: A guarding shepherd bred for their bark, and often quick to learn a ‘speak’ cue.
- Basset Hounds: Not the most active, but they make up for it with an extremely loud bark and bay.
- Siberian Huskies and Alaskan Malamutes: Famous for their wolf-like howls and the racket they make when excited.
- Dachshunds: Bred to alert hunters to a badger sett, whether mini, midi or standard, and still keen to tell you when something is up.
How to teach your puppy to bark on cue
To teach ‘speak’, reward your puppy’s natural bark with a marker word and treat, then add the cue just before they bark. A friendly warning first: some dogs find barking self-reinforcing, meaning they enjoy it for its own sake. A naturally vocal pup may practise this trick when you least want to hear it.
Only reward barking when you’ve asked for it, and make sure the ‘quiet’ cue is solid before you start. Your ears and your neighbours will thank you. If you already use a clicker, it works well as the marker here.
What you’ll need
- a training pouch or pot of soft, tasty treats
- a quiet, neutral indoor space
Step 1: Capture the bark
- Get your puppy excited so they’re likely to bark, for example by running around or playing with a favourite toy.
- The instant they bark, say ‘yes’ and give a treat. This marker word tells them they got it right.
- Keep playing, marking and rewarding each bark, about 5 to 10 times.
- Pause. Just before you think they’ll bark, say ‘speak’, then mark the bark with ‘yes’ and a treat.
- Repeat with the ‘speak’ cue a few more times, then finish by asking for ‘quiet’ and scattering treats on the floor once your puppy is calm.
Step 2: Fade the excitement
- The next day, get your puppy a little excited, then say ‘speak’.
- If they bark, you’re on the right track.
- Gradually practise the cue with less and less warm-up.
Pro tip: Always end a session with something calm your puppy enjoys, or they may keep trying to ‘speak’ for more treats. Scattering treats on the floor or using an enrichment mat encourages calm sniffing after all that excitement. If ‘quiet’ isn’t reliable yet, go back and practise it until it is.
Final thoughts on puppy barking
Puppy barking can become a habit if it’s left unchecked, so focus on why your puppy is barking rather than just trying to stop it. Meet their physical and emotional needs, reduce the triggers and teach calm alternatives, and you’ll be well on your way to a more peaceful home.
Ready for the next step? Download the Zigzag app free today, and get your personlised training plan. The app is available on iOS and Android, and our expert trainers are on hand if barking is becoming a challenge.
Most puppies bark because of boredom, fear, excitement, alerting you to noises, attention seeking or loneliness. Excessive barking usually means a need isn’t being met, such as exercise, enrichment, company or sleep.
There’s no set age when puppies stop barking, because barking is normal dog communication. Barking usually reduces as a puppy’s needs are met and they learn calm behaviours, though it can increase again during adolescence.
Puppies often bark at night because they need the toilet, feel lonely away from their littermates, or are overtired or under-stimulated. Keep them close at first, take them out for quiet toilet breaks and build a calm bedtime routine.
Ignore attention-seeking barking only when you’re sure all their needs are met, then reward them the moment they’re quiet. Never ignore barking caused by fear, pain, a toilet need or distress at being alone.
No. Shouting or telling your puppy off can increase barking, because they may think you’re joining in, and it can make a worried puppy more anxious. A calm, rewarded ‘quiet’ cue works far better.
Most puppies learn the association within a few days of short sessions, but making the cue reliable around real distractions usually takes several weeks of practice. Go at your puppy’s pace.
No, and at Zigzag we never use or recommend them. Spray, sound and shock collars work by punishing your puppy, which can cause fear, stress and pain and damages the bond between you. They also do nothing about why your puppy is barking. Zigzag only uses positive reinforcement: rewarding the calm behaviour you want, so your puppy learns that being quiet pays off. Electronic shock collars are banned in England and Wales.
If your puppy’s barking is persistent, linked to fear or happens mainly when they’re alone, speak to one of our expert trainers in the Zigzag app for tailored guidance. If the barking starts suddenly, or you think it could be linked to pain or illness, speak to your vet first.
