Overview
When you have a new pup in the house, the overall excitement begins to fade away after a few weeks and then reality sets in. Puppies are hard work, and they take many months to train and have them function correctly in the household.
Thanks for reading, my name is Mel and I have been writing about dogs barking for some time. It started with my own dogs, who were 15 when we moved into an apartment and then caused havoc in the complex. I made it my goal, to help others and ensure they can find resources and information to easily reduce their dog barking problem. Read along as I have some great ideas on how to mitigate your puppy barking in apartments.
Barking Puppy Problem
A good friend, just contacted me, she has a new puppy and also lives in a complex with neighbors close on either side and above. The puppy was all fun for the first few days, but has now turned into a nuisance. Wont stop yapping, the little high pitch noise is radiating everywhere.
While she has not had a complaint, its obvious the noise must be making everyone in the vicinity uptight. She has had dogs in the past, but a long time since a puppy has been in the family. Generally everyone else has well behaved dogs in the apartment block, so the barking is really standing out.
What to do, first plan of attack
She needs a plan and one fast, hence her call to me. I was more than pleased to help, and came up with some ideas right way.
Socialization
Earlier in my life, when our dogs were young, we took them to a large training school, at the time they were recruiting for new trainers. I was invited to also become a trainer, and one of the first things I was taught was around socialization.
Its probably number one on the list, your new puppy needs to meet other dogs and people. It needs to get outside (after its vaccinations) get to know people, dogs and things. It needs to learn the different sounds and begin to normalize these.
There was a number like, your puppy needs to meet 10 new dogs each day, I think it was higher, but even this is challenging to fit into a busy life. So make sure you get your puppy outside, meet other dogs and people, and get out side. This will help manage sounds and noise when you are not home.
Puppy School
Following on from socialization is puppy school, while you might not be there to learn all the tricks, but more about meeting new dogs and getting into different environments. If you can pick up a few tricks along the way, it does make for more fun, especially if you have kids.
You will also be able to connect with other people, and set up events or meets with groups of dogs, which again all helps with the development of your puppy.
In my mind, puppy school is like swim school for babies, they are not learning to really swim, just to get out of the pool if they did fall in. Same as puppies, its about meeting and building the fundamentals.
Safe and comfortable place to sleep
Ensure you have a good sleeping environment for your puppy, some dogs feel safe when they are covered or enclosed, so try different types of beds and configurations without overspending. Try throw a blanket or towel over the bed, see if your pup wants to hide under it. Try different locations in the house, there might be less noise in a particular room.
If you have another dog, make sure there is room to snuggle, some breeds like to get close (beagle) while others don’t.
Get the legs moving
That’s your legs and your pups legs. The more puppy energy you can burn, the less active he/she will be. Don’t go crazy, but more consistent. You also need to try factor in a morning walk if you are leaving the puppy all day long, this will set a good baseline to start the day with.
Ensure the puppy has a full belly and not yapping for food.
Make sure he is not looking for food, this can really get a puppy going. Feed up and ensure the belly is full before you leave. If you have another dog, make sure all food anything that might smell like food is put away. Territorial barking can occur when one dog is trying to protect something that is out of reach but they can both smell.
Communication is Key
Make sure you keep your neighbors (even if they are friends) up to date on your progress. Let them know you are developing a plan, that has multiple strategies and you are going to be executing them to reduce the barking. I would try refrain from saying stopping the barking as this is a big ask and can set the wrong expectations. If you can reduce, each week, until the problem is minimal, then that’s a big win. The last stage can be hard to achieve where there is always zero barking.
Background Noise
Play some background noise, mask any sounds that might be bouncing into your apartment. This can be through a cheap radio playing continuous news and then overlay some calming music. I have found this approach works best.
Calming Collar
Collars that emit pheromones like their mothers scent also play a good part in managing the problem. Especially if the pup has just been removed from its mom. The smell will help keep the puppy calm and reduce anxiety. Make sure you spend some time waiting for a result, as it does not happen overnight. I have reviewed a few options in this space, see here: Adaptil Collar or Diffuser
Old Clothing
Place some old clothing in your pups bed, this will help manage the times you are away by keeping your smell close. This again, does not work for all dogs, but does help along side a bigger strategy..
Eyes on the ground
Setup a camera like the Google nest camera, they work well and only alert on movement from your pet. You can configure the animal detection which is probably one of the best features. They are battery operated so you can move them easily and the battery lasts a good while too. You can dial in when away and will also get alerts to your phone, probably a key items in managing the problem.
Final thoughts
Keep yourself motivated, and know its just time and you will start to see results. Build a plan that works for you, start to execute it each day and week, take it slowly and keep your neighbors informed along the way. Reach out to us here, we are happy to assist and provide any guidance that might aid in managing your puppy barking problem.
