Dogs are incredibly curious creatures, and they could be considered as smart companions. They are also domesticated, which makes them ideal as pets at your home.
A typical household usually contains various appliances that have a lot of functions. Some are for cooking, bathing, drinking, and some are for entertainment.
It is unavoidable nowadays to expose our canine companions to watching television, especially if we watch it ourselves. Some dogs would freak out whenever they are watching something interesting, familiar, or weird from the shows on the TV.
They would bark and bark at the TV as they watch with you.
This problem is not unusual for dog owners out there but is actually pretty common. Dogs, when they freak out at the TV, bark wildly with no signs of stopping.
If the barking becomes excessive, then it is a sign that tells you that you need to train your dog to stop barking at the TV. Read the steps below in order to make your dog stop barking at the TV.
Steps on How to Stop Your Dog Barking at the TV
1. Let your dog cool down first.
It’s critical to attend to your dog’s needs before attempting to stop him from barking at the TV.
Before you settle down to watch TV, take your dog for a walk and engage in some fun activities with him, such as a game of organized fetch. You can also keep him active with some enjoyable training. Do this about an hour before you plan to watch TV.
Your dog will benefit from this, since he may need to vent some of his energy in order to feel more at peace. A routine that includes viewing TV as a means of unwinding and relaxing will be established as a result of this.
2. Take Steps to Prevent Repetition of Bad Behavior
It’s a well-known truth regarding dogs that the more they practice bad habits, the more ingrained they become and the more difficult it is to break them.
Of course, you don’t have to confine your dog to the garage, the furthest corner of the home, or even the dog house itself.
Put him in a safe place where he’s unlikely to respond, like as a crate, and provide him with enjoyable activities to keep him from becoming bored or thinking of being crated as punishment.
Even if this is merely a short-term solution, it is important to keep your dog away from the television unless you are doing a planned training session!
Your dog may think that seeing real animals stroll by the window or fence line is like watching a live TV broadcast. You may want to avoid reenacting this behavior by barking at them from a window or fence.
3. Your Dog Should be Kept on Threshold
Dogs may be desensitized by exposing them to less intense versions of the triggering stimulus in order to keep them from overreacting. This involves reducing the impact of the TV’s visual and aural stimuli on your dog so that he or she can better deal with it.
As a first step, if your dog is apprehensive about noise from the TV, turn the volume down or even better, hit the Mute button. For best results, the noises should not be so prominent that your dog is triggered to bark.
A little trial and error may be required, but dogs have very acute hearing, and they may still be able to detect and respond to the tiniest of noises.
In the beginning, you may want to invest in some headphones so that you can continue to watch your favorite programs.
If your dog starts barking because of what he sees, keep him at a distance where he doesn’t respond or reacts much less. In the beginning, you may need to restrain your dog with a leash.
Dogs’ thresholds may be lowered by increasing distance and decreasing loudness, as most dogs are sensitive to both sight and hearing.
4. Determine what your dog is barking at
Dogs are different and have their own personalities. Some dogs would bark at action scenes in films, some would bark at scenes of wolves howling through the night, and some bark at other people that they see on TV.
We have to accept that dogs are simple and are enamored by these scenes because they are attracted to things in motion, even if it is just on a screen.
Some dogs would stay alert after hearing a certain sound on the TV. Other dogs would do it because they are frustrated by what they are watching.
Other possible reasons are because of stress and that they are afraid of what they are watching. Some dogs may have combinations of any of these, so you better check out what he is barking at.
5. Teach Relaxation on a Mat
Alternatively, you may train your dog to sit quietly on a mat while you watch your preferred television program. Put a mat between your dog and the TV, ideally diagonally, to keep it out of his line of sight.
Make sure you always have a supply of high-value treats (such as dog treats, dog cookies, or bully sticks) on hand and out of your dog’s reach on a high shelf. When the TV trigger goes off, simply say “mat” and give your dog the treat on the mat.
If the program has a lot of triggers or you want your dog to relax for a lengthy period of time, provide a long-lasting goodie. After a few tries of this happening, the trigger should become a signal that something really spectacular is going to happen.
6. Look for and prepare some videos that make your dog bark
Now that you know what scenes or videos may trigger your dog’s barking, you may now search for films or short videos from the same niche.
If your dog is triggered with animal videos, then you may also opt to switch to a channel that features animals as you could expect him to bark more frequently.
The goal is to make your dog bark by using the TV. Just start the TV and hit play, and you’re good to go.
7. Prepare some treats beforehand
You’ll need a large supply of sweets. When the strange things on TV start occurring, you’ll be able to retain your dog’s attention with one of them. If you know your dog very well, you should know what his favorite treat is.
Try cooking up his favorite dessert or even fix up some doggie pancakes that he would love. Make sure that you have prepared an ample amount that could last throughout the whole documentary or film.
Another option is to cut the treats into small single-bite size pieces, so you could be a little miser in giving out treats.
8. Sit down and watch
It’s time to get started now that you’ve arranged some films and snacks. Start watching one of the videos with your dog by your side while you relax in front of the television.
I’d recommend starting with a command that you know your dog will respond to in a light manner.
When you start the videos, you should choose birds since they’re intriguing enough to get your dog interested, but they don’t instantly ramp up her energy.
If there is no response, try other animals or other things that will get your dog’s attention.
Come sit on the couch with your dog and make him watch with you. If you do not really like the program personally, then you have to sacrifice a little bit more time watching with your dog.
Try to in line the film showing with your usual TV schedule. It makes your dog not get confused with what you are going to do since he will think that you will just do it out of routine.
9. Wait till he barks
Watch your dog’s reaction to the video as it plays. Is it because of the birds that they’re interested? Does your dog seem to be getting more and more excited? What’s triggering your dog to bark?
The TV can be in danger of being attacked by your dog. Observe their reactions so that you can predict when they will react.
It is usually recommended to use a video with mild triggers in it so that his barking would not be too loud and wild.
If he gets worked up immediately after you showed him the video, it could be difficult to make him calm down. You may not be able to teach him anything.
As the film rolls, wait until he barks noticeably. You can see it in his posture and body language that he is focused on the TV while barking.
10. Use commands and gestures
Now that you know when your dog will react, it’s time to step in and stop your dog using commands. Introduce a command like “be quiet” or “stop barking” to your dog every time he barks.
You may also add a gesture like a wave of the hand or even saying “ssshhhh” while watching. Remember to do this each and every time he barks.
11. Introduce treats after he goes quiet
Every time you say the command along with the gesture, wait until he stops barking. Just continuously repeat the command and wait for him to completely stop in silence.
After he successfully becomes quiet, hand him a treat that you have previously prepared. Do this every time he goes quiet after a command.
Do not hand him a treat to make him quiet, but instead associate the giving out of the treat to the state of being quiet.
If you immediately hand out treats while he is still barking, he may misunderstand the situation and he might think that barking would give him more tasty food.
If they behave when you say the command, then give your dog a treat to let your dog know that he has done a good job being calm. Doing this repeatedly will help reinforce your dog’s good behavior.
As simple as it may seem, you’re actually teaching your dog that staying calm while watching TV is a pleasurable experience.
In this video, Dr Harry will show you how to stop your dog from barking at the tv with a few clever tips.
12. Repeat until he learns
Consistency is the key. Just repeat the recent steps in giving out the rewards. Eventually, you can adjust how many commands he has to follow before you give out a reward.
This goes until he learns to follow even though you are not giving him any treats. This may take a considerable amount of time, but it will bring you and your dog enjoyable TV times.
Also, patience is a must. If you have enough patience, you would not punish your dog even though he fails to stay quiet after some of your commands. He might have been worked up a little too hard because of what you were watching.
Just maintain and be consistent with the training. Any slip-ups that would make you punish your dog is counter productive and will just waste the first months of his training.
Remember to follow the steps above in order to desensitize your dog from the scenes on the TV. Your goal is to convert your dog’s excitement, fear, and surprise from the TV scenes into a calm and collected reaction. Have an enjoyable TV time with your dog!
Additional Tips on How to Make Dog Stop Barking at the TV
Choosing a video that elicits just a modest response from your dog is essential. If you choose one that elicits a strong reaction, it will be difficult to bring them back to a peaceful state. And it’s practically hard for dogs to learn anything while they’re so excited.
As dogs become older, they’ll be able to handle more and more of the strange things that your dog can see on television without being too agitated.
It will be simpler to keep your dog quiet when observing other animals after your dog has mastered being calm while watching birds.
By praising your dog’s calm behavior, you may teach him to respond to the TV in a more relaxed manner and reduce his enthusiasm. Begin with showing your dog somewhat amusing videos, and then go to those that drive them insane for the greatest outcomes.
The more control your dog has over their need to bark at everything that moves on the screen, the simpler it will be to work on videos that interest your dog.
What Are the Reasons Why Your Dog Attack the TV
As a dog owner, you may probably already ask yourself, “why does my dog bark at on TV”? It’s impossible to generalize about what, where, when, how, and why dogs bark; each dog has their own character traits and attitude.
Dogs are drawn to anything that moves and viewing animated animals on the TV would naturally catch their attention for many of them.
Some dogs bark at the TV, while others just sit there and ignore it. A dog’s barking at the television may be caused by a variety of reasons, including enthusiasm, irritation, and tension and/or fear.
It would be a mix of all of those things with your dog, and it may become more frequent and more intense without your intervention.
Excitement may quickly change to frustration for your dog when he sees the other animals having a good time and doing interesting things. Yet your dog is unable to participate in the enjoyment or even catch a whiff of them.
At the first sign of your dog being agitated, you should know that you have to do something about it.
Here are more details why do dog barks at the TV:
• They’re on the lookout for details.
The movement and sound of the TV attracts dogs, but what about the scent of the television? Smell is very essential to dogs, since their whole world revolves around it.
Even though dogs may see and hear dog tags flashing on the giant screen, there is no scent to be found. When searching for the “mystery dog” lurking behind the television set, some dogs even manage to run around it.
All of this may lead to dogs barking and leaping in front of the TV in an attempt to elicit a reaction. These dogs are merely trying to find out more about their environment.
• A Predatory Drive Has Triggered Them
Dogs, as previously said, are drawn to motion and, as a result, are drawn to animal documentaries. The predation instinct may be more pronounced in dogs specifically developed for hunting, such as retrievers, collies, terriers, or sighthounds (to name just a few).
When they see activity and are restricted from pursuing it, these dogs may get upset and start barking.
• Other Triggering Factors
When dogs bark at the TV, it’s often because they’re afraid of what they see on the screen. Don’t be shocked if your dog barks when he sees dog tags jingling on TV or if your dog is nervous or excited when there are visitors.
Dogs may be more sensitive to these sounds if the TV is turned up loud, increasing the likelihood that they may bark and respond.
• Your dog is bored
You should check to see whether your dog is receiving enough mental and physical activity throughout the day by letting him watch TV.
The dog is barking and acting agitated because he has nothing better to do and has to get rid of surplus energy. It’s not like he enjoys watching the TV series.
There are times when you just want to sit back and relax while your dog is eagerly awaiting your arrival home, even when you’ve had a hectic day.
When these two lifestyles don’t line up, dogs end up doing unpleasant habits. And because there’s nothing to do, barking at the TV becomes their favorite hobby.
• Your dog is seeking attention
For some of the day, if you have to work long hours, your dog may be yearning for your attention. In the same way that children desire attention, dogs may appreciate any kind of attention when they do.
If you laugh at him barking at the TV, you’re showing attention. If you scold your dog then you are showing negative attention.
Dogs that need attention may consequently engage in actions that draw your attention, elicit conversation, and even prompt a scolding response from you.
To get their owners’ attention, some dogs may start chewing on shoes and scratching or howling at them. There are some dogs who like to bark at the television if it helps them divert their focus away from the screen and back to their dog.
• They’re Putting Effort into Making Friends
Your dog’s barking at the TV may be a result of social facilitation. These are the behaviors that are impacted by the presence of other canines and come under the category of social facilitation. As a result, you may find your dog barking at animals on TV.
Using unpleasant methods will only make your dog more anxious, so avoid them at all costs. Spray bottles and air horns have the potential to make your dog more fearful of loud noises (associating it with punishment).
It’s better to be trusted and give instruction than scare the dog by yelling or spanking.
It is important to learn these for you to know what should be your proper approach and what are the effective ways on how to stop your dog barking at the television.
Does your Dog Bark at the T.V.?
Does your dog growl at the TV when it’s on? Why do dogs bark at the TV when there are dogs there? It’s either a sign of excitement or a sign of frustration. Is there anything you’ve tried to keep your dog calm while you watch television?
It is important to know the reasons why your dog is barking at the TV. If you’re a dog owner, you’re concerned about the health and happiness of your dog.
Your family may get annoyed if your dog keeps on barking at the screen while your family is enjoying their time watching their favorite show.
Taking steps like behavioral modification training or talking with your veterinarian might help you avoid having the problem of this kind of behavior.
In the comments below, please tell us what your favorite ways to stop your dog barking at the TV.
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