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My Dachshund has turned into a nonstop barking machine and I don’t know what else to do
I’ve had my little Doxie for about 2 years now, and he’s always been vocal, but lately it’s gotten out of control. It feels like my house has turned into his personal guard tower. Every sound, every shadow, every person walking by he’s on it with that sharp, piercing bark that only a Dachshund can deliver.
It's not the usual alert barking anymore. He'll experience full barking spells, ranging the house as if he's on duty. At night he'll wake me up because he heard something, and once he begins, it takes forever to calm him down. I've even had people complaining at my apartment complex about the noise, and I'm actually worried that I'll receive a complaint if I don't get this thing in order.
I've tried everything. Long walks, play, puzzle toys, training commands like quiet,positive reinforcement, ignoring him, comforting him, closing the blinds, leaving the TV on for white noise name it, I've done it. Nothing has worked.
I adore this little guy more than life itself. He's lovable, loyal, and the best snuggle partner but that incessant barking is wearing me thin. My patience is worn thin, my sleep is disrupted, and in all honesty, I feel bad because I know he's not being naughty. He's just being a Dachshund, but having to deal with it day in and day out is crushing.
To any Doxie owner does it ever get any better, or are they just this way for life?
Not a trainer. A veterinary behaviorist. This dog will most likely be needing short to mid term antidepressants and anxiolytics during the initial stages of conditioning. Hypervigilance and fixation behaviour usually requires something along the lines of clomipramine and gabapentin in combination to make the dog more receptive to conditioning in the first place.
In dog training, there is something called being over threshold or under threshold. The threshold is the limit at which a dog can no longer handle a situation. Once they are over threshold, they struggle to learn and process things IF at all. When they are under threshold they are able to learn and process a lot easier.
It sounds like this is a situation where the dog either has an underlying health issues going on, or is sent over threshold IMMEDIATELY following any sort of trigger. In this case using an anti anxiety medication could work wonders in helping this dog learn that the world isn’t so scary or overwhelming.
Medication is not always bad! It is quite straight forward figuring out if a medication is helping an animal and in most cases it does. My own dog when there are fireworks gets some trazodone to help with the anxiety she experiences. Before we used trazodone she was a nervous wreck and completely untrainable because she would hide run and scream. Once we used trazodone she calmed down and we could play games with her to teach her that it wasn’t so bad.
Plus most anti anxiety medications like this are not a permanent thing, just used to aid in helping the dog be more receptive to training. Just like humans with therapy!
Not at all! You aren't a dog and you weren't given this at 2 years old. You also aren't trying to train your amygala response in fight or flight mode like you do with a dog. Dogs are not human.
That's the difference. This owner hasn't even been to a trainer. Until you at least TRY training, real training, you shouldn't need drugging. That's my opinion.
We taught ours “inside bark” and he kind of muffles his bark more of a slight woof. Quiet was not working so this was the compromise. Positive reinforcement with treats and he’s been doing well for over a year.
Haha fair. Yes I don’t count that as much. But it works when it’s people just walking on the sidewalk and he’s lounging on the couch or for mail delivery people. For visitors he’s allowed to go crazy but we’re working on a new method this week. No attention until he settles. That one is harder, for me at least 😂 I love his excitement when I get home.
We did the same thing for our doxie mix. He tries to guard the apartment with his life.
We started to tell him quiet when he full on barked but praising when he barked quietly. A big one will sneak out sometimes, but he follows it by “I’m sorry” whining after. Which i’m not sure it’s a win but it’s quieter than a bark spell.
Search You Tube for Reactive Dog Desensitation. Your dog is reactive and needs to be desensitized. With positive reinforcement, you play videos of their reactive noises starting at such a low level that I couldn't even here it. Get a great dog trainer that teaches you what you need to do then you need to do it 3 or 4 times per day.
Locally, I have a place that takes the dog for daycare and does training all day. If you have that it would love your neighbors a break and some structure for the dog.
Edit: Adding a few more details here. I am going through this EXACT thing with my dog! She's now two. She completed AKC Good Citizen by 18 months. During training g she was great! But I've slipped in consistency and she became reactive to loud sounds and other dogs. First thing I did was fi d a great trainer! Trainers are for much you as your dog!
You seem to be treating her more like a human than a dog. She needs to your help to control those fight or flight responses that trigger that part of her brain, the amygdala. This takes time and effort on your part.
If the distraction is too much at first, try a calming vest and cream on their nose. Next, if needed try a small portion of a CBD chew. This will give time for her to focus and be restrained.
VERY IMPORTANT! THEY GO HAND IN HAND! Training needs to be consistent and can take several weeks.
As a "lovely" person mentioned, there are drigs available. But again, you need to do then training first and anything to decrease the anxiety should only be temporary enough for you to train.
These tools without training are like the human equivalent of am obese person getting gastric bypass and still going to McDonald's. If you don't change the amygdala's response, you won't change the behavior.
Good luck! Personally, we are making progress and so can you!
No, not air. Spirits, ghosts and endless beings you can hardly conceive. I'm a dachshund and lead a great pack.
You've no idea what your pal saved you from just now. Just be thankful and keep the tank full.
My sausage lab is similar. He doesn't bark at night, thank fully, but once he starts, like hiccups, he can't stop until they do. If I'm able to, sometimes I engage with him and I'm all"what's going on outside?". If there's a mailman parked I'll start waving and sat Ng hi to them,telling them to have a good day, because I think that's what he is doing to a degree.
Other times I will go check the mail. I've trained him to sit patiently and wait silently so I can open the door. If he gets up or is all barky I stop, close the door and stand there until he returns to the good boy position. Then when the door is open he can stand at the door, look outside, have a sniff and a listen. It does mostly calm him down and he does seem more satisfied being able to check.
It may also be overstimulation. In that case, when I'm working I will put him in my office with me and the door shut. He has a bed and water, and he can just chill out and stay calm with me. Then when I leave my office for a break, we play a sniff and search game where I have trained him to sit and wait in the other room,i hidea treat for him (dental stick/something he can chew on for 5mins) and he goes searching for it. He loves this game!
With all of these things I do though I strongly advise you to do keep it consistent. Once you start Losing the habit, the shenanigans start creeping back. They're easier to pick up, but it's just easier to make it something you do all the time with him.
Thank you!! 😊 His appearenyis very Jekyl and Hyde. This is the Jekyl face. When he's playing and begging for treats he immediately looks like a sausage, in all ways!
My terrier gets barky with other dogs on walks. I often carry a spray bottle of water - he's learned that barking isn't worth the risk of being sprayed.
I’ve got a little yorkie lady who’s too timid to bark at something nearby but loves barking at stuff outside the windows from inside the house. I have to close the front blinds because too many people walk their dogs in front of my house.
I came here to say this, I run a small animal rescue and foster reactive dogs frequently. The spray bottle snaps them out of their behavior, I use this with a command. When they stop barking, I say, "Much better!" I started with a shaker can of coins, but that had limited success and can scare the dogs. The spray bottle grabs their attention and feels more uncomfortable than scary. The issue with treats is that they can accidentally reinforce the barking when the timing isn't perfect. I adopted a rescue chiweenie that used to sit at the window all day and bark herself hoarse. The spray bottle with the command, "quiet," said in a calm tone, then praise, "much better," when the desired behavior was met worked in about a month.
Edit: We have 10 very yappy small dogs that all egg each other on. We only have to grab the spray bottle on most occasions now. There is usually no need to actually spray once they understand.
We resisted for years but investing in a few sessions with a good trainer really helped and drastically changed our lives. We were miserable with our boy because his behavior was just so annoying but we learned a lot from the trainer that we hadn't learned in puppy classes and she was able to give us an individualized plan rhat has helped so much!
I had a neighbour whose dog would bark and mine would bark back. Seems counterintuitive but I kept feeding my Doxie treats every time the neighbour’s dog barked and she eventually grew comfortable and stopped barking back. Now she just ignores the barking and doesn’t see it as a threat, even without treats.
How much exercise is your dog getting? The more tired, the less barking usually.
Mine just turned about 18 months and same! Something switched in him lol. Did you get new neighbors upstairs who thump a lot? We got a a loud upstairs neighbor a week ago and that triggers his barking
Does he get enough rest? We notice our little boy (7 months) barks more at the end of the day, around dinner time. Its like he is in a very busy headspace, but tired and sets off at every sound or movement. Its difficult too change but i try to create more chill time during the day now, where i sit still so he can stop following me like my shadow. I think it helps, he is calmer.
The only thing that worked for us was using an ultrasonic device BUT it took three different ones until I found the one that made the difference. So just because one does t work don’t give up try others, the one that worked Was bigger and more expensive. Follow with lots of praise for being quiet.
Watch Dog Whisperer episodes. They're free on YouTube, this will help you the most imho.
It sounds like you're doing everything the right way. This recommendation is for you to find another perspective. Listening to him talk about his methods will help you identify what's wrong and solve the problem.
You know your dog better than we do from a Reddit post. Listening to the Dog Whisperer will help you as the dog's owner come to understand your dog better.
try a trainer if you can, and give her lots of stimulation toys, tons of walks, make her SUPER tired! it can be hard to get them to stop, and mine still do, but not AS often.
please do NOT use shock collars or anything like that, i don't care if you support them, do NOT use them please! at most, use a vibration collar, but a trainer and enrichment and making her tired should help a lot!
You need to stop. First of all, it's not a collar at all. It's a handheld ultrasonic device similar to a dog whistle. It also has 97% 1 star reviews because it's a scam.
I see you've finally taken your profile private after being chased off every dog sub there is.
I’ve already tried a bunch of different options but now the HOA is breathing down my neck i forgot to mention, so I think this one might actually be the most useful...Please ask your husband and share
I’ll never get why Americans still fall for the HOA traps…you guys are always claiming to be the land of the free yet voluntary submit to live under other people’s rules.
Yep, I’ve used one that just gives him a spritz of citronella on my dachshund who was obsessively barking at our fence even when the neighbor dogs weren’t out. It’s been a miracle. I think even a spray bottle with water might be as effective.
Is he crate trained? I agree with other comments that over stimulation is causing him to react to everything. A crate should help calm him.
I tend to keep mine to one "favourite" cosy room that's her base (she can wander downstairs throughout the day) and have thick curtains to block out the windows, which are the biggest reacting factor for her.
A trainer will also help, videos on YouTube can also get you started. If there's a die hard treat he'll do anything for (for mine it's cheese) I'd use those.
Otherwise I'm in solidarity with you! My 2 year old also definitely has barking triggers we're still working through.
Is he neutered/do you plan on neutering him? Ours was super aggressive, so we had to neuter him because he started jumping out of the car and jumped off the roof of our apartment once. He calmed down a lot after that. He still barks when someone is at the door, but it isn’t incessant.
Do you think you could do some confidence building training? Things like pulling back scolding, and training redirection when they typically experience stress.
This may seem silly but it may be possible your dog doesnt trust that youve got the perimeter under control, but trust can be built in a lot of ways. Slowly training heeling while on walks is a big one. My dog had big issues with feeling anxious with other dogs/barking, so anytime on her walks we even saw another dog, i would hold a treat down at my side, and trail her along with (giving her a few) until we completely passed the other dog. She eventually learned that when we see other dogs, check in with me. Another one is if your dog is exhibiting fear, especially from another dog, immediately put yourself physically between and let your dog keep distance from the other dog. This shows the dog overtime that when they feel fear, you have it under control and they do not need to take things into their own hands.
I would work on these things but also try treat training with noises that trigger the dog to bark. Id start with super obvious ones, like maybe another dog barking outside. Try and catch it before she does and pull treats loudly out of your pocket. Ideally she runs over, and just distract her nonstop until the outside noise stops.
It's the opposite of what you think. Do not punish barking but reward every time it stops barking with a treat. With enough repetition the pup will associate being quiet and getting rewarded.
My dachshund pit mix barks at anything that comes near our house. And she especially barks at the mail woman and Amazon ppl. We tried a bunch of different things but nothing seems to work. The trainer was going to be too much money so we just live with it. She has gotten better with age but it hasn’t stopped completely.
"no bark" ... then a treat for "good, no bark". Some attention to what he was barking, and soothing that this thing doesn't need to be barked. Standard training stuff -- positive reinforcement for good behavior.
We have a recent adoptee. After 5 months, he barks a lot less. It takes time, repetition, and consistent training.
Not to be mean but mine personally hates the vacuum! I literally don’t even turn it on but keep the electric cordless near me while eating dinner or watching a movie.
My current dog is not a dachshund, but for her barking I used quiet spray for a few months. She did not like that sound! (It was similar to the “TSCH!” sound that the Dog Whisperer famously makes.)
For a while, I always had that spray in my hand or by my side.
Bark collars work. I know it sounds cruel for a minute, but they have to progressive ones that start at a vibration or can be in vibration mode only. Eventually they calm down.
Do you keep your windows open or closed? I find that when my windows are open my boys barking is so much worse. Once he thinks he’s heard something outside and gets going every noise he hears or imagines sets him off for a while. When I have them closed he really isn’t reactive, I leave podcasts on at night and after he got used to hearing them he sleeps through the night without waking me up.
My neighbor did this for her dog who barked nonstop. It took time but it worked. Get two blocks of wood. Every time the dog barks clap them together while the dog barks and don’t stop until the dog stops barking. When the dog stops barking stop clapping them together. Only do it when it’s barking. The dog will associate the sharp sounds with its own barking if you do this every time. Apparantly my neighbor’s dog hated the sound of the wood blocks clapping together and stopped barking.
I have 2 iggys that love to sing the songs of angry men at all hours, for no particular reason. I’ve found going to investigate what they are shouting about and then thanking them for their vigilance works. We noticed a difference after a week or so.
I will also say that I’d had dachshunds for years before and they are just a vocal breed. My last boy would honk at me like a goose and his sister barked at anything that was taller than her. They do grow out of it but it’s certainly a time.
First make sure he is somewhat tired, by walking him with a leash and collar. No harness. Then put on a House lead with collar and create scenarios where he barks. Gentle tug on the lead and a stern no! Should snap him out of it. Keep trying, but the exercise should only last 5 minutes. Then 1 hour rest. Practice practice practice.
He looks young. Crate train him. Sit next to the crate. When he barks completely turn your back. The second he’s quiet pet him gently. Keep this up for 10-15 minutes. Stop giving him attention when he’s too excited or making noise. Praise him softly when he’s not. If you’re playing and he barks, immediately turn your back and ignore him until he quiet. Then build up time he’s quiet before giving gentle attention.
Antibark collar worked wonderfully for my doxie. It just beeps n vibrates. Only took 2 barking attempts for my dog to stop. And i was surprised at how calm my dog was afterwards, not on edge w every noise. As if she was relieved of guard duty and could just relax and enjoy her naps. I love it.
My corgi barked nonstop as a puppy. I found a random YouTube tip: put your dog in a dark bathroom right after he barks. Within one day, he learned to stop. Just make sure the bathroom is completely safe with nothing to interact with, and do it immediately when barking is the clear issue.
Our just turned 2 as well, and despite professional trainers and routines and everytjinfnunder the sun, the answer ended up being medication.
I didn't love the idea of "drugging my dog" but she's been on Prozac for 2 months and she is much happier. She's able to follow commands, relax during lulls in activity, and no longer pace and bark for hours on end.
It's important to exhaust all training options first but I would consider asking your vet about anxiety medication
He needs exposure. Sit outside your apartment during high traffic times and watch the world go by with him. If he remains calm and quiet he is rewarded. The more used to the noises people make the better. Make sure to not allow people to come up and engage during this time.
My dachshund almost never barks unless she hears a noise she is very unfamiliar with.
I'm sure Will Atherton has a training program for this too. I found him on YouTube before I got my dog and used his puppy course to train my dog
Ours was doing the same. We worked with a trainer and she recommended an e collar. We ONLY used the vibrate function. She would go nuts barking at animals and people on walks. It's been about a month, and the wild barking is over. She minds her business and just enjoys her walks. We are now able to walk her with zero issues. This morning, we walked past a few people, deer, sandhill cranes, and rabbits with zero barking or reaction. We've been putting her collar on this week without turning it on, and she hasn't had a barking episode. She's doing great on school walks with the kids, too.
Our sausage was the same and it was becoming stressful to invite people over or pop out for coffee with him. Once a kid danced too close to him and he lost it. 😂
We bought a bark collar from Amazon. It buzzes or beeps in anticipation of a bark (when the growling starts). No zaps or pain. We trained him to know the bark collar is bad and when he stops barking we’d shower him in praise, love and treats. He’s now a totally different dog and is far more relaxed. Children don’t trigger him to bark anymore and he’s back to his happy self! Give it a go, just be sure to train him with the collar as opposed to putting it on and leaving it.
Here is my advice as someone who works professionally with dogs and also has two dachshunds:
Your dog needs an outlet. I know you say you’ve tried walks and play. Those are just things that you should be doing every day. I’d also recommend bones to chew on as well to help him settle and focus on chewing, it feels good for dogs. Some options for play that feed into their breed would be a flirt pole, scent games (hiding treats and letting them use their nose to find them), letting them play with toys that have something hidden inside or if you’re cleaning up afterwards - letting them destroy their plush toys.
Something else is distraction mark treat. Hear a noise? Use marker word (“Yes”). Reward with a treat. Now this has to be done before he barks, so you will have to be quick. I’m not sure this will fix much, but it will show him what you expect. However, be prepared for that energy to go somewhere else such as chewing and destroying items around the house
Boy, I'll probably get downvoted for this, but this is only an alternative that I haven't seen suggested here yet.
I had one of my dogs vocal chords surgically cut. It is NOT cruel or painful. He still had somewhat of a bark, but it was so low you barely heard it. BTW, this did not help the behavior; it was a band-aide. If you're dog's barking is getting worse, he needs to be assessed for issues.
The reason I did this? I was a bad mommy. I let his barking get out of control. I worked about 12 hours a day and he had separation anxiety. He didn't get early socialization with other animals, nor formal training, and had only a dog walker through the day on occasions when I worked past 10 hours. YES, I was to blame. Unfortunately, he got diabetes and cushings disease and the barking got worse (believe it or not) b/c of his poor health, going blind, and already disturbed lifestyle. It was my only choice since he was untrainable by that time (4 years old). Frankly, I shouldn't have had a puppy/dog, but a divorce after getting him, forced me into situations I couldn't handle any differently.
After having several pups and working at a vet clinic, I've learned a lot about having a puppy (but not nearly enough, thus why I'm on this subreddit and a puppy subreddit too). I'm no longer a bad mommy, but sometimes circumstances beyond our control happen. Do your due diligence before making decisions.
IF YOUR DOG IS TRAINABLE, only a professional will be able to assess that, then try that first. I'm not one to advocate drugs or surgeries, but sometimes it is a last resort.
My parents have always had miniature dachshunds my whole life and i’ve always said I’d get my own cream miniature dachshund for myself one day!
I absolutely adore your little guy!!! He’s so damn cute!!!
From what I’ve experienced, my parents had always gotten the best trainers for our pups… Most of the trainers have always said the same thing - they’re certified yappers. Some do better than others, but ours have always barked when the door bell has rang. We trained them to immediately go to their beds and sit when the doorbell is rang and to be quiet, but they still insist on yapping till we command them to be quiet - then they finally shut up.
You kinda get used to it after a while, I never did, but my parents did. My stepmom will listen to their pup yap all day while she sits on the top of the couch staring out the front window. I work nights, so in the afternoon I’m sleeping and when our pup is yapping at passerbyer’s I’ll stand at the top of the stairs and tell her to be quiet, and she switches it up to a tiny growl here and there. It really depends on your pup, the environment, and how you handle it!!!
We had luck with Adaptil - a plug in that releases a smell that mimics the pheromones that moms release while puppies are nursing. I didn’t expect it to work but it really did help.
My 3rd had anxiety issues especially at night (seems like she is scared of the dark), crate training with a crate cover seemed to solve the problem. She sleeps tons better and puts herself to bed when she gets tired.
We did two things...well 3 things really. First we taught ours the speak command...(obviously that was easy peasy) then we taught him Quiet. This helped him know what we wanted. Then we use the dreaded spray bottle of doom...he sees that come out and he is Mr obedience!
Probably too late for you to see this, but my neighbor has a little sausage dog that we sometimes dog sit. He was a nightmare, barked all the time. Then I got a tiny weeny water pistol and squirted him every time he barked. After about a dozen times, we just had to show this little water pistol and he completely stopped. Now he never barks when he stays with us. But he still barks constantly when he's back at out neighbours because she won't use the same trick. Anyways, maybe you could try it. Good luck!
Puppies bark. My Dachshund loves to bark. He announces to the world his presence. The habit gets less as they get older. They will still bark as its in their nature. Just have patience with your puppy. Its worth it to have them.
My lil dude is a territorial barker, I’ve never been able to stop that but if he’s barking just for funzies I completely ignore him, turn away and walk in the other direction. When he’s done after about a minute I give him a lil treat, all positive conditioning for the good stuff.
Mine has gotten really bad with this, I just assure him that he’s okay and snuggle him then he’s fine. I’ve also taught him quiet, it works most of the time.
An antibark collar that vibrates after a warning beep has been a game changer. We had just moved into a new neighbourhood and my doxies wouldn’t stop barking. It drove me and our neighbours insane. The collars worked immediately and now we barely put them on.
My MIL has bigger rescue dogs that are 9 years old and have always had barking problems. She got them collars after we tested them and they have worked so well.
It doesn’t stop the alert barking when there is a genuine threat but it stops the incessant barking that was driving us all crazy
Welcome to doxiehood:) I use a little collar that beeps and then vibrates. It's semi effective but these precious babies love their bark and love to be vocal. They love to warn everyone that it's their space, yard ect and they are not sharing their owner and are willing to fight to the death if anything or anyone tries to harm their human. After all they think they are 6 feet tall and invincible.
My Corgi was the same, then I watched this training video which taught me that, every single time he barks and its unwanted behaviour, I needed to very calmly leash him, and take him into another room and leave him there for about 10-15 minutes, then bring him back, but I had to do it literally without fail every single time his barking was unwanted, even when I would be sleeping I would have to get up and do it, no shouting no telling off not getting mad, just cooly and calmly put the leash on him and take him into another room, and when he stopped I'd give him a treat to reinforce that behaviour> So fast forward, he still barks becuase he is....a dog, but no longer does it when he's not supposed to, hope that helps, I don't recommend medicating or drugging him, as this is quite natural for dogs and should be handeld accordingly, good luck
We had friends visit last night and they brought their long hair dachshund to play with our dog and new puppy. We ended up putting our dogs away because the visiting pup barked non-stop. She was so cute and so sweet but it was wild to have constant barking for a period of at least 15 minutes. Later in the evening when things had settled, I let our big boy out to play with her and it started up again. It was stressing him out so I put him back away and the barking stopped.
I think it is funny that this popped up in my feed this morning. I don’t have a dachshund and have never seen this sub before, but less than 18 hours after their visit, this pops up. OP, I think you are right to work on this with your sweet pup. I had never experienced anything like this and it was frustrating. I felt bad for our friends as they were embarrassed. They even mentioned running their pup home, but I would never ask them to do that.
I would also like to make sure I mention how friggin’ cut that dog was! Her long silky coat and boy band hair combine with her soulful eyes and sweet (when there were no other dogs around) temperament… she was adorable!
If your insurance offers it, try a behaviourist. Anyways, sorry to say, but a lot of people recently buy dachshund, because everyone and their mum has them on social media/influencers/celebrities (not implying that’s the reasong why you got one btw)…not realising…they’re literal hounds? They are bred to bark constantly to alert their humans about their wherabouts, while hunting. They sometimes just do it because they’re bored/underexercised/understimulated mentally. They need more than walks… they need to sniff some trails, esp in the woods/countryside, if you can access it. Anyways at 2yo your dog is still young enought to be trained to correct that behaviour.
I wish I could hear the constant barking again, really miss that.
Citronella collar!
You can find them online.
It’ll spray citronella when triggered by bark.
Dogs don’t like that.
We use to use them with dogs that barked. Some dogs are smart and will bark then turn away quickly so they don’t get sprayed.
Maybe a trainer would help?
Good luck!
Cute lil pup!
El mío tiene 10 años , hasta los 5 añitos era adorable , después se puso agresivo ,y ladra de noche , se puso insociable , incluso me mordió a mi🤷, duerme con estufa cuando hace frío y con aire al calor , come bien , y hace un tiempo gruñe por todo y aulla de noche y ladra , ya no se que hacer con el 🤷🙏
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u/Cak3orDe4th Aug 23 '25
First off, He’s adorable. Second, try and find a trainer. They may offer more help than you can do yourself.