Free Tips to Help a Boxer Stop Barking at Noises Outside

In this Omaha dog training session, we use a counterconditioning exercise to help 1-year-old Boxer Stella. Stella’s guardian wanted her to stop barking at noises outside, like delivery trucks.

Do Boxers Bark A Lot?

As a Boxer puppy without a fenced yard, we began the session with some fun exercise ideas. Your average dog needs an hour’s worth of exercise a day, higher energy dogs, like Boxers, need even more.

Boxers are a high-energy breed that requires a significant amount of exercise, typically around two hours a day. This should be divided into several walks, play sessions, and activities. You can include fetch or agility training to match their energetic nature.

Boxers need both physical exercise and mental stimulation. You can provide this through training sessions and interactive toys. Meeting their exercise needs is important for keeping them healthy, happy, and well-behaved.

By increasing her exercise, especially before working on her reaction to various sounds, will do wonders. I would also like the guardian to think about whether a lack of exercise causes her to bark or jump up.

Boxers are not typically known for excessive barking. While they may bark to alert their owners of potential dangers or strangers, they generally only do so when there’s a reason. Boxers are natural guard dogs and will often bark to signal when someone is nearby.

However, they may bark more if they’re bored, left alone, or feeling reactive toward strangers or other dogs. Additionally, they might bark to defend their territory.

As puppies, they can be more vocal and playful, and they may also bark to get attention from their owners. Boxers are not always barking, but they are very expressive. They may growl or make other sounds to communicate.

How to Get a Dog to Stop Barking at Noises

As Omaha’s resident dog behaviorist, I’ve found counterconditioning is an easy way and effective way to stop a dog from reacting to sounds. Since Stella barks at delivery trucks, I suggested her guardian wait on the street with her phone.

This way, she can record the sound of a truck coming, idling, and leaving. Once she captures those sounds, she can follow the steps in the free positive dog training video below. This will help stop Stella from barking at those sounds.

Stella’s guardian can help her stop barking at noises outside by pairing the sounds with a treat. We recommend she record all the sounds that bother Stella so she can practice frequently. She should start with a low volume and slowly increase it.

Tips to Stop a Dog From Reacting to Sounds Outside

Counterconditioning is an effective technique for helping dogs overcome fear of certain sounds. For instance, a dog that is afraid of the sound of trucks or other loud noises may react by barking or running away.

In this process, the goal is to link the scary sound with something good, like treats. This way, the dog learns to focus on the reward instead of the sound. Initially, the sound is paired with the treat, creating a positive connection.

Over time, the sound gets louder. The dog is rewarded for staying calm and not reacting. By using this method and changing the sound’s volume or distance, dogs can feel less scared. They can also focus more on getting rewards.

The technique also involves practicing in different locations to help the dog generalize the behavior. Eventually, the dog will associate the sound with something pleasant, reducing their fear and reactive behaviors.

One of the great things about using counterconditioning to stop a dog from barking at sounds is how easy it is. You don’t have to be a professional Boxer dog trainer to do it. It just takes practice and lots of yummy, high-value treats.

If humans practice a few times a day for 1 to 2 minutes, they can help stop unwanted dog barking.

We covered a number of other things in this in-home Omaha dog behavior training session. To help Stella’s humans remember them all, we filmed a roadmap to success video summarizing everything.