The best way to muffle dog barking is to make sure your home (or the room you want to muffle) is airtight. This means installing draft stoppers under the door and getting inserts on your windows. Thick curtains and canvas paintings will also help muffle the barking.
While we all love our dogs so very much, we could do without their loud barking. Especially when there’s a sleeping baby or if you live in an apartment where neighbors can complain. I’m sure most dog owners know what it’s like to get complaints about their dogs barking.
Luckily, we have some tips to quiet things down. We will start off by going over some of the best ways to get your room airtight to muffle the dog barking and go over some decor tips that can help. Then we will talk about how to teach your dog to stop barking unnecessarily. If you just focus on muffling the barking, you’re just putting a bandaid on the issue.
Using Home Decor to Muffle Dog Barking
The good news is that when trying to muffle dog barking, you don’t need to purchase a bunch of ugly devices, you can use beautiful home decor to soften the sound of the bark. Here are a few home decor ideas that will help keep the noise down.
Try Hanging Thick Curtains and Putting Down Carpet
Curtains are dual purpose. One of the biggest reasons dogs bark is because of things they see outside through the windows. Control your dog’s access to view outside so they can’t continuously look for something to bark at. Cushions and fabrics also absorb noises. Look for a thick and heavy material to work best. Your house will be chic and quieter.
Carpeting is the best for absorbing sounds. This is especially helpful if you live in an apartment that is not on the first floor. Your neighbors below will thank you. They won’t be able to hear most bouncing or barking. If your landlord will not let you carpet the floors, buy some thick area rugs instead. Put a thick rug pad under the rugs for extra noise reduction.
Canvas Paintings
Canvas works wonders for muffling sounds. Plus, nowadays, you can find just about any picture or painting you want on canvas. To make this even more effective, put noise-reducing foam between the canvas and your wall. Any foam, or even bubble wrap, will work as alternatives.
Bookcases
Bookcases are handy furnishings for decreasing noise. They’re up against walls and thick. While a floor to ceiling bookcase will work best, we know that is not always feasible. So any sized bookcase will help to some degree. Find one you like and fill it with your dog’s favorite books and magazines. Your dog will be happy to have their favorite reading materials, and your neighbors will be happy to not hear the barking.
Acoustic Panels
Acoustic panels are long rectangular panels that hang on your walls. They are usually made from wood or fabric. They work by preventing noises from penetrating walls. They don’t even have to be an eyesore! You can buy panels of any color, or even ones with paintings on them so they just look like decorations.
Make Sure Your House is as Airtight as Possible
Draft Stoppers
If there’s a draft in your house, it means air is getting in and out, and so is noise. Consider investing in a draft stopper. Draft stoppers are cushioning that slides under a door or window to prevent air from getting through. They work wonders, and you can find one in any color or pattern to go with the rest of your house. Not only will they keep your dog’s bark from leaving your house, but they’ll also cut your heating and A/C bills since your house will be better insulated.
Window Inserts
Just like the draft stoppers, these will help airtight your windows. Most inserts are acrylic panes that go in the window frames in front of the windows. You can find ones that are easy to install yourself or get higher-quality inserts and have them professionally installed. These are actually more effective at reducing noise than draft stoppers; however, they are not budget-friendly. Your neighbors will thank you, though!
If Worst Comes to Worst….
You can have a company come and soundproof your house for you. You don’t have to hear the neighbor’s dog bark all day, and they won’t have to listen to yours. If you’re the one with the noisy dog, soundproofing your house will give your dog less to bark at too. Then even you don’t have to listen to it! These companies are not cheap, costing over $1,000 for a room, but they are the best to effectively muffle dog barking.
Sound Proofing The Crate
Many dogs are perfectly behaved outside the crate, but the second you put them in, you’ll hear non-stop barking. If your dog is a crate barker, your main goal should be to properly crate train them. But in the meantime, you’re probably wondering how to muffle the sound coming from the crate.
Luckily, soundproofing a dog’s crate is simple. Here are two simple ways to keep the noise level in the crate to a minimum.
Soundproof Crate Covers
If you head over to Amazon and type in “soundproof crate cover,” you’ll get hundreds of results. We have tested quite a few, and they all work really well. The best part about these covers is they’re cheap (you should never pay more than $35), and easy to use.
Another added benefit is that it keeps the crate dark and prevents your dog from seeing what’s around him. Remember, dogs are naturally den animals, so replicating that “den feel” will make them feel secure.
Absorption Sheets
Although soundproof crate covers are cheap, if you’re looking to save even more money, you can go with absorption sheets. Although they don’t work as well as soundproof covers, they’ll still do a great job minimizing the noise coming from the crate.
Fixing The Barking Problem
Those that are looking to muffle the sound of dog barking typically have a dog that excessively barks. If that’s the case, your goal shouldn’t be to just muffle the barking, but to get the barking problem under control. Here are a few ways to keep your dog from excessive barking.
Dog Silencer Devices to Stop Barking
Dog silencers are a humane and handsfree way to quiet those talkative pups. These devices can be used anywhere and work on all dogs inside and outside. The silencers identify dog barking and, in response, put out a high-frequency sound only dogs can hear.
So you won’t have to worry about upsetting anyone with it. The noises are high pitched enough to annoy dogs but will not damage their ears. When the dog stops barking, the device will turn off the noise. Dogs will learn to associate barking with the irritating high pitch. They should stop barking all together in a couple weeks.
Teach Them “Speak” and “Quiet”
First and foremost, don’t yell at your dog for barking. To them, it sounds like you’re joining in on the fun. It seems backward, but to teach your dog to be quiet on command, you need to teach them to bark on command first.
- When your dog starts to bark at something, say “speak.”
- When your dog continues to bark, give them a treat.
- Repeat until your dog barks on command without a stimulus.
- Once your dog knows “speak,” tell him to speak and then say “quiet.”
- As soon as he stops barking, give him a treat.
- Repeat until they know what “quiet” means.
After your dog knows these two commands, practice using them independently of each other. Soon, once your dog is barking without you asking to, you should be able to say “quiet,” and the barking should cease immediately.
Distract Your Dog
If your dog barks for what seems to be no reason, there is a good chance they’re just bored. Try buying some toys to keep them busy. Kong toys filled with peanut butter are great for keeping dogs engaged. Squeaky toys also work well, assuming the squeaking doesn’t bother you or the other people in your house.
If your dog is particularly destructive with toys, look for extra tough ones. Toys made from Kevlar will endure even the toughest of dogs! If you don’t think any of those will suit your dog, look specifically for treat-dispensing toys. There is a variety of hard rubber or plastic toys you can fill with treats to keep your chatty dog quietly occupied for hours.
Use Classical Music
Study after study has shown that classical music has a calming effect on dogs. Although not all researchers agree on why, there’s no denying the results. One of the most interesting studies done on this topic was performed by Colorado State University.
They went to a kennel and played various genres of music for the dogs. The results showed that heavy metal made the dogs more nervous and anxious. In contrast, classical music kept the dogs silent for an extended period of time.
This doesn’t work on every dog, but if you have a dog that non-stop barks, give classical music a try.
Remember – Dogs Will Be Dogs
You’ll never stop your dog from barking. That’s just something you have to accept when you choose to become a dog owner. If someone isn’t ok with a dog barking every once in a while, they shouldn’t own a dog.
With that said, if the barking is excessive, dog training must take place. For your own sanity, while the training is going on, it’s a good idea to use the information you learned in this article to muffle the sound of dog barking. Cutting down the noise, even a tiny bit, can make a huge difference!
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