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Your dog is barking and your neighbor has given you an ultimatum. Or maybe you’ve received notice from animal control. At this stage, you’re at wit’s end on how you should handle your dog’s incessant barking.

The good news is that there are ways to reduce, if not eliminate, your dog’s barking. The bad news is that while there might be quick fixes, they are harsh and can be dangerous or cruel to the dog. The good news is that there are kind methods for dealing with barking that will work. Let’s look at them all.

1. Muzzle

What it Requires

Muzzling requires a muzzle made to fit over the dog’s nose and mouth, preventing him from opening his mouth to bark. There are two types of muzzles: a cage-type muzzle that allows a dog to breathe and open his mouth and a muzzle that keeps the dog’s mouth closed so that a veterinarian or other person can easily work on the dog without getting bitten.

Both are not made to prevent barking but have been used to try to prevent barking in the past. The theory is that a dog can’t open his mouth and therefore can’t bark.

When it is Useful

Muzzles are used normally to prevent a dog from biting. Veterinarians and animal control often use muzzles on frightened or injured pets to avoid getting bitten while moving them or while performing certain procedures. Muzzles are generally not used in controlling barking.

Effectiveness

The muzzle method is definitely out, although people have used muzzles to try to keep their dogs quiet. The problem with a muzzle is that your dog can still vocalize (whine, cry), can’t eat or drink, and can easily overheat while wearing a muzzle according to Margaret H. Bonham, author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Dog Health and Nutrition. According to Ms. Bonham dogs have been severely injured or killed wearing a muzzle longer than the intent.

What’s more, leaving a muzzle on a dog is cruel. It may be tempting to use at first, but it isn’t a good solution. Plus once the muzzle is off, your dog can bark again.

You’re likely to have a frightened dog rather than one who is quiet. You should not leave the muzzle on long, nor should you leave a dog wearing a muzzle unattended as he could get injured easily. So, this method doesn’t work and is dangerous. You should not use this method at any time to stop barking.