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2. Yelling/ Swatting at the dog or Positive Punishment

What it Requires

Yelling and/ or swatting the dog is often a common way people try to get their dogs to stop barking. The idea behind it is to discourage the behavior enough so that the dog doesn’t bark. You shout at your dog every time he barks or use a rolled up newspaper and swat his rear end every time he barks. Other forms of this can be grabbing your dog’s muzzle and clamping his mouth shut and telling him no!

When it is Useful

Yelling at or swatting your dog is only useful if you want him to be afraid of you. In other words, it’s unlikely it is useful. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association yelling and hitting your dog is abusive.

Effectiveness

Yelling and/ or swatting the dog is what is called “Positive punishment” by behaviorists according to Real Science. It does have a temporary effect, that is, causing your dog to stop what he is doing at that moment. Because it is a very nonspecific correction and only teaches the dog to not do that thing while you are there, it can seriously backfire on you.

Instead, it will teach your dog to not bark at a certain thing, or not bark while you are there according to Real Science. Your dog is more likely to learn you are a big nasty person who needs to be feared. It can cause all sorts of other anxiety related behaviors such as fear biting. Fear biting happens when your dog is biting at every little thing that causes fear in order to have a way to escape.

Barking is such a strong behavior in some dogs that even yelling and swatting may not have much of an effect. In fact, your dog may think that you are joining him in his barking by raising your voice. Believe it or not, he can’t always tell if your yelling is directed at him or at what’s out there according to Ms. Bonham.