It’s just so obnoxious: every single time they go in the kitchen, your dog barks at the refrigerator! What in the world makes them do this? Why do dogs bark at refrigerators? Are dogs safe around refrigerators? Can you just wait for them to age out of it? Will your dog grow out of barking at the fridge?

Worry and wonder no longer, because today we’re going to answer all of these questions for you. We’ll also, of course, teach you exactly how to stop your dog barking at the refrigerator once and for all. Soon, this will all be a thing of the past. Continue reading below for our article “Dog Barking at Refrigerator? Here’s How to Stop It!”

How to Stop Dog Barking at the Fridge

To stop your dog barking at the fridge, they need to learn to become quiet when instructed. To do so, take your dog somewhere you know that they like to bark like the park, with lots of small dog treats. Leave them on their leash and stay a good distance away from the other people and animals that are there.

When your dog starts barking, say “quiet” in a calm and positive voice. If they pay attention to you, then reward them right away with a small treat and praise. But if they quickly start barking again or never even stop, then you should place a treat inside of your fist.

Put your hand very close to your dog’s nose. Your dog will still be able to smell the treat even inside of your fist and will quit their barking to investigate the scent. Once they’ve become silent and are also giving you their full attention, again give the “quiet” command and then open your hand to reward them with a treat and praise.

If your dog keeps staying silent, keep rewarding them with praise and a treat. But if they resume barking again, regardless of whether it’s at something at the park or at you, repeat the steps of placing a treat in your fist, putting it right by their nose, and then pausing until they’ve quieted.

Make sure that you’re pausing until your dog has become silent before you reward them. This helps create a positive connection for your dog with paying attention and staying silent any time you say “quiet.” Reward them with praise and treats right away when your dog is responding well.

With patience, repetition, and time, your dog will become silent solely by you giving the command, and you will no longer need to put your hand by their mouth. You should then begin lengthening the duration of time before you give them their rewards. Start with just 1 to 2 seconds, then increase that to 5 seconds, and so on.

It won’t be long before the food rewards and praise won’t be needed anymore and your dog will quit barking at the refrigerator or at anything else simply by giving the “quiet” command.

But while these steps will get your dog to stop barking at the refrigerator, you need to remember that the underlying behavioral issues (anxiety, demand barking) that were causing all of this to begin with will still be present. And until you address those, any positive changes you see are only going to be temporary.

“Well, how do I make these changes last then?”

By getting your dog to truly choose to follow your direction, that’s how. I tried many times to write out how you can do that before deciding it made more sense to just link you to the free video series that explains it better than I’d ever be able to.

The series is by a man named Dan who is one of the world’s leading dog obedience trainers. In it, he teaches you how to put an end to things like when your dog barks at the refrigerator and all other misbehavior using his fast and easy-to-follow methods.

In the first video, Dan will reveal to you why the two most common methods of dog training only doom you to failure. You can watch the video now by clicking here. Follow the proven system he’ll show you in his series and you’ll never have to spend another second worrying about your dog barking at the refrigerator ever again!

Why Do Dogs Bark at Refrigerators?

Dogs bark at refrigerators either because something about it (such as the slight noise some make) causes them to feel anxious and uneasy prompting them to bark, or because of demand barking (they feel dominant, and are demanding you give them the food they know is inside).

In either case, the real problem occurs when your dog is barking at the refrigerator and then ignoring you when they’re told to stop. You’d most commonly see this with demand barking, as they’ve already proven themselves to feel dominant over you, so it’s no surprise that they would not feel the need to listen to your commands.

If you’re seeing this type of disobedience from your dog, you already have reason to begin handling things, but dominance and anxiety are also both in need of treatment. Doing nothing will only make your dog’s problems worse, and you’ll soon see that their behavioral problems spread and get worse.

Before long, your dog will be misbehaving in other ways. How exactly will depend on whether their problem is rooted in anxiety, dominance, or both. But you could expect things like your dog barking at the television, barking for their ball, barking to demand breakfast, and many more obnoxious behaviors.

To learn how to stop your dog barking at the refrigerator, while also addressing the root cause of the problem (whether it’s anxiety or dominance), go back to the first section now where we’ll teach you exactly what to do.

Are Dogs Safe Around Refrigerators?

Dogs are safe around refrigerators generally, but in rare cases, you may need to make some changes. Particularly smart, creative dogs have been known to find ways to open the fridge on their own, which could lead to them eating foods that are not safe for dogs (though it poses more danger to your wallet in the form of ruined groceries).

You could consider them unsafe in the sense that occasionally dogs will be frightened by refrigerators, but in those cases, the best course of action is to address their fear and anxiety. A dog who is that easily scared is likely experiencing extreme worry pretty much every second of every day.

These types of dogs typically are not feeling that you are a leader within the home who can keep them and everyone else safe. Go back to the first section now where we’ll show you how to provide dogs like these with a comfort level that will let their minds be at ease.

Will My Dog Grow Out of Barking at the Fridge?

Your dog will not grow out of barking at the fridge because it’s not an age-related behavior. You must take action right away because if you do nothing your dog is very likely to see it as tacit approval. It will then become a learned behavior that will be even harder to correct as they get older.

Fortunately, getting your dog to stop barking at the fridge is not that difficult a process, and the steps to do so are clear. Go back to the first section now where we’ve laid everything out on how to make that happen, as well as addressing the root cause of the problem.

I’m sure you’re looking forward to a peaceful, quiet kitchen, so I’ll let you get going on things now. Good luck, and thank you for checking out our article “Dog Barking at Refrigerator? Here’s How to Stop It!”