It’s so obnoxious and confusing! Every single time they see them, your dog barks at centipedes! Why do they do this? And what will happen if they attack one? Can a dog eat a centipede? What happens if dogs eat centipedes? Are dogs afraid of centipedes?

Today, we’re going to answer every question you have about this strange issue. And of course, we’ll cover what you’re most interested in: how to stop your dog barking at centipedes. Soon, this frustration will all be behind you once and for all. Keep reading below for our article “Dog Barks at Centipedes? Here’s How to Stop It!”

How to Stop Dog Barking at Centipedes

To stop dog barking at centipedes, you’ll need to get them to learn to be quiet on command. To accomplish this, bring your dog to a place that you know they’ll want to bark (such as the dog park), with plenty of treats for them. Keep them on their leash and stay a good distance away from everyone else at the park.

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

Place your hand next to your dog’s nose. Even inside of your first, your dog will still be able to smell the treat and will stop barking so they can investigate it. Once they’ve become silent and are also giving you their attention, again give them the “quiet” command and open your hand to reward them with a treat and praise.

If your dog keeps being quiet, continue to reward them with praise and a treat. But if they resume barking, regardless of whether it’s at you or something at the park, repeat the steps of hiding a treat inside of your hand, putting it by their nose, and then pausing until they’ve gotten quiet.

Make sure that you’re waiting until your dog has become silent before giving them any rewards. This helps form a positive connection for your dog with giving you their attention and becoming silent whenever you say “quiet.” Give them praise and treats right away when your dog is responding how they should.

With time, consistency, and repetition, your dog will become silent just by you giving the command, and placing your hand by their mouth will no longer be needed. You should then begin lengthening the amount of time before you give them their rewards. Start with just a couple of seconds, then increase that to 5 seconds, and so on.

It won’t be long before the food rewards and praise won’t be necessary and you can get your dog to stop barking at centipedes or at anything else just by giving them the “quiet” command.

This should help your dog to stop barking at centipedes, but you’ll still need to address their disobedience which was caused by their underlying issues with dominance (which is why they’re ignoring your commands). A failure to do so will just lead to your dog continuing to think that they run the show, and their problem will just start showing itself in even worse ways.

But before we can do that, we must first talk about what makes dogs function and has for thousands and thousands of years now. I’m sure you’ve heard before that dogs are pack animals, and that in every pack there is a pack leader.

But when your dog barks at centipedes and refuses to stop, they are definitively proving to you that they have no respect for you as the head of the family pack.

If they did, they wouldn’t be barking at centipedes and ignoring you. They wouldn’t display any other types of dominance-related disrespect or misbehavior. And they would obey your commands at all times — happily — and they would do so immediately.

Make it clear to your dog that you are not just their pack leader, but a capable one worthy of respect, and you’ll make all of these great transformations your reality.

Obviously, you’ll win. But your dog will be the even bigger winner here because you’ll have freed them from all of the worry and confusion that their dominance problems are currently burdening them with 24/7.

That sounds wonderful, doesn’t it?

“Yeah, of course, but how do I actually do this?”

You should watch an incredibly useful free video series which is on this exact subject — how to be your dog’s pack leader — by a renowned trainer named Dan. In the series, he explains everything in ways that are very easy to follow and teach to your own dog, and he gets immediately to the point so that you can start seeing these crucial changes in your dog in no time.

Start watching Dan’s free training series now by clicking here. And don’t stress, because no, you’re not going to have to be mean or yell at your dog. Dan uses only 100% humane and loving teaching methods at all times. Not just because they’re the right thing to do, but also because they’re the fastest way to achieve permanent changes in your dog’s behavior.

Can a Dog Eat a Centipede?

Dogs can eat a centipede. Most dogs won’t be affected at all, though they may have a little discomfort if the centipede bites them when being eaten. It’s not uncommon for dogs to eat centipedes, so you don’t need to worry if your dog has eaten one.

But if your dog is eating centipedes or barking at them, and just generally bothering them while ignoring your commands to stop, you have a potentially serious behavioral issue on your hands. This is a clear display from your dog that they don’t respect your leadership, which is why they feel free to ignore what you tell them.

While in this case it won’t harm them, it could cause you problems in the future. Your dog may eat or provoke something that could cause them harm. And if this problem is allowed to go on, you tacitly give them the idea that it’s okay, and it might escalate to the point that they’re getting aggressive with your neighbors or acting dominant towards other dogs.

Even if it stays as merely a barking issue, that could be very frustrating and annoying for you and others. They may soon be barking at practically everything they encounter. You’ll find your dog is barking at flies, barking at caterpillars, and maybe even barking at butterflies. Putting them outside might become the most stressful part of your day.

Obviously, you don’t want that, so it’s important that you get a handle on this problem your dog has right away. To learn how to stop your dog from barking at centipedes while also addressing their issues with dominance, go back to the first section now where we’ll give you the exact steps you need to be following.

What Happens if Dogs Eats Centipedes?

If your dog eats a centipede, they should be fine. It’s possible that the centipede will bite them before dying, so your dog may have some discomfort for a bit while they’re dealing with that. Only a few types of centipedes are poisonous to dogs (Scolopendra Cingulata, Scolopendra Cataracta, and Giant Scolopendridae) and none are found in North America.

While it’s very unlikely your dog will encounter a centipede that could cause them real harm, it’s still best to keep them away. This will teach them not to eat or bother other animals that might actually pose real harm to your four-legged friend. Go back to the first section now for help on getting your dog to follow your commands.

Are Dogs Afraid of Centipedes?

Dogs will be afraid of centipedes depending on their own individual temperament. Many dogs will be curious and will want to bark at a centipede or even eat one, while others may be scared and will want to stay away. Certain breeds will be braver towards centipedes, but even in this case it is going to come down to your dog’s own individual level of curiosity and courage.

It’s best, however, to keep your dog away from centipedes. Though very few can cause real harm to your dog (other than a small bite if eaten), this will teach your dog to listen to you so that if they ever do encounter something which could actually be harmful, you’ll be able to get them away from it.

I’m sure you’re ready to put your dog outside without them barking at a centipede, so I’ll let you get going on things now. Good luck, and thank you for reading our article “Dog Barks at Centipedes? Here’s How to Stop It!.”