Dog Barks at Toaster? Here’s How to Stop It!
You’re just trying to make yourself some breakfast, but every single time you do your dog barks at the toaster! What in the world is going on when they do this? Why do dogs bark at toasters? Is it the noise? Is your toaster too loud for your dog? And what if they actually enjoy it? Why does your dog like the toaster?
Today, we’re going to answer every question you have about this confusing and frustrating issue. And of course, we’ll go over what you’re most interested in: how to stop your dog barking at the toaster. Very soon, this will all be a thing of the past for you. Keep reading below for our article “Dog Barks at Toaster? Here’s How to Stop It!”
How to Stop Dog Barking at Toaster
To stop dog barking at toaster:
To stop your dog barking at the toaster, they need to learn to become quiet on command. To make this happen, take your dog somewhere you know that they like to bark such as the park, with lots of small dog treats. Keep them on their leash and stay far away from the other people and animals there.
As soon as your dog starts to bark, say “quiet” in a calm and positive voice. If they give you their attention, then reward them with praise and a small treat right away. But if they quickly start up barking again or never even stop, then you should put a treat in your fist.
Put your hand right next to your dog’s nose. Your dog will still be able to smell the treat even inside of your hand and will quit their barking to investigate it. Once they’ve gotten silent and are also paying attention to you, again give the “quiet” command and then open your hand to reward them with a treat and praise.
If your dog continues being silent, keep rewarding them with a treat and praise. But if they start to bark again, regardless of whether it’s at you or at someone at the park, repeat the steps of putting a treat in your first, placing it next to their nose, and then waiting until they’ve gotten silent.
Make sure that you’re waiting until your dog has gotten silent before you give them their rewards. This forms a positive connection with your dog with giving you their attention and staying silent whenever you say “quiet.” Reward them right away with treats and praise when your dog is responding well.
With repetition, time, and consistency, your dog will become quiet just by you giving them the command, and it won’t be necessary to place your hand next to their mouth. You should then begin lengthening the amount of time before you reward them. Start with just a couple of seconds, then move that up to 5 seconds, and so on.
It won’t be long until the praise and food rewards won’t be needed and you can get your dog to quit barking at the toaster or at anything else simply by giving the “quiet” command.
Still, to make real, long-lasting progress you need to ultimately address the problem at its root. Right now, your dog is basically doing whatever they want, losing control of their emotions, and most importantly: not listening to you or your commands to stop an unwanted behavior (barking at your toaster).
For us to go over that, we must first discuss what makes dogs function and has for thousands and thousands of years now. You’ve likely heard before that all dogs are pack animals, and that in every pack there is a pack leader.
But when your dog barks at the toaster, they are clearly proving to you that they don’t respect you as the head of the family pack.
If they did, they wouldn’t bark at the toaster and then ignore you when you try to get them to stop. They wouldn’t engage in any other types of anxiety-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 who must be respected, and you’ll make all of these terrific changes a reality.
Obviously, you’ll be better off. But your dog will be too because you’ll have freed them from all of the worry and confusion that their anxiety issues are currently placing on them every single second of every single day.
Sounds like a great thing, right?
“Yes, definitely, but how am I supposed to do this?”
You should watch a tremendous free video series by a renowned trainer named Dan which is on this exact subject: how to be your dog’s pack leader. In Dan’s series, he explains all you’ll need to know in ways that are very easy to understand and teach to your own dog, and he gets immediately to the point so that you can start seeing these important changes in your dog before things get any worse.
Start watching Dan’s free training series now by clicking here. And don’t stress, because no, you’re not going to have to yell or be mean to 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.
Why Do Dogs Bark at Toasters?
Dogs bark at toasters because the loud, sudden sounds they make when they’re done scare them and cause them anxiety. This makes them see them as a threat, and many dogs will then choose to respond by attempting to scare off this frightening thing by barking at it.
And while it may seem like something minor or even humorous, if your dog barks at the toaster and ignores you when you tell them to stop, then you have a potentially serious behavioral issue on your hands. If not addressed right away, you give your dog tacit approval to respond like this to whatever confuses them or makes them anxious, and to refuse your commands.
This will lead to their disobedience and disrespect growing and escalating, and you’ll soon see them barking at and possibly even attacking all sorts of things around your home. Your dog will be barking at the blender, barking at the hair dryer, barking at the microwave, and possibly even barking at the ironing board.
You can obviously see how this would get incredibly obnoxious very fast, so it’s important that you get started on handling this issue right away before things get any worse. To learn how to stop your dog from barking at the toaster while also regaining their respect for your role in the home, go back to the first section now.
Is My Toaster Too Loud for My Dog?
Your toaster is not too loud for your dog. While they may find the noisy, sudden sound frightening, it is nowhere near enough to cause them actual pain or hearing damage. A toaster produces about 80 decibels when popping, but it takes 140 decibels to cause actual lasting harm or hearing loss for your dog.
Why Does My Dog Like the Toaster?
Your dog likes the toaster because they associate it with food. Some dogs may even find the sudden popping fun and exciting. But if you regularly share food with your dog, especially that which comes from the toaster, it’s no surprise that they’ve made positive associations with the appliance.
While it may be a bit annoying if they’re hovering around you whenever you’re toasting something, it’s better than the alternative. Many dogs are afraid of toasters and require training time to help them to get over their fears. Just be sure to keep your dog in another room if they’re being a bother so that you can enjoy your breakfast in peace.
I’m sure you’re looking forward to making breakfast without your dog going nuts, so I’ll let you get started now. Good luck, and we hope you found our article “Dog Barks at Toaster? Here’s How to Stop It” helpful!