It’s so refreshing and sweet, but it’s hard to enjoy any in peace because your dog barks when you eat watermelon every single time. What’s going on when they act like this? Why does your dog bark when you eat watermelon? Can they have any? How will watermelon affect a dog? Is watermelon toxic to dogs?

You don’t need to wonder any longer, because today we’re going to answer all of these questions. Most importantly, we’ll fill you in on exactly how to stop your dog barking when you eat watermelon. Very soon, this will all be behind you. Keep reading below for our article “My Dog Barks When I Eat Watermelon!”

How to Stop Dog Barking When I Eat Watermelon

To get your dog to stop barking when you eat watermelon, you’ll need to teach them to become quiet on command. To accomplish this, bring your dog somewhere you know that they like to bark like the park, with plenty of dog treats. Don’t take them off their leash and stay far away from the other people and animals at the park.

As soon as your dog starts barking, say “quiet” in a positive and calm voice. If they give you their focus, then reward them right away with praise and a treat. But if they quickly start up barking again or never even stop, then you should hide a treat inside your fist.

Place your hand right next to your dog’s nose. Your dog will still be able to smell the treat even inside of your fist and will stop their barking to sniff it out. 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 to stay quiet, keep rewarding them with praise and a treat. But if they resume barking again, regardless of whether it’s at you or at something at the park, repeat the steps of putting a treat in your fist, placing it right by their nose, and then waiting until they’ve become silent.

Be sure that you’re waiting until your dog has gotten quiet before you give them their rewards. This creates a positive connection with your dog with paying attention and getting silent any time you say “quiet.” Reward them immediately with treats and praise when your dog is responding well.

With patience, repetition, and time, your dog will become silent simply by you giving the command, and you won’t need to put your hand near their mouth. You should then begin increasing the amount of time before you give them their rewards. Start with just 1-2 seconds, then increase that to 5 seconds, and so on.

Soon, the food rewards and praise won’t be necessary and your dog will stop barking when you eat watermelon or any other foods and all you’ll have to do is give the “quiet” command.

This will get your dog to quit barking when you’re eating watermelon, but it’s important to remember that the issues which were causing all of this to begin with (dominance and demand barking) will still remain. And you definitely need to address those, because not doing so means that your dog will continue to suffer, act up, and misbehave in other ways.

Demand barking is related to dominance, and means that your dog has learned that if they just bark at you enough, you’ll eventually give in and let them have what they want. But this only serves to make them even more convinced that they are the leader of the home.

For us to properly cover how to handle these, we must first discuss what makes dogs tick and has for thousands and thousands of years now. You’ve likely heard before that dogs are pack animals, and that in every pack there is a pack leader.

But every time that your dog barks when you eat watermelon, they are definitively proving to you that they don’t trust you as the head of the family pack.

If they did, they wouldn’t bark when you’re eating watermelon and then refuse to stop. They wouldn’t display any other types of dominance-related misbehavior or disrespect. And they would immediately obey your commands at all times, and they would do so happily.

Show your dog that you are not just their pack leader, but a deserving and capable one who they must respect, and you’ll make all of these terrific things a reality.

You’ll win for obvious reasons. But your dog will be the real winner here because you’ll have freed them from all of the confusion and worry that their dominance issues are currently placing on their little shoulders every moment of every day.

That sounds great, don’t you agree?

“Yes, absolutely, but how do I do this?”

You should watch an excellent free video series by a renowned trainer named Dan which is on this very subject: how to be your dog’s pack leader. In Dan’s series, he explains everything 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 crucial changes in your dog before things escalate any further.

Start watching Dan’s free training series now by clicking here. And don’t worry, because no, you’re not going to have to be mean or yell at your dog. Dan never uses those types of methods. Not just because loving teaching techniques are the right thing to do, but also because they’re the fastest way to achieve permanent changes in your dog’s behavior.

Why Does My Dog Bark When I Eat Watermelon?

Your dog barks when you eat watermelon because they see you enjoying it, and they want some too. When they do this and won’t stop, it is known as demand barking. This is a trait found in dominant dogs and means that they’ve learned that if they just bark enough, you’ll give them whatever they want.

Giving in when they’re acting like this has only reinforced their beliefs that they are the one in charge. Every day that you keep relenting to their demands will only make the problem harder to correct. It will also show itself more frequently, and with more aggression behind it.

You’re essentially creating a little monster by giving in to your dog’s demands for food and other things. I’m sure your dog is probably barking when you eat blueberries, barking when you eat bananas, barking when you eat peaches, and barking when you eat lemons (though they probably regretted it this particular time).

Since they feel dominant, your dog will often bark not just to get some food, but also to assert their place over you on the family hierarchy. Fortunately, though you may have built up these beliefs in your dog over a period of months or years, it will not take nearly that long to correct.

To learn how to stop your dog barking when you eat watermelon or anything else, while also reinstating yourself as their leader (not the other way around), go back to the first section now.

How Will Watermelon Affect a Dog?

Your dog will not be affected if they eat watermelon as long as they don’t eat too much. Watermelon is safe for them to have and is loaded with healthy nutrients like potassium, vitamin C, vitamin A, and vitamin B6. Just be sure to give it to them in small quantities, as overeating watermelon can cause dogs to have an upset stomach, constipation, or diarrhea.

Be sure to remove the watermelon’s rind and seeds before giving it to your dog. The rind (the hard, green outer skin) can cause gastrointestinal problems resulting in diarrhea or vomiting. Eating a few seeds won’t be a problem, but if your dog ingests them in higher quantities they could cause an intestinal blockage.

Is Watermelon Toxic to Dogs?

Watermelon is not toxic to dogs. It’s actually quite healthy for them, as it’s high in vitamins A, C, and B6, as well as potassium. Just make sure to remove the rinds and seeds, which can both cause health issues. You should also not give watermelon to your dog in large amounts, as it can upset their stomach resulting in diarrhea or constipation.

I’m sure you’re looking forward to eating watermelon without being bothered, so I’ll let you get started on things now. Best of luck with everything, and thank you for reading our article “My Dog Barks When I Eat Watermelon.”