You just want to relax and get clean, but you can’t because your dog keeps barking when you get in the shower! Why do they have to do this? Why does your dog bark when you shower? Why are dogs afraid of showers? Is it the noise? Are showers too loud for dogs?

Today, we’re going to answer all of the questions you have about this odd issue with your dog. We’ll, of course, also answer how to stop your dog barking when you get in the shower. Soon, you’ll be able to enjoy a nice wash without your dog going nuts. Keep reading below for our article “My Dog Barks When I Shower.”

How to Stop Dog Barking When I Shower

To stop your dog barking when you shower, they need to learn to become quiet on command. To do that, take your dog somewhere you know they’ll want to bark such as the park, with lots of small dog treats. Don’t take them off their leash and stay far away from the other people there.

When your dog begins to bark, say “quiet” in a calm, positive voice. If they pay attention to you, then immediately reward them with praise and a small treat. But if they quickly start barking again or never quit, then you should put a treat inside of your hand.

Put your hand right by your dog’s nose. Your dog will still be able to detect the treat even within your hand and will quit their barking to investigate the scent. Once they’ve gotten quiet and are also giving you their attention, again issue the “quiet” command and then open your hand to give them a treat and praise.

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

Make sure that you’re pausing until your dog has gotten quiet before you give them their rewards. This forms a positive connection in your dog’s mind with paying attention and getting silent whenever you say “quiet.” Reward them right away with treats and praise when your dog is doing what they should.

With practice, patience, and consistency, your dog will become quiet simply by you giving the command, and it will no longer be necessary to put your hand near 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 until the food rewards and praise won’t be necessary and you can get your dog to quit barking when you shower or at any other time and all you’ll have to do is give 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 when you take a shower).

To properly cover that, we must first talk about what makes dogs tick deep down. I’m sure you’ve 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 shower, they are clearly telling you that they have no respect for you in this leadership role.

If they did, they wouldn’t bark when you take a shower and then ignore you when you tell them to be quiet. They wouldn’t display any other types of separation anxiety-related misbehavior. And they would obey your commands at all times — immediately — and they would do so happily.

Prove to your dog that you are not just their pack leader, but a capable, deserving one who must be respected, and you’ll make all of these wonderful transformations happen.

Obviously, you’ll win. But your dog will be the even bigger winner here because you’ll have freed them from all of the confusion and worry that their separation anxiety problems are currently saddling their little shoulders with every moment of every day.

That sounds wonderful, does it not?

“Absolutely, sure, but how do I actually do this?”

You should watch an incredibly useful 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 right to the point so that you can start seeing these critical changes in your dog before things escalate any further.

Start watching Dan’s free training series now by clicking here. And no, you’re not going to have to yell or be mean to your dog. Dan uses only 100% humane and loving teaching techniques 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 Does My Dog Bark When I Shower?

Your dog barks when you shower because they’re experiencing separation anxiety, meaning that they get very stressed and worried whenever you’re not around. This includes something as close by as you being in the shower. They then relieve this anxiety and attempt to get you to come out by barking for you.

This will also be combined with dominance in some dogs. In these cases, it worries your dog to be away from you because they see it as their duty to protect you at all times. And since many dogs find rain or bathing stressful, this might be even more heightened when you are showering.

If your dog barks when you shower and just does not listen when you tell them to be quiet, then you have a disobedience problem combined with your dog’s separation anxiety and possible dominance issues. It must be taken care of right away, or you give them the idea that reacting like this is okay and your problems will only get worse.

They’ll likely grow past just barking when you leave the room or the house and will begin to tear up and destroy things to relieve their worries, while also becoming incredibly clingy. They’ll constantly whine when you leave, they’ll cry when you leave the room, and they might even attempt to jump into the shower with you.

While I’m sure you love your dog, you can probably see how this could get obnoxious fast. Even worse, your dog will be doing these things because they’re going through tremendous stress and worry. Obviously, none of these are things we want to happen.

Medications to treat separation anxiety exist, but are ineffective and come with significant unwanted side effects. These include causing the dog to have little interest in physical contact with their owner along with a loss in energy, neither of which we want, of course.

To learn how to stop your dog barking when you take a shower, while also addressing their other issues, go back to the first section now and we’ll teach you what to do.

Why Are Dogs Afraid of Showers?

Dogs are afraid of showers because they are unfamiliar and many just simply don’t enjoy being wet. It’s likely that if your dog barks when you take a shower they’re experiencing separation anxiety as well, and if they’re dominant, might also see it as their duty to protect you and “free” you from the shower.

If you bathe your dog in the shower, make sure that the water is not too hot as they have very sensitive skin. Use only shampoos made specifically for dogs, and if you’re able, get in the shower with them and give them pets and reassure them with soft, positive comments. Once they’re done, give them a small treat immediately upon exiting the shower.

The reassurance along with a quickly given treat will help your dog to form positive associations with being bathed in the shower. It will likely take a few sessions before they’re completely over their fears of the shower, but with time and patience, your dog will no longer be scared.

Are Showers Too Loud for Dogs?

Showers are not too loud for dogs. Reaching 70 decibels, showers are well within the safe range for a dog’s hearing, which will not experience immediate damage until 140 decibels. If your dog is retreating or fleeing from the shower when it is turned on, then there are other reasons, such as just finding the sound annoying or thinking they’re about to get bathed.

I’m sure you’re ready to take a shower in peace, so I’ll let you begin now. Good luck with all of this, and thank you for reading our article “My Dog Barks When I Shower.”