It’s completely obnoxious when your dog won’t stop barking when you’re preparing food for them or yourself, but what are you supposed to do about it? Why do they do this and other related behaviors, like barking at their food before they eat? Will your dog grow out of demand barking behaviors like this, or is there something you need to do?

Today, we’re going to fill you in on what’s going on with your dog barking during food preparation, and most importantly, we’ll tell you how to stop your dog from barking when preparing food (regardless of who it’s for). So without further ado, let’s get to our article “How to Stop Dog Barking When Preparing Food!”

How to Stop Your Dog From Barking When Preparing Food

To stop your dog from barking when preparing food, you can begin making progress by using a “quiet” command. The next time your dog barks when you’re preparing food, give the command calmly but firmly. If they continue, take them to a timeout in another room or in their crate. Ignore them and keep them in there while you finish food prep.

This should help you make progress by showing them that barking while you’re preparing food will not get their way, but you’ll still have a lot of work to do. You must address their belief that they can bark and get food (or whatever it is that they want).

At the moment, your dog displaying this type of behavior clearly shows that they think that they are the one in charge of your household.

We mentioned earlier that dogs are pack animals, and that in every pack there is a pack leader. Your dog barks because they believe they are the pack leader, meaning they get the first choice of food, along with whatever else they want. Allowing this to continue will make other, even more significant problems develop so you must start handling things right away.

But by showing your dog that you are their pack leader, and a capable and effective one at that, you’ll stop them from barking when you prepare food, and at all other unwanted times too. In addition, you’ll end the many other related behavioral issues you’re likely having — or will be soon. Sounds great, right?

“Yes, and I would love to stop all of this, but how do I do that?”

I’d recommend an excellent free video series that’s on being an effective pack leader by a renowned trainer named Dan which will show you everything you need to know. In it, he explains everything in ways that are very easy to understand and teach to your own dog, and he gets right to the point so that you’ll start seeing results in no time.

Start watching Dan’s free training series now by clicking here. And don’t worry, because you won’t achieve all of this through yelling or being cruel — Dan only uses 100% humane and loving methods at all times. Not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because it’s the only way to get fast, permanent results.

Why Does My Dog Bark at Me When I Make His Food?

Your dog barks at you when you make his food for a few possible reasons. One reason is just that they are excited about the upcoming meal, and they don’t know how to handle the anticipation. Many dogs get to salivating so much before meals that they’ll display this through excited barking.

It’s also very likely that your dog is engaging in demand barking. This is essentially when dogs have learned that barking will get them the things that they want. You’ve inadvertently trained them to do this by giving into their misbehavior. To correct this, you’ll need to use behavioral training or things will only get worse (we went over that in the first section of this article).

If you allow your dog to bark while preparing his food, they’ll quickly decide that you’re saying it’s okay and it will spread to other times as well. Soon, your dog will be barking when you eat, barking when playing with other dogs, barking for their ball, and more — all without listening when you tell them to stop.

Why Does My Dog Bark at Me When I Make Our Food?

Your barks at you when you make your food for many of the same reasons that they bark when you make their food. The first possibility is just that they’re excited because you’ve gotten them used to eating the same food as you, and they’re looking forward to having some of your scraps.

The second is again that your dog is engaging in demand barking, which is a dominant and aggressive behavior. Dogs are pack animals, having descended from wolves, and when your dog barks while you’re preparing your food, they are essentially demanding that they eat first because they feel like they’re the pack leader.

In a pack, the leader gets the first choice of food and also the best and largest amounts. Since your dog thinks they’re in charge, they bark because they’re demanding you give them what they think is their right to have. You must quit indulging this immediately, and begin behavioral training. Left unchecked, your dog will only become more aggressive — at all times.

Go back to the first section of this article where we’ll explain how you can do that.

Why Does My Dog Bark at His Food Before He Eats It?

Your dog barks at his food before he eats it likely due to fear or anxiety. Dogs are creatures of routine and habit, and any little change can make them very uneasy — particularly when it comes to their food.

Have you changed their bowl or the type of food they’re having?

Your dog is likely just feeling uneasy with the change and reacting in the only way they currently know how, which is to bark. Once they get over the confusion this change has caused, they should stop barking at their food before eating. You should still continue to the last section where we’ll go over how to stop your dog from barking at every little thing that bothers them, however.

Will My Dog Grow Out of Demand Barking?

Your dog will not grow out of demand barking because it is behavioral and not age-related. By giving in to your dog barking whenever they want something, you’ve inadvertently trained them that this is a great way to get the things that they want.

You’ll need to use training to stop this, which we talked about in the first section.

I’m sure you’re eager to stop your dog from barking while you make food, so I’ll let you get started on things now. Good luck with everything, and thank you for reading this article “How to Stop Dog Barking When Preparing Food.”