Every time an airplane flies past your house your dog goes crazy. Why does your dog bark at airplanes? What exactly is going through their head? And why does your dog chase airplanes? Do they really think they can catch them? Should you use a bark collar if your dog is barking at planes, or is that a bad idea?

Today, we’re going to answer all of the questions you have about this loud and frustrating problem. And, obviously, we’ll cover what you’re most interested in: how to stop your dog barking at airplanes once and for all! It won’t be long before this is all a thing of the past. Keep reading below for our article “How to Stop My Dog Barking at Planes!”

How Do I Stop My Dog Barking at Airplanes?

To stop your dog barking at airplanes:

1. If possible, take them somewhere near the airport where there will frequently be planes flying overhead.
2. If this isn’t possible, then go somewhere else you know they like to bark, like the park.
3. Bring along plenty of treats and keep your dog on their leash.
4. Plan on keeping things short. Short, frequent training sessions are more effective than single long ones, and will also be less stressful for your dog.
5. Teach them the “quiet” command using the steps that follow.
6. If your dog starts barking at planes (or anything else), say “quiet” in a positive, calm voice.
7. If they respond, then give them praise and a treat right away.
8. But if they keep barking or quickly start back up again, then hide a treat within your fist.
9. Place your fist very close to your dog’s mouth. They’ll be able to smell the treat even inside of your hand and should quit barking so they can investigate the scent.
10. Again say “quiet” and pause until your dog is silent and paying you their complete attention. Once they are, immediately praise them and give them a treat.
11. Continue to give praise and treats as long as your dog keeps quiet and pays attention.
12. But if they start barking or not paying attention again, repeat the process of giving the command, hiding a treat in your fist, putting it next to their nose, and pausing until you get their silence and attention.
13. Make sure that you’re always waiting until they’ve gotten quiet and given you their attention before you reward them with any treats and praise.
14. This forms a positive connection for your dog with staying quiet and paying attention to you.
15. Once your dog is consistently responding to the verbal command, you no longer need to put your hand near their mouth.
16. You can then start increasing the length of time you wait before rewarding your dog. Start by waiting for two seconds, then increase that to five, and so on.
17. You soon won’t have to give your dog the rewards either, and they will get silent and pay attention to you just by you giving the “quiet” command.
18. It’s also a good idea to keep your dog exercised. Make sure they’re getting frequent long walks and plenty of attention. A tired dog is generally a quiet one too.

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

To properly address that, we must first discuss what makes dogs function 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 at airplanes, they are without a doubt telling you that they don’t respect you as the head of the family pack.

If they did, they wouldn’t bark at airplanes. They wouldn’t engage in any other types of dominance or anxiety-related disrespect or misbehavior. And they would obey your commands at all times — happily — and they would do so immediately.

Show your dog that you are not just their pack leader, but a capable one worthy of respect, and you’ll make all of these terrific transformations your reality.

You’ll win for obvious reasons. But your dog will be the real winner here because they’ll no longer have to deal with all of the confusion and anxiety that their anxiety and dominance problems are currently saddling their little shoulders with every moment of every day.

Sounds great, does it not?

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

You should watch an excellent 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 everything in ways that are very simple to understand and teach to your own dog, and he gets immediately 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 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 Does My Dog Bark at Airplanes?

Your dog barks at airplanes because they make them very scared and anxious. Dogs have significantly better hearing than we do, so the loud noises planes can cause when they fly past are even louder for your dog. And even if the plane isn’t making any noise, they’re large and confusing.

It’s also possible your dog is barking at airplanes because they’re feeling territorial, which is rooted in dominance. This causes your dog to feel the need to protect their home, themselves, and you from this large, flying intruder. They don’t understand that barking at planes is futile and won’t do anything.

It could even be a combination of both, with your dog feeling worried about their ability to protect you from this confusing object in the sky. But regardless of the exact reason why, if your dog barks at planes and then ignores your commands to stop, you have a serious problem on your hands that needs to be addressed before things grow and escalate any further.

If they’re not already, your dog will soon be barking uncontrollably at other things they find confusing or threatening too. You’ll find your dog is barking at birds, barking at thunderstorms, barking up at the moon, barking at shadows, barking up at the sky in general… maybe even barking at trees! Clearly, you can see how this could get frustrating for both you and your neighbors very quickly.

To stop your dog from barking at airplanes and all of these related behaviors by addressing your dog’s issues at their root, go back to the first section now.

Why Does My Dog Chase Airplanes?

Your dog chases airplanes because they are feeling territorial and they think they need to protect their home from this large, flying intruder. Planes are confusing and very loud, so they seem intimidating and dangerous to dogs. But when they are a dog who feels dominant, they will see it as their duty to protect their territory and everyone within it from the planes.

This causes your dog to take action in the only way they know how: by chasing the planes and probably barking lots at them too. Obviously, we know that this doesn’t do any good, but in your dog’s mind, they get the desired result because the plane is quickly gone. To them, it’s worked, and they see that chasing airplanes away is both possible and something they should continue doing.

Should I Use a Shock Collar if My Dog Barks at Planes?

You should not use a shock collar if your dog barks at planes. Bark collars are both cruel and inhumane. They work by delivering a shock to discourage your dog’s barking, but this does absolutely nothing to address the actual cause of your dog wanting to bark at planes. You’ll also ruin their trust in you.

There are also collars available that deliver an unpleasant scent every time your dog barks. These are also cruel, and should also not be used. They still work by delivering discomfort to your dog, do nothing to address the actual root cause, and will lead to your dog not trusting you.

Continue to the next section now to learn how to handle things properly without being cruel to your dog or destroying their ability to trust you.

I’m sure you’re ready to quit listening to your dog barking their little head off, so I’ll let you get started now. Good luck, and thank you for reading our article “How to Stop My Dog Barking at Planes.”