BARKING
Each and every time your dog barks, get up, go out, and see why the dog is barking.
If your dog is barking for a good reason (such as a stranger in the yard), you should
praise your dog and then tell it to be quiet. If the stranger is coming to see you I would
give the visitor a treat to give your dog this will prevent your dog from becoming overly
protective. If the dog is barking because there is a squirrel up the tree, or something
similar, tell the dog to be quiet and immediately go back into the house. Bring the dog
with you and make him lie down next to you for 5 minutes. You will have to repeat this
every time the dog barks. Pretty soon, in a week or so depending on the dog, the dog will
only bark for a good reason.
You must reinforce not barking. If you have seen the dog choose not to bark, go play
with him. Jack pot quiet behavior with something he likes. The dog may still bark at the
squirrel, but not continually. Instead, one or two good barks to scare the squirrel, and then
it considers its duty done. At the same time, you have not dampened your dog’s ability to
bark when there is something wrong. Take a neighbor's complaint seriously, even if it is
unwarranted. More neighbor disputes arise over barking dogs than anything else. Dogs
have been injured or killed by neighbors desperate for a good night’s sleep. There is some
evidence that barking is an inherited trait: if the parents bark a lot, chances are their
puppies will too. Also, certain breeds love to bark!
One method that helps alleviate barking is to give your dog permission to bark.
Teach him to "speak" -- let him "speak" when appropriate (say, when you're playing in
the park). Then "quiet". You can put a bit of peanut butter into the dog's mouth and he
will have to stop barking to lick the peanut butter off the roof of his mouth.