How do I get my dog to stop barking?

Question

The ONLY time she barks if people a) move across the street or b) come inside our house.

What's the best way to train her to stop barking on command?

Is there a way I can do this without the involvement of others? (i.e. not to have someone volunteer to continuously ring the doorbell to get my dog to start barking so I can tell her to stop?)

ANY ideas are appreciated. It'd be nice if my guests could come to a quiet and wagging dog.

Answer 1

find out wat he barks at and when he barks spray him with water...and everytime he doesnt bark at things he usually would do give him a treat

Answer 2

Here's an article on barking

Now you have a dog who comes when called (or is wearing a leash or long line without tension on it), and the dog starts to bark at something. First identify the reason for barking. This is how you preserve the dog's ability as a watchdog - you always check on the reason for the barking.

Now, call your dog. When the dog arrives, praise the dog. This will develop your dog's responsiveness to your praise, because you're going to follow the praise with another reward. This association will cause your dog to start thinking of praise as being part of other good things.

As you praise, pet your dog. This helps to reduce the dog's adrenaline rush, as well as switching the dog out of the drive that causes the barking and into a drive oriented toward you. Quickly now, give your dog another reward. Small treats carried out of view are a good way to start. Praise/pet/whip out a treat and give it. Align the treat so that the dog looks at your face when you give the treat.

The reason we're not dangling the treat in the air in the dog's sight is that we do not want the treat to be a bribe (at some point, adrenaline would feel better than food, if the dog is comparing the two!), nor do we want it to become part of the "Come" behavior. We want the dog to come whether a treat is in view or not. So keep the food out of sight until the dog arrives. You'll also be able to use words like "cookie!" "Are you hungry?" "Want to go for a walk?" as bridges to the reward, once your dog learns the meaning of these promises. Always keep your promises to your dog, or they will lose their power.

After the dog has come and you've done one praise/pet/whip out a treat and give it (or other reward, as you and your dog progress), step away from the dog again and repeat the sequence. Do this three to five times, to sustain the dog's attention on you. Now your dog's attention has been completely removed from the reason for barking. Release your dog (keep the leash or long line on, if you're using one to insure the dog will come).

If the dog goes back to barking, call the dog again! Repeat the entire process, including the three to five repetitions of "praise/pet/whip out a treat and give it" after the dog arrives to you.

After you've done the exercise a second time (remembering NOT to get impatient or angry with the dog!), release the dog again. If the dog goes back to barking, guess what? That's right! Call the dog and do the entire exercise, including the 3-5 repetitions, for a third time! You might even have to do the entire exercise seven times at first! But soon you'll notice, when the dog barks, a glance over the shoulder at you, and a fast response to your call. And you'll find yourself only having to call the dog once or twice.

You'll also see a dramatic decrease in such symptoms of high adrenaline as raised hackles. You are not only gaining control of the barking, but you are reducing the chance of your dog escalating the behavior into a bite. In the process, you aren't doing anything to hurt your dog or make the situation worse before it gets better. Your dog's training and your relationship with your dog are getting better and better.

If your dog barks at people or other dogs from the house, or on outings on leash with you, the same technique will work. Step away from the dog and call the dog's name to move with you. Remember to align the treats so that the dog makes eye contact with you when getting each one. When you have control of a dog's eyes, you have control of that dog's behavior! Expert trainer Linda Newsome developed this method of teaching focused attention.

A head halter helps interrupt the habit of barking on leash until your ability and the dog's training with the attention exercise become reliable. Then, for most dogs, you'll be able to stop using the head halter. If there is a risk of aggression, though, keep using the head halter for the protection of others. Get the help of a behavior specialist or trainer skilled with head halter use, to fit your dog with it correctly, and to show you how to use it safely and effectively.

The Doorbell

You can also use come-when-called and the attention exercise to handle your dog's barking when the doorbell rings or someone knocks on the door. This training requires focusing on your dog at the same time you answer the door, so set up practice times with people who will patiently wait for you to call your dog and give treats.

An alternative way to solve barking at the doorbell is be to teach your dog to take up a particular station away from the door while you answer it. Give treats to the dog on the spot where you want the dog to wait, and the lessons will progress quickly.

Dogs bark at doorbells and we rush around when someone comes to the door. You can help change your dog's reaction to the doorbell by having it ring a lot and ignoring it! Unless you can wire your doorbell so that you can ring it by remote contro

Answer 3

Whenever she shut her mussle and say no or no bark, and eventually she will stop when you say no.

Answer 4

That's hard it's the same problem I have not having someone to come over and ring the door bell.  

One way to get a dog to stop barking is to teach it to bark.  So the next time the start barking at someone give them a command to bark and a hand signal until they learn what that means.  Once they know to bark on command then you can add a No Bark command.  

Answer 5

if you find out let me know, my dogs dreadful for barking at guests, or if anyone enters the house ;)

Answer 6

Usually dogs that excessively barked aren't exercised enough.  What worked for my dog was buying one of those "Backpacks" that they sell in petsmart and putting waterbottles in it *a la Cesar Millan* when I took him for a walk.  Worked like a charm.  Tired dogs are balanced dogs!! :-)