# teach to stop barking?



## jennafetherolf (Jan 13, 2009)

My 5 mo old will bark like crazy when a stranger comes in the house. He settles down after a few minutes and then everything is fine, but I would like to have him stop barking as soon as I let him know that this person is safe. What has worked for you?


----------



## Rangers (Aug 21, 2008)

Training the dog to listen to you will work wonders. We allow our dog to bark when someone comes to the door, comes in the house and then we tell her "down" and that means go lay down and be quiet. 

Once we tell her she is to be quiet she will not bark again or get up until we tell she can. I want our dog to know she is to bark until we tell her to be quiet.


----------



## Cypress (Jan 13, 2009)

I used a well placed squirt to the snout with a squirt bottle. It startles him. I let him bark for a bit at this or that and then I say, "enough," if he doesn't stop when I say enough I say it again while squirting him. 
Atlas is 4 1/2 months old and I have been doing it for about a month. He seems to be resonding well to it. Sometimes I have to shake the bottle or occasionally squirt him, but he is on the road to getting it.

Good Luck! Let us know what ends up working for you!


----------



## elly1210 (Jan 4, 2009)

I do positive reenforcement with Sonny and it works wonders. I would keep a leash on your dog if you know someone is coming therefore you have more control or one by the door.

One thing I have learned is this the person on the other side of the door is waiting for you and won't leave and before you let them in you should have full control of your dog and they should understand that if it takes 5 mins then that is what it might take in the beginning. If you do practice runs too with people who will help you out that works. 

What I found though is all you have to do is ring the door bell or knock on the door and sets them off so that is what you want to work on, letting them do their alarm bark and then OK mom says quiet.

When someone comes to the door I will grab the leash and do obedience and tell Sonny to sit and wait and he gets a treat, if he barks I say SHHHH and I put my finger to my lips he gets a treat he will associate a knocking of the door with something quiet and good. If you practice this like you practice sitting, waiting, and regular obedience on a daily basis you will see quicker results.

You can then in turn wean off the treats but you will find it will do the trick. I use the leash so if he doesn't sit and wait because he is too young and hasn't learned it yet or is one that runs around you can grab it and keep him by you while you work on the quiet.

Quiet command is just another command like sit or wait . 

That is what we have been doing.


----------

