My Pet World: Training is the answer for handling a dog who barks at guests
Dear Cathy,
I adopted a year-old dog from the SPCA (a Chipoodle). He is protective, but only in the house. When we're out on walks, he's fine if I stop and talk to anyone, or if anyone approaches. But at home, when the doorbell rings or anyone enters the house, he starts barking loudly.
He doesn't growl. If I give him a bunch of treats, he settles down and will even get in their laps. But then, when they get up to leave, he starts barking again. I am taking him to training, and he's taken agility classes. He's now in intermediate obedience. It would be better if he stopped barking when people came to the house. How can I solve this problem?
— Debbie, Carrollton, Virginia
Dear Debbie,
Barking is always a challenging behavior to change or alter, but it can be done with consistent training. Instead of trying to eliminate barking entirely, teach your dog a command to stop barking once he's alerted you. This allows him to maintain his instincts to alert you. Given your dog's positive response to training, this approach should work well in addressing the issue.
The key is desensitizing him to triggers that prompt the barking. Start by associating a "quiet" command with moments of silence your dog experiences throughout the day, using a clicker or reward word like "Bingo" to mark the desired behavior.
Then, gradually expose him to triggers like the doorbell or guests entering and leaving the home. Reward any calm behavior that occurs during the visit. Then try the "quiet" command when the guest gets up to leave. This can take time for your dog to learn, so be patient.
Teaching him an alternative behavior, such as sitting, can also redirect his attention away from barking. I often use the "sit" command immediately after various commands, like "stop jumping" or "quiet" to provide an alternative focus for my dogs.
While dogs can sit and bark, they are less likely to do so because sitting is a physical change interrupting the behavior. Giving your dog some puzzle toys when guests are over may also redirect his focus so he doesn’t realize when guests are leaving.
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