How to stop your dog from barking at strangers

Does your little beloved pooch have some problems with people he doesn’t know? Does he get a little bit timid with strangers and barks at them when they stand at your door without you being able to calm him? Unfortunately, this is a common problem that many dog owners have to face, particularly with certain breeds. This is commonly caused by your dog’s fear of new things – particularly strangers. Fortunately there are some techniques you can use to help your dog overcome his barking problem.

Here are some simple respondent conditioning techniques you can try.

1.    Every time you take your dog out for a walk and he gets the opportunity to met strangers, you have the chance to train him to get rid of his fear barking behaviour. Examine what triggers your dog and put him through these situations as many times as possible to make him realise that the situations are not dangerous.
2.    If a stranger is coming towards you when you are out walking, you should grab a treat and show it to the dog. It’s important that he sees the stranger and the treat in your hand at the same time. This can get him to begin to associate strangers with a positive reinforcement and should prevent him from barking at the stranger.
3.    Just when the stranger passes you should give him the treat and give him a lot of praise when he doesn’t bark.
4.    Repeat this step until your dog is beginning to look at you instead of barking at the stranger that is passing by. Remember to always reward your dog with praise or a treat.
5.    Similar technique can be used to prevent your dog barking at strangers at the door. Every time a stranger is approaching your door, give your dog a treat just as the doorbell rings, or there is a knock at the door. You can also do this as the stranger comes in. Repeat this until he associates the repetition of a stranger entering with the positive reinforcement – treats.
6.    To stop your dog barking at people when they come to your house, you should give your dog a treat for sitting or standing quietly every time a stranger comes in. After a while you can let the stranger give the dog the treat, and he will then associate strangers with treats and hopefully stop barking at them.

Check out these links for more helpful techniques:
http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4574039_dog-learn-stop-barking.html
http://www.placervillevet.com/training_your_dog_to_stop_barking.htm