Barking comes naturally for dogs. Dogs bark for a variety of reasons. Barking is done to communicate not only with other dogs but also to convey to the owners what the dogs wants. Canine audible communications would range from whining, grunting, whimpering, yelping and of course barking.

Problem barkers are dogs that like the sound of their voice. These dogs bark non-stop often causing irate neighbors. Excessive barking is a behavioral problem that is rather hard to stop. This is one of the reasons why dogs are abandoned or left in shelters

Unlike problem barkers that are attempted to be silenced by the owners, alarm barkers are actually trained to bark. These dogs are utilized to sound the alarm when strangers or potential threats enter the property.  

Always remember, every training step is new to the dog. You need to provide a stimulus that will switch on the learning mode of the dog. You can either use positive reinforcements or use a method that would constitute a game. The trick is to be consistent. Choose a gesture or a word that will be used to command the dog throughout the training process.

The first order of business is to stop the dog’s propensity to bark. Go to the dog every time it barks. The dog will either be praised or reprimanded depending on what it is barking at. If the dog is barking at cars, at the milkman or postman, the dog should earn a firm “No Bark” and a two finger tap on the nose.

If the dog barks at something it should bark at like a stranger opening the gate, then the dog should immediately be praised and rewarded with a tasty treat. This positive reinforcement will be associated with the good deed and would entice the dog to do the same action again and again. Use an accomplice to speed up the training process. The person would act as a potential threat either by opening the gate or by tampering with the car. At a bark command the dog should ferociously bark at the intruder. Dogs have different learning levels but most are intelligent breeds. After several weeks of consistent training it is expected that the dog will be able to know when to bark and when to keep quiet.

Contrary to what others believe that excessively barking dogs are good alarm dogs, well trained guard dogs are quiet dogs. These dogs would only bark when there is a potential danger. When the dog barks, it is expected that the master would immediately see what is wrong. Barking is the dog’s way of communication and being the leader of the pack it is expected that you check and ensure that nothing is wrong.