How to Fix a Dog Barking When Doing a Meet & Greet

When taking your dog to a meet and greet with a potential landlord, another dog, a new boyfriend or girlfriend, or to meet a potential new owner (if you are fostering the dog), you want it on its best behavior. If your dog barks incessantly at new people or in new situations, you need to train it to behave and stay quiet on command. With obedience training, you can approach new people in any setting, with your dog, knowing that it will not scare them away with its barking.

Things You'll Need

  • Clicker training device
  • Dog treats
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Instructions

    • 1

      Bring your dog to a quiet room with no distractions. With the training device in one hand and a dog treat in the other, click the training device, then give your dog a treat. Continue this process for about 30 minutes, or until the dog responds to a click with anticipation of a treat. Vary the time between the click-and-treats, so your dog fully associates the click with a reward, not just a pause between treats.

    • 2

      Hold a treat in your hand one inch from your dog's nose, then slowly move it backwards, over the dog's head, until the dog sits. Click the training device and give the dog a treat. Wait a few seconds until the dog gets up, then say "sit," move the treat over its head, click when it sits, then treat the dog. Repeat this process until the dog understands the "sit" command.

    • 3

      Say "quiet" once, after your dog barks multiple times during a situation in which it likes to bark, such as someone coming to the front door. Give your dog several treats in a row after giving the quiet command. Do this for several days in a row, whenever the dog begins to bark.

    • 4

      Give your dog the "quiet" command after he begins barking and, if he ceases barking, wait two seconds, click the training device, then give it several treats in a row. Continue this training for several more days, increasing the amount of time between issuing the "quiet" command and clicking and treating the dog.

    • 5

      Invite a friend to your home, or take your dog to a dog park. When your dog approaches the friend, another dog or a stranger, give it "sit" and "quiet" commands. If the dog responds to the commands, without barking or pawing at the person or animal, click and give it a treat. Continue to take your dog to new situations, such as a new neighborhood during a walk, or introduce it to a different friend who understands that you are training the dog, issuing it the "sit" and "quiet" commands. Each time the dog behaves, click and give it a treat until you feel comfortable to take it to a meet and greet.