How to Keep Dogs From Barking at Company or Strangers

Dogs are vocal animals, naturally communicating by barking. They bark for many reasons including alerting their owners to strangers, seeking attention, the desire to play, boredom, loneliness and fear. Excessive barking can cause you sleep deprivation and provoke problems between you and your neighbors. Barking should not be eliminated, but excessive barking at strangers and friends can be controlled.

Things You'll Need

  • Dog leash
  • Dog toy
  • Dog treats
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Instructions

  1. Stop Excessive Barking at Friends and Strangers

    • 1
      Play music or television to distract the dog from noises that trigger barking

      Determine what is making the dog bark at strangers near the home. Is he fearful of what is outside his window? Limit the pet's view of the outdoors by blocking your dog's access to windows while indoors. Leave a radio on to cover distracting noises outside the home. If your dog is barking uncontrollably in the yard, bring him inside during the day to limit his excessive alarm barking. If unchecked, this behavior will only get worse and become harder to stop.

    • 2
      Train dogs to follow one-word commands to limit barking at strangers

      Teach your dog to obey you with behavior cues and one word commands. Allow the dog to bark three or four times at a stranger before calling the dog over to you with a firm voice, giving a loud, sharp, one-word command, such as "quiet" or "enough." All members of the household must use the same command word. When the dog obeys and stops barking after listening to the command, reward him immediately with a dog treat, toy or praise. Be consistent with commands and treats for good behavior.

    • 3

      Never physically punish or verbally scold the dog for disobedience. Get the pet's attention by shaking a can of pennies or clapping your hands. By startling the animal, you will shift his focus away from barking at people jogging or visitors knocking on the front door. After saying the specific command, give the dog a chance to stop on his own. If this does not work, remove the dog from the stranger's presence.

    • 4
      Reward the dog with toys, verbal praise and treats for obeying instruction

      It's important to socialize the dog by taking her on walks and to public areas with other dogs and people. Put the dog on a loose leash and in one hand hold treats, giving them to the dog as you walk. The goal is to keep the animal focused on you and not on strangers or other distractions. When people approach, train the dog to "sit" and "stay" as the strangers pass. Reward the dog with treats and praise for listening to the command and not barking. As time goes by, limit the treats and use verbal and physical praise instead: tell the dog how good he is behaving and rub his back.

    • 5
      Teach the dog to sit and wait for company to come to him.

      When company comes to your home, ask family and friends to ignore the dog for the first few minutes. Teach the dog to sit still and wait for the stranger to come to him rather than allowing him to lunge at the person. Train the pet to pick up a toy when a guest comes to the home; this will limit barking and keep the dog calm. Keep your voice friendly and relaxed toward your visitor, helping the dog understand the situation is safe. After a few minutes, the visitor can reward the dog with a treat but should refrain from giving the dog physical attention or speaking to him until he is calm and you give the signal.