Instructions
Ignore the barking behavior. When your puppy barks just for attention, ignore the noise. By going to your puppy at the time, you are reinforcing the behavior, letting it know that if it barks, you will come.
Do not scold or punish your puppy when barking at inappropriate times. Instead, speak in a calm, but stern voice, refraining from the word "no" as it will think you are barking with it.
Train your dog first to lie down and to stay. Dogs lying down do not bark as much and helps reinforce the training not to bark.
Be consistent with your training, and what you expect your puppy to do. Replace "No" with a different, simple, one-word phrase, such as "Enough," to gain the behavior you are trying to enforce. Be sure everyone in the home uses the same command word.
Start training your puppy slowly, as the behavior change will take time. Practice in short, frequent sessions, generally 5 to 10 minutes each. Do not yell or get angry at your puppy, as that will cause fear rather than the reward you are working toward.
Keep small treats on you when training. When your puppy obeys a command, such as being quiet when asked, give it a treat immediately. Repeat the quiet command repeatedly, with the treat reinforcement. Rewards work better than scolding.
Refrain from hugs, baby talk or play time when your puppy is barking because it thinks you are rewarding barking with kindness. This is reinforcing the inappropriate behavior.
Enforce appropriate barking (like when a stranger comes over) by giving your puppy praise after alerting you, then tell it "Enough," followed by a treat and praise when it stops.
Work on timing. When your puppy stops barking for the next 3 seconds, then 5 seconds, then 10 seconds and so on, give a reward after each progression. With a lot of patience, you can teach your puppy to stop barking for up to 1 or 2 minutes.
How to Stop a 7-Month-Old Puppy From Barking
When you get your new puppy, it is a bigger responsibility than you may have realized. Your puppy will have many needs, including a nutritious diet, food and water dishes, sleeping quarters, beds, blankets, crate, toys and grooming. Aside from food and all the material needs, your puppy will demand the unconditional love that it is so willing to give you. This demand can get a little out of control through biting, chewing and barking, just to get your attention, even if it is negative. A puppy needs training as soon as possible so you can lay down the ground rules as the master.