# Barking Behavioral Problem - Need Help FAST!



## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

As you only have a few days I would try distraction - as he begins to get up call her to you, ask for a Sit (or just eye contact if that is easier) and reward her with a tiny bit of something good for being quiet. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Don't scold or join in the shouting, or do anything to imply his presence is a source of anxiety just calmly and happily encourage her to come to you for a treat.

Longer term I recommend Turid Rugaas' little book "Barking: the sound of a language" - very helpful for working out why a dog is barking, and thus being able to work on the causes rather than just the effects.


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## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

If whenever someone comes into the house your little one 'barks and barks' this is a long term pattern. I too recommend Rugaas. It might take while but will be a wonderful addition to peace and quiet in your home.


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

Does she like your son? Does she ever sit or lie/chill next to him on the couch? And if he gets up, is that what sets her off? Or is it only from a distance...across the room?


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

This is hard to change. Beckie barks whenever my son comes into the house, and he’s always been coming on week-ends ! She will bark in the middle of the night even more, waking everybody up. 

I have accepted that’s how it is, however unnerving it is. 

Which doesn’t mean you can’t succeed. Good luck !


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## Johanna (Jun 21, 2017)

I teach all our dogs the command "Quiet" by gently holding the mouth shut. I repeat it if, when I release him/her, the barking starts again.


That said, we get a large charge out of our chihuahua mix when she barks at the sound of a doorbell. She's a rescue, so she has evidently always barked a the sound of doorbell. What's funny is that there is an ad on TV where a lady presses a doorbell and it gives the classic ding-dong sounds. That ad sets Miss Molly off every time!


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## Eric (Jun 26, 2019)

My dog barks a lot when people come to the door and/or inside the house, even with people he knows. I got the book from Rugaas based on the recommendations here, look forward to reading it.


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

There are a few very good methods that don't involve any force or intimidation...simply pairing the trigger with: _it's time for a stupendous treat if I pipe down. Then: if I pipe down and hold it down for 5 seconds, 10 seconds, for a long time etc._ But it takes more than 2 or 3 days. If you're in a hurry, I have an idea for a quick fix...maybe not a long lasting fix but it may work in a pinch. It is also purely PR. But I needed the answers to my questions first to know if it could work. Oh well...best of luck.


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