barking like crazy

Question
I have a 2 year old female Aussie named Cassie.  She's a bundle of energy and plays well with my 3 kids.  My problem is that she barks like mad at strangers.  I know Aussies are supposed to be wary of strangers, but I wish I could reassure her and she stop barking.  She can be very scary to even dog lovers.  The hair stands up on her back and she growls and barks visciously.  She has never bitten anyone, but sometines I think she will.  An example of how annoying this can be...My brother came to visit and she barked like crazy for 10 minutes or so, then she settled down.  My brother went up stairs for 5 minutes and when he came back down Cassie went into bark mode all over again.  This went on the whole weekend.  Every time he disappeared and then came back she took to barking all over again.  She's not that way with women though.  She only barks for a second and then settles right down.  What can I do to reassure her enough that she'll stop barking?  

Answer
The breed may be RESERVED with strangers. This means that the dog doesn't leap into their laps on a first meeting, but stands stoically to the side. The breed should not demonstrate fearful or aggressive behavior towards welcome strangers.

Try placing a leash your dog before opening the door for visitors. This allows you to keep control of the situation.
Do not reassure her by telling her it is all right while she is barking, growling or behaving inappropriately since this is sending a message that her behavior at that time is correct.

Instead, you should reward calm behavior and any progress towards calm behavior made by the dog. Use verbal praise and treats immediately to reinforce positive behavior.If she is non-aggressive and you are confident she will not bite out of fear, you can have the visitor offer an exceptionall tasty treat to the dog as soon as the dog does a sit-stay or goes into the down position. I recommend something like chicken or a bit of tuna.

You can also set up the dog to help in training. Arrange a situation in which one or more people to come to your door. You keep the dog on a leash, then command the dog to sit and stay. (Of course, it is important to first teach your dog the basic commands of sit and stay, so that he understands what you want.) Then introduce the dog to the person. Using your hand, touch the person to get their smell and bring your hand back to the dog. Remember, dogs rely very heavily on their sense of smell in all of their encounters -- with people, other animals, plants and even inanimate objects.

Once the visitor has settled in, keep the dog in the room. You can either hold the dog or set up a place where the dog has a clear view of the person. This allows your dog to learn to settle in the presence of guests.

Direct eye contact is an aggressive act to dogs, so have your guests avoid direct eye contact until the dog displays signals that he is comfortable. This also serves as a 'calming signal' to the dog. Have them sit or stand with their body at a slight angle to the dog as this is also less threatening. The dog will realize through this body language that they are not planning to threaten, lunge at, grab at or chase him. A nervous person makes dogs feel nervous. A calm person is likely to make the dog feel secure.

Other calming signals include: approaching the dog by walking in an arc, which is typically the way friendly dogs greet each other; sitting or squatting (again, sideways is best); licking or smacking your lips; yawning; and pretending to sniff or examine something innocuous. By showing the dog that you are directing your attention elsewhere, you help set him at ease and signal that you mean no harm. Thus, the dog has no reason to feel defensive.  

Finally, I recommend attending regular obedience classes with the dog so that she is exposed to new people and situations in a controlled environment to help her learn that strangers are not as scary as she feels they are.

Be prepared to spend several weeks or even months with this sort of training. A change will not occur overnight as she has established a pattern of behavior. Patience and consistency are the keys to success.

Good luck to you both!!