barking dog at sitters

Question
My daughter stays at sitters that have a great dane.  I have been taking her there for weeks, and she has no problem with my little girl, but barks incessently when I am there.  She is acting scared, head down, eyes glancing upward at me, while she barks.  My sitter says she is embarrassed by her fearful barking and wants help with her.  I thought maybe bringing her treats might help, but I wanted expert opinion first.  What do you think? Thanks!

Answer
Jessica, your SISTER needs to take control of the dog and the situation. The dog should be leashed 15-30 minutes before you get there (she can drag the leash around the house until you arrive). When you get there, your sister should take ahold of the leash, and you should completely ignore the dog. Don't say anything to her, don't look at her, and don't try to touch her!!!!! Your sister should keep ahold of the leash (it shouldn't be tight, though), and use it to reinforce her verbal correction whenever the dog barks. The dog should be made to sit, a few feet away from the door, and allow you to enter, instead of being right up on you as you come in.

The best way to solve this is to have a trainer come and work with you all one-on-one, since there IS a possibility that the dog could snap at you if it is truly fearful. Giving her treats when she's in that frame of mind is not advisable.