Unwanted barking

Question
We have a female miniature Yorkie, 7, named Cosette.  We also have a male miniature Yorkie/Poodle mix, 6 months, named Cash.  They are both inside dogs and we feed them Iams and an occasional treat.  We have had an issue with them barking in excess at company and anyone walking down the street.  Although I know it's natural, it has become frustrating and embarassing, especially when we have company.  Our dogs are very well-behaved in all other areas, but this is one we simply do not know how to train them in.  

My parents also have dogs: a Yorkie and a miniature Dachsund.  They have the same problem, only worse.  When we visit them, it is a nightmare whenever anyone walks in the door or approaches the house!  They feed off each other, it seems.  Thanks for your help!  

Answer
Alison, you are absolutely correct in that dogs feed off of each other. I do have a few possible solutions to your (and your parents') problem. The first would be to teach the dogs to go to their crate, or to another room, on command. That way, whenever someone comes to visit, you can command the dogs to go to their crates and/or room, and you won't have to deal with them barking and being underfoot as you let your guests in the house. After your visitors have been there for a few minutes, you can release the dogs to come and say hello if you like.

Another solution, that can also go along with teaching the dogs to go to a specific place on command, is to use a squirt bottle to enforce a 'no bark' command. The smaller the bottle, the better, because you don't want the dogs to learn to associate the 'correction' with the bottle, or they'll soon figure out that if you don't have the bottle, they can bark, but as soon as you pick it up, they stop. Use plain water to begin with. If they decide they like being squirted with plain water, you can put a little bit of distilled white vinegar in the water. It will not hurt them any more than the plain water, even if it goes in their eyes or mouth.
Make sure the squirt bottle is set to 'stream' and not 'mist.' When they start barking, say, at someone walking down the street, allow them to bark a few times, so that they feel like they've accomplished something. Then, say a 'no bark' command, such as "That's enough," or "Hush up," or "Quiet," or even "No bark," and immediately squirt them with the squirt bottle, keeping it as hidden as possible. When I say keep it hidden, I mean to not only hide the bottle itself as best as you can, but don't make a big production over squirting them (ie: don't extend your arm like gunslingers do in movies). Make as small a movement as possible, but do try to hit them with the stream as many times as it takes to make them stop barking. It makes no difference where you hit them with the water; you can hit them on the sides, butt, back, or even directly in the mouth. *Try* not to hit them directly in the eyes or ears, though. You want to always use the same command, so pick one and stick to it. When they stop barking, stop squirting and praise them. Call them to you and pet them and give them a treat or play with them if you wish, to get their mind off barking at whatever it was they were barking at.


You can use the same principle when you have guests over. Just be sure to tell your guests beforehand that you are trying to teach your dogs not to bark so much, and let them know that you will be squirting them with a squirt bottle so they aren't surprised. Tell them to completely ignore the dogs until they've settled down. You can even have the guest carry a squirt bottle in with them so that they can squirt one dog while you squirt the other! LoL Of course, they need to be told when to start squirting, and that they should stop squirting and allow you to praise them when they stop barking.


The squirt bottle method works very well, for many problem behaviors. Let me know how it works for you. If it doesn't, then we can try something else!

Kristen