How can I stop my Dachshund from barking at strangers and guests?

Hi there. I'm so sorry to read about Scarlet's troubles. There are a lot of reasons dogs can bark. They can be nervous or scared, protective of their families, excited in general, curious, etc. Lack of structure and exercise can make them more nervous as well. Some dogs respond to you teaching them a "bark" or "speak" command in a very quiet setting when there isn't anything making them bark. This shows them that you will tell them when it's time to be vocal. You can also try crating her in a kennel when people come over. Once everyone arrives you can let her out to socialize. The kennel isn't for punishment, but just her private, comfortable area where he can feel secure when the stressful situation occurs. Placing her in the kennel in a separate room can also help break her of the barking if you just let him "bark it out" without yelling or responding to her until she is quiet. Desensitizing to the stimulus can be helpful too. I am including a link that I think has some good information about how to help with the barking behavior. However, please keep in mind that any aggression like growling, snarling, biting, or lunging at other dogs or people, should be taken seriously, and I would not continue to try training without a professional. And that being said, the best way to get this behavior under control is to contact a reputable trainer in your area who can work with you. I hope you find this answer helpful! Best of luck!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your question. Dallas is exhibiting typical puppy / dog behavior. This is just behavioral and can be corrected. I would recommend using a spray bottle filled with water and every time he barks, lightly spritz him in the face while using a command such as "No barking!" If he continues to bark, you can also use what is called a citronella collar, which can be found online quite easily. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any further questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Covering the crate or relocating it to another room may help. Teaching the "no bark" command can help but will take patience and consistency in training. If you know visitors are expected, wear him out with an extended session of play or exercise before their arrival. Praise and reward him when he is quiet and when he stops barking. Ignore any barking and wait it out. You can read more at this link: http://m.humanesociety.org/animals/dogs/tips/how_to_stop_barking.html

Barking pups can be so annoying!! Beibei is still very young, she is likely missing her litter mates and may just be lonely. Dachshunds are often very social little dogs. I would recommend that your friend offer Beibei some toys to keep her occupied, consider getting a treat ball which she can play with in her kennel as well. Some dogs respond well to a tv or radio being on in the room when they are kenneled. If Beibei only starts barking after being in the kennel for a period of time, have your friend kennel her for just a few minutes and then bring her out. Gradually increase the length of time she is confined before she is released again. This will help her understand that someone IS coming back for her and may help to curb the barking somewhat. That being said some dogs are just very vocal and like to speak their mind.

If this is a temporary situation I would suggest you get a citronella bark collar. I think that may work to curb the barking in the short term. Of course, if this dog is going to be a long term resident I would suggest you work with a professional dog trainer. The trainer could help you determine the dog's triggers and work with you on how to resolve them. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

It sounds like Siri is trying to train you. The best way to get him to stop without significant intervention is positive reinforcement. In this case, you will be reinforcing the absence of a behavior. I don't know where he stands in reference to you while he is barking, but hopefully it is within a reasonable voice's reach. You need to start rewarding Siri for periods of quiet (I would say if he is in a barking fit, any period of silence greater than 10-15 seconds should be rewarded). You should also start to come up with a word you phrase you use to ask Siri to quiet down. It doesn't matter what you choose as long as you are consistent. If this fails, there are bark collars out there of all different types. On small dogs I essentially never, ever recommended any collar that produces an electric shock. However, there are citronella collars that spray an unpleasant liquid (not bothersome to humans) at the dog any time it barks above a certain volume. It is extremely effective on some dogs and completely harmless. Hope this helps.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. I would recommend using a spray bottle filled with water and every time Woody barks, spray him in the face and say "off!". I would also recommend using a citronella collar, which can help deter Woody from barking. Jumping on people I would use the same technique with the spray bottle and even something loud such as an empty can filled with coins that you can shake loudly at Woody to stop the behavior. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions / or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. Please take the time to mark this question as helpful or not as it helps us to improve on the quality of our answers to other pet owners. Thank you kindly!