Puppies are like little children in that they think the world revolves around them! Since Fido can’t pull on your sleeve and whine (although he may do his very best canine impersonation of this) he may resort to barking instead. Puppies can quickly become spoiled when every bark made in a ploy for attention gets exactly that and the barking will only continue. Ignore attention barking from the beginning so that the puppy never receives the response they wish.

Teach your dog a “quiet” command. When he begins to bark at a passer-by, allow two or three barks, then say “quiet” and interrupt his barking by shaking a can filled with pennies or squirting water at his mouth with a spray bottle or squirt gun. Teach him that the people he views as intruders are actually friends and that good things happen to him when these people are around. Ask someone to walk by your yard, starting far enough away so that your dog isn’t barking, then reward quiet behavior and correct responses to a “sit” or “down” command with special treats such as little pieces of cheese. Teach him that the people he views as intruders are actually friends and that good things happen to him when these people are around. Ask someone to walk by your yard, starting far enough away so that your dog is not barking, then reward him for quiet behavior as he obeys a “sit” or “down” command.

Reward your dog for calmly accepting new experiences with treats, toys, praise, petting, attention, and food. Be aware that if you try to “comfort” your scared dog, you may unintentionally be rewarding scared behavior. Reward or praise your dog for a good performance. This is an important factor and you must follow this religiously & ardently when you train your dog.

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