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our dobe will bark whenever someone comes close outside. Is there a way to train her to stop barking on command? thanks

>>our dobe will bark whenever someone comes close outside. Is there a way to train her to stop barking on command? thanks

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Yes. See the article "Barking" at the link below my signature.
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Kathy Diamond Davis, author, "Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others," 2nd edition, and the free Canine Behavior Series articles at http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=SRC&S=1&SourceID=47

when people are going to work in our neighborhood early morning (around 4 or 5am), our dog will bark at some noise but not others. Somehow I think when we tell her "no" and to be quiet sort of encourages her by giving her attention. Should we just ignore her barking? She barks for about a minute then will stop. We want to shorten that amount of time. Is there a way for us to show her its good she did her job, now be quiet?

p.s. the article is informative, but i need some more instructions. thanks!

>>when people are going to work in our neighborhood early morning (around 4 or 5am), our dog will bark at some noise but not others. Somehow I think when we tell her "no" and to be quiet sort of encourages her by giving her attention. Should we just ignore her barking? She barks for about a minute then will stop. We want to shorten that amount of time. Is there a way for us to show her its good she did her job, now be quiet?
>>
>>p.s. the article is informative, but i need some more instructions. thanks!

>>>>>>>>>>>.

Don't ignore barking. Get up, move away from her, call her to you, praise, pet her (this shifts her adrenaline down) and give a treat or a toss of her ball. Back away again and repeat, 3-5 times. We humans may think this is giving the dog attention for barking, but that is not how the dog experiences it. Try it--it works. If you want her to bark once before stopping, get up and go out and verify what she is barking at, then move away from her and start the call/praise/pet/reward/repeat sequence. Soon you will have a dog who barks and then looks at you.

Don't praise her for barking, just verify and then redirect the barking. Praising her for barking tends to escalate it beyond just making noise, and with a Doberman that is way too easy to do. If you want to train a guard dog, work directly with experts on that training. Otherwise, don't encourage barking or other protective/aggressive behaviors. Her own hard-wired instincts will be enough. Obedience is what you have to work at, because that will not come by instinct. It must be trained.
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Kathy Diamond Davis, author, "Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others," 2nd edition, and the free Canine Behavior Series articles at http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=SRC&S=1&SourceID=47

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