I think to stop the barking the easiest method is "pennies in a can". I use a tin can and fill it half way up with pennies; it makes a loud noise, and gets Joey attention, even when he's in a frenzy of barking at other dog. Say, "no" and shake the can. The important part is always say no and shake the can, one more time then he barks. Don't get mad, don't scream, "no", in fact, any agitation on your part, escalates his barking. I had to have several cans around the house when Joey was a puppy. I wanted to immediately correct the behavior. Remember, it won't stop overnight, you are trying to reduce the barking behavior, you can't really eliminate it; it's just too wired into them to bark. However, they can learn to follow you command. After a while of this, I would the put my finger to my lip, with the can in the other hand, and say "sh". I'm now able to just put my finger to my lips and say "sh" and this stops the barking 99% of the time, if he continues to bark, I get the can out. He knows I will not give up, and so he gives up before I do. In the beginning you might have to shake the can 20 times or more, but if you give up once, you will teach him to be persistent, and he will ignore the can. Concerning Victoria Stilwell method of reinforcing not barking, this is much harder to actually accomplish, if not done exactly right, the dog will think you are reinforcing the barking, and bark more. While it's possible to reduce unwanted behavior with positive reinforcement, this has been found to be the slowest, and most unreliable method of learning.
A puppy class at Pet Smart might help with his unsocial behavior. It's not that he doesn't like other dogs, he feels threatened by them. |