Dogs are made to bark. This makes virtually any attempt
 
to stop a dog from barking a challenge. On the plus
 
side, you have most likely already conquered several of
 
your dog's natural conduct, for instance marking their
 
territory around the house. So getting to know how to
 
stop a dog barking can be manageable in a quite similar
 
way. There are many causes for dogs barking, most common
 
being territorial barking and compulsive barking.
 
If your dog is going into a barking craze when anybody
 
comes to visit your home, this is what's called
 
territorial or alarm barking. The signal to the pack is
 
that there is something you need to be careful of. More
 
forceful barking is conveying a threat of harm to the
 
visitor if they don't clear off, or reveal that they are
 
not a danger. Compulsive barking is where a dog is
 
barking for the sake of barking. This form of barking
 
typically requires the intervention of a dog behaviour
 
expert or specially developed training collars to
 
interrupt the barking obsession. How to stop them from
 
barking? I recommend ignoring the dog until a state of
 
calm is arrived at, and then reward the dog with
 
attention, withdrawing the attention at any point where
 
the undesired behaviour returns. Persistence is
 
important, but dogs normally see what they need to do to
 
get the attention they desire. But remember: If you stop
 
your dog from barking, what implications will this have
 
on the protection part of the house? Some barking is
 
needed both for home defence and the dog's overall
 
healthiness. It's the extreme or dysfunctional barking
 
that ought to be handled.