A squirt bottle comes in handy to discourage your dog from barking at guests, especially once they have entered the home. Train your dog to go to a designated area and stay there when you have guests. Keep the squirt bottle handy, in case your dog decides to leave that area to continue barking at them. Once your dog is calm and quiet, allow them to share the room with you and your guests. However, the minute your dog starts barking, squirt him or her in the face with water, being careful to avoid the eyes, say “No Bark!” and send them back to their area.
Over the years, many clients have told me that they don’t like the fact that their dog barks but that they do want him to detour a thief. This is an unreasonable request. You can’t expect your dog to bark only sometimes and not at other times. Your dog doesn’t know if the person at the door is your best friend or someone who means to do you harm.
If you want your dog to protect your home by barking when somebody is at the door, be prepared, when friends come over, and have the dog secured before they arrive. Your dog may still bark, but at least they won’t be barking in your guests’ faces. If you need home protection and your dog’s protective barking annoys you, you may want to invest in an alarm system.