Bad habits are not limited to people.
Dogs can make our households problematic when they are extremely noisy.
Curing excessive barking dog behavior can make your life easier, and improve relationships with your neighbors as well.
The reasons behind why dogs bark are varied, and there is no one training method that works for all of them.
The most common reasons that dogs problem-bark are boredom, anxiety, and territorial or defensive behavior.
The timing of the problem is your best indicator of why the problem exists.
Dogs that are bored may bark when you are home and when you are gone, but will be more prone to making noise when no one is home.
To separate these dogs from those with separation anxiety, consider how your dog behaves when you leave.
If he or she is calm and not whining or underfoot as you prepare to leave, boredom is the more likely cause.
If you think that Fido is being noisy because he's bored, get him tired.
This can be any activity that requires exertion, though the best activities are those that engage both the body and mind.
Consider joining an agility training class, or a flyball club.
When you do have to leave, provide items that will occupy Fido's attention, such as a rubber toy filled with treats, or a ball that releases kibble when rolled.
Spend a few minutes training new behaviors every day before you leave, if possible.
Methods of treating separation anxiety should be used to deal with anxious barking.
These are usually de-sensitization programs that involve getting your dog slowly used to the fact that you will return after you leave.
Most start by asking you to act like you are leaving until Fido displays obvious signs of anxiety.
Progress through leaving for short periods of time until you can leave for longer without problems.
Some anxious dogs are less anxious in a crate while you are out.
Defensive or territorial barkers are responding to a perceived encroachment on their domain by a human or another dog.
The best way to deal with this is with a combination of convincing your dog that you are dominant and not worried, so he shouldn't be either, and distracting him.
When Fido barks inappropriately, tell him "no!" and then ask him to follow a command he knows.
Reward positive attention, and ignore further barking.
Use Fido's whole repertoire of training to keep him busy while the 'intruder' walks past and leaves.
The focus on you distracts him from making noise, and the training helps cement your dominance over him.
Hopefully, in this state of mind, he realizes that you aren't worried, so he shouldn't be either.
A helpful tool for when you are gone is the crate, as the majority of dogs will not bark defensively in a crate.
For dogs that bark either defensively or from boredom while you are out, you can combine the use of an anti-barking device with your training regime.
Usually, these have little effect on dogs that are anxious, however.
And never use shock collars, only those that use ultrasonic noises or spray citronella oil.