How to Fix a Dog Barking When Doing a Meet & Greet
When taking your dog to a meet and greet with a potential landlord, another dog, a new boyfriend or girlfriend, or to meet a potential new owner (if you are fostering the dog), you want it on its best behavior. If your dog barks incessantly at new people or in new situations, you need to train it to behave and stay quiet on command. With obedience training, you can approach new people in any setting, with your dog, knowing that it will not scare them away with its barking.
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Instructions
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Bring your dog to a quiet room with no distractions. With the training device in one hand and a dog treat in the other, click the training device, then give your dog a treat. Continue this process for about 30 minutes, or until the dog responds to a click with anticipation of a treat. Vary the time between the click-and-treats, so your dog fully associates the click with a reward, not just a pause between treats.
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Hold a treat in your hand one inch from your dog's nose, then slowly move it backwards, over the dog's head, until the dog sits. Click the training device and give the dog a treat. Wait a few seconds until the dog gets up, then say "sit," move the treat over its head, click when it sits, then treat the dog. Repeat this process until the dog understands the "sit" command.
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Say "quiet" once, after your dog barks multiple times during a situation in which it likes to bark, such as someone coming to the front door. Give your dog several treats in a row after giving the quiet command. Do this for several days in a row, whenever the dog begins to bark.
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Give your dog the "quiet" command after he begins barking and, if he ceases barking, wait two seconds, click the training device, then give it several treats in a row. Continue this training for several more days, increasing the amount of time between issuing the "quiet" command and clicking and treating the dog.
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Invite a friend to your home, or take your dog to a dog park. When your dog approaches the friend, another dog or a stranger, give it "sit" and "quiet" commands. If the dog responds to the commands, without barking or pawing at the person or animal, click and give it a treat. Continue to take your dog to new situations, such as a new neighborhood during a walk, or introduce it to a different friend who understands that you are training the dog, issuing it the "sit" and "quiet" commands. Each time the dog behaves, click and give it a treat until you feel comfortable to take it to a meet and greet.
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Tips & Warnings
After the initial training session of 30 minutes, keep training sessions to 15 minutes, always staying calm and positive with the dog during training.
If the dog does not respond to the "quiet" command after getting treats for several days, say "quiet" after it barks for several times, then distract it with a loud noise, such as a can filled with pennies to stop the barking. If you feel comfortable doing so, you can also hold its muzzle shut for a few seconds. Click and treat after it stops barking, and repeat this process for a few days.
For better control during training and a meet and greet, put your dog on a leash.
If your usually well-behaved dog begins barking suddenly or whining, it may have a medical condition or injury. Take it to a veterinarian for an exam.
Instruct the person at the meet and greet to treat your dog calmly and not to threaten it.
Do not punish your dog for unwanted behavior, such as barking, since this will only make the dog fear you or the situation that caused the barking.
References
- American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals: Clicker Training Your Pet
- American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals: Teaching Your Dog to Sit
- American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals: Training Your Dog
- Everyday Health; 8 Simple Ways to Keep Your Dog From Barking; Dennis Thompson Jr.
- American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals: Barking
- American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals: Pet Therapy Handler
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images
