Advice for Excessive barking when doorbell rings, someone knocks on the door or he hears the gate outside...

[Dexter's Mom]

Dexter is just over a year and a half and has turned into such a wonderful dog. Loving and gentle...loves to cuddle...he's pretty much over the phase where he destroys things (though the mail through the mail slot still "attacks" him so he rips it to shreds!) He also pretty much knows when to go into "protection mode" and when not to. The one "problem" we're having with him is excessive barking when the doorbell rings, someone knocks on the door or when he hears the gate outside. We live in a townhome and fortunately only have a neighbor on one side. But we have gates right in front of our house and to the other side that people are constantly going in and out of.

 

We crate trained Dexter and now he's "graduated" to sleeping in our room on the floor (or the bed with us, hehe) but we are forced to keep him in his crate during the day while we're gone at work because of his excessive barking. We are concerned our not-so-friendly neighbor would do something not-so-nice like calling Animal Control (like he did to my in-laws when they lived in the townhome). (Just so you know, Dexter goes to Daycare once a week and we have a dog-walker that comes the other 4 days of the work week to take him out for 45 minutes. He's never in his crate for more than 4 hours at a time)

 

We're considering getting a bark collar but I don't know much about them and their efficacy. My husband wants to get the kind that sprays water or citronella, but some of the reviews I've read haven't been so great...and then you have that smell all over the house.

 

My concern is that I don't want to deter him from barking completely as I appreciate the fact that he goes into "protection mode" ...I feel safe with him around.

 

Does anyone have any thoughts or recommendations on the matter? Anything would help. Thanks!

[Julie & Wrigley]

We are having the same issue and Wrigley has even started barking when a doorbell rings on TV or when someone knocks on TV. We'd like him to bark, but only 3-5 times, then stop, especially once we let our friends etc. inside. All this info was helpful, thanks!