Almost all dog owners agree that a barking dog is a good protection and an outstanding burglar alarm, but you need the ability to control the barking. If you don't educate your dog to bark only at the appropriate times (fire alarms, noise outside the window and when approached by strangers), your neighbors are likely to resent your best friend, and you because you fail to control your dog.

Not all dog owners want their dogs to stop barking completely, but many want to be able to control their barking dog, and to know that when the dog is barking is because of something that really deserves the owner's attention. A barking dog is an annoying dog only when the owner can't control the barking or when the dog barks excessively for everything and at every little thing or object.

This article will not only show you how to stop your dog from barking, but also how to train your dog to bark on command. You can find, in almost all dog training books or in almost dog training videos how to stop your dog from barking. There are multiple dog training advices on this matter, but it is not only important to stop your dog from barking, but also to teach your dog to bark when you want him to. Some trainers recommend a dog shocking collar, but below I am going to share with you a very effective method, that only uses positive reinforcement, which is the best way to train your dog.

If you desire your dog to become security for you, teach him the?guard? command rather than ?speak? command, a trespasser or somebody who's endangering you'll not know precisely how much your dog knows about ?guard? and it's an excellent deterrent.

This command doesn't mean that your dog will in reality attack somebody, but the barking can be an effective prevention for your safety both inside and outside your home.

To instruct your dog to ?guard or speak? tie his leash to a fence or some other immobile item. Stand approximately 3 feet aside and tease him with a toy or food, when he starts to bark, reward him.

Now put the food and toy aside and change the treat to verbal praise once he starts to bark. The command ?guard or speak? should be given as soon as the dog barks, the timing is crucial here, observing his body language, you'll be able to tell when he's ready to bark.

Once he becomes mindful of the ?guard? command, give the ?quiet? command when he's barking; give the reward as soon as he has stopped barking, this is really important. If the barking continues, give strong ?no? command.

When he's successfully learned the command, move farther away and continue the training, he needs to know and react to these commands from whatever distance.

Once this training is successful, untie him from the fence and continue to train him the commands ?guard? and ?quiet?.

Trust me, you and your neighbors will appreciate this training when they've a peaceful night, and they'll learn that if your dog is barking, there's something wrong.