I know it's a complete pain to listen to, but its natural for a dog to bark. Obviously it can get out of hand, and that's when you really have to step in.

I know it's a complete pain to listen to, but its natural for a dog to bark. Obviously it can get out of hand, and that's when you really have to step in.

You've got to remember that dogs are territorial animals, and chances are they are barking because they see somebody new (in their mind) trespassing on their area.

A common mistake that most people do when they try stop dog barking is to wait for the dog to actually start barking. Be prepared! If you notice this barking trend on your dog, have a leash handy.

Make sure its on the dog, so the moment that you hear the barking, you give the leash a nice pull. It's such an instantaneous reaction to the barking, it will no doubt get the dog's attention.

Of course you always want to a firm word, like "ENOUGH!" for further exclamation.

Another choice is to put the hose on him. Not literally of course, unless you happen to have one handy. But take a squirt bottle and fill it with water.

The instant you see the dog barking, squirt him in the face. It's a good shock to the system, and it demands attention without obviously hurting the dog.

But he'll know he did something wrong. Obviously when you are not home, you don't know how the dogs will react or how loud and how often they bark.

In that instance, you should try using camcorder and video tape what happens when you leave. You can see if its a specific thing that gets them all riled up or if its something more general.

If its something specific that starts their barking you can try to recreate the situation and try to rectify it using the examples above. Also, remember none of this does any good if you don't reward them when they are quiet.

When you see them being quiet, when they have normally been barking, a treat is definitely in order. The reinforcement will teach the dog that he's done good and you are really proud of him.