Barking Mad... Help

[OliveToboogie]

I adopted a Greyhound last year. He is so laid back he is horizontal. Very rarely barks. I decided to Foster and was a fail, couldn't give him back so now proud owner of two Greyhounds. My new boy barks at everything, kind of a automatic reflex reaction. If a dog barks outside that sets him off. OK during the day but not so cool at 3am!!!.

I am trying to calmly reassure him it's OK. Is there anything else I can do to break this habit.

Any advice much appreciated.

[jinxpixie]

This is such a difficult question. Ideally find out what is causing the barking. Easy question very hard to answer!

If the dog is new to you then I would go along the general lines of increasing calm and lowering stress levels. Maybe use adaptil plugs in (may work often dont).

If the dog is noise sensitive then background white noise may help.

If it is just barking dogs then this is easier.Give a treat everytime another dog barks -it does not matter if your dog barks (you are not rewarding his barking). Over time your dog will come to you for a treat when another dog barks rather than bark, this should change your dogs emotional response to the barking and your dogs barking will be less.(hopefully). Keep this whole thing calm and reassuring as you have been doing, so not high energy just calmly put a treat near your dog when the neighbours dog barks.

I can be really useful and tell you the things that do not work!

Teaching to bark on command and then ask for a quiet will not stop barking.
Bellowing shut up when your dog barks
Squirting water at your dog
Ignoring the barking