Can you teach an old dog new tricks? MIL's dog's barking is driving me nuts!

[MuffinMclay]

MIL's dog is staying with us for a while (weeks, not months, I hope) because MIL is 'too busy' to look after her (FGS she is retired and does bugger all apart from endless trips to the beauticians).

The dog is a 12 year old greyhound cross, and barks at everyone who walks by (v. loudly and for what feels like forever). It is really annoying. I have a lovely non-barking springer who is quite put out by it all.

What can I do - if anything - to stop her barking?

I wanted to stop our (now sadly departed) springer not to bark at passers by, even getting a local dog trainer to do a house visit - you could ask your vet who is good in the area, but I have been warned against barkbusters.
The dog trainer man saw where we live (middle of nowhere, but with a public footpath running along the garden) and said why on earth would I want her to stop, as it was a really good deterrent to burglars etc. Anyway, the problwm with dogs and people who are walking past is that in the dogs mind, it's her barking that makes them go away (which is why postmen are often barked at by otherwise quiet dogs). Every time she barks at a passer by and they continue on their way, it is reinforcing her belief that she made them go! All of which is very interesting, but I'm not sure how to stop it! Good luck.....

I guess that is part of why MIL puts up with it. She is widowed and lives alone, so probably finds it reassuring to have a barking dog around the house.

I suppose I just have to put up with it for a week or two. I hate the thought that we'll get a reputation for having an anti-social dog, and my own dog will get the blame. Fortunately she does the bulk of her barking in daylight hours when the curtains are open but my neighbour is out at work.

Aboistop collar - releases citronella spray in response to a noise stimulus. Works brilliantly but perhaps as you only have the dog a short time and MIL may not be bothered about it it is a lot of money to invest in a device for a few days. They were approaching £100 last time I looked, but maybe if you search online you might get one. I have no idea if anyone hires them out, but that strikes me as a good idea if they did!

The dog is going back to MIL at the weekend, thank goodness!

You can hire aboistop collars, or you certainly used to be able to. I tried it with my nutty springer (now dead) to stop him attacking my other one. It turned a very nervous dog into a gibbering wreck, and made matters worse in the long term. I never felt quite right about using it either. I'm sure they can work though with the right dog in the right circumstances.