Anyone have a magic wand for barking? :(

[Miffki]

3 dogs aged 3 to 7. All small breeds.
Lovely doggos but they absolutely hate anyone coming to/near the house. Postie/amazon man/leaflet through the door = apocalyptic barkdown.

I've given up having anyone in the house because my pug just does not calm down and she runs/lunges at people. She doesn't bite, just acts like she is going to.

If I put the dogs in another room and they can hear an unfamiliar voice they will bark until that person leaves.

To be clear, they are not barking all day everyday. Its only when we have a delivery or someone new is in the house, which isn't often.

But now it's summer and the windows are open and we are spending time in the garden they bark if they hear people talking whilst walking passed or neighboursnin the garden.

I have tried things. I have tried some individual training but my pug is genuinely stupid. I know that may seem unkind but she is either daft or incredibly defiant. In 6 years she has refused to even learn 'paw'.

I tried the 'sit on the dog' technique for calming. Didn't work and was just not right for our household.

In desperation I have tried spray bottles, which do work to shush them but its not nice is it and it doesnt really tackle the problem at the root. It doesn't fix them, just temporarily stop it.

Crate training, they don't settle if they hear someone.

I got those vibrating collars for barking, didn't work.

And eventually I paid £140 for a highly recommended trainer to come round and he hit my dog! I am not kidding. He karate chopped him and yes it shut him up but he was terrified and it probably made the problem 100% worse and now he has confirmation that outside people are scary!!

I don't have the money for a trainer right now, had sone expensive vet bills layely.

I think the main problem is there are 3 of them and its a chain reaction. The youngest is fine with people coming in the house and greets them. The oldest is happy to, but does bark until he is introduced but the pug hates everyone and once one starts barking they all kick off in a whirlwind.

It's really getting me down. Please don't judge me too badly. Ive had a lot of illnesses since getting the youngest dog and I should have tackled it earlier but i really wasn't able.

Any constructive help would really be appreciated.

They are fine outside the house/on walks. They don't bark at all.

I think its a house protection thing.

It sounds mad but I have heard some people have success by teaching/training their dogs to bark. If you teach them to do it on command, they somehow stop doing it randomly?

You have my deepest sympathy. I have four small dogs who are exactly the same. Very obedient & well behaved in the house or anywhere outside , except when someone comes to the door or anyone comes into the house, visitors, gas boiler service chap etc. Then they go berserk barking. No aggression
I can put them in another room but as soon as they hear the strange voice they’re off. Luckily at least they can’t see people passing as we’re back from the road.
I’ve tried all the things you have. Had small dogs forever but never had this problem till these four, all the past ones welcomed strangers.

Its tiring isn't it.

And they are really well behaved in other areas. No problems on walks, with other dogs, kids etc

It's extremely stressful.

I am going to try and do some real research into stopping it in a couple of weeks, I can use the summer holidays to try and formulate a training plan.