The Barking Dog
Barking is one of the biggest training issues dog owners have. All dogs bark. It's how they talk. They don't know that we, as humans don't want to listen to them barking all the time. There are all sorts of tools on the market that can help to curb barking. These tools can be beneficial for immediate relief, in order to prevent problems from neighbors who might be complaining about barking, but they don't address the cause of the barking.
Dogs Bark as a Means of Communication
Dogs bark because that's how they speak. Birds chirp, people talk, cats meow. Some dogs like to talk more than others. This can easily develop into nuisance barking. Once you are sure there aren't any other reasons why the dog is barking, the best thing to do in this case is to teach a "quiet" command. " Quiet should be taught using a marker, such as a clicker. When the dog stops barking, click and reward. As you reward, you can say, "Good quiet." By using the word quiet as you reward the dog, he will begin to associate the word with the act of not barking.
After a handful of sessions, you can attempt to say "quiet" when the dog barks. If the dog has learned the word association, he should stop. If he doesn't stop barking, do not continue to give the command. Go back to waiting until he does stop and then mark it with a click and a reward. As you continue with your sessions, you will also want to start giving the treats randomly, as opposed to treating every time he quiets.
In extreme cases, where the dog simply will not stop barking, and where you are getting complaints from neighbors, there are various devices that can be used to discourage barking by emitting an unpleasant sound or odor or an electronic correction. However, these should not be used as a quick fix. You should consult with a professional on the proper use of them, as they can be harmful if incorrectly used.
The Bored Dog
A dog who barks from boredom needs some type of interactive stimulus. Training, even just fifteen minutes twice a day, can mentally tire him out as long as the training is challenging. Endless repetitions of the same exercises become too easy, adding to the boredom. Enroll the dog in an obedience class in order to learn some fun training activities that will encourage your dog to think.
Toys that have treats hidden inside so that he needs to figure out how to get them out can keep a dog busy while he is left alone. Something as simple as a kong filled with peanut butter works wonders for giving him something to do while he's alone. The toys should only be for when he's left alone for an extended period, but you need to make sure that they are safe for him to be left unsupervised with them. When you are with him, he should have his interaction and his treats from you.
Excited
Dogs that bark when excited are the ones that bark while they are playing, while anticipating going out for a walk, while you're getting their dinner ready. When they bark, all good things should stop.
If they are playing, stop the game. Use obedience commands, or walk away from them, or leash the dog and remove him from the situation. He is then allowed to resume playing when he quiets down. If the dog is anticipating a walk, the leash gets put away and all actions that indicate a walk is imminent stop until the dog is quiet. If he is waiting for dinner, then the preparation stops until he is quiet again.
This type of barking requires a lot of consistency on the part of the owner in order to train the dog that barking will end the good things, and it is only by being quiet that he will be allowed to play or be taken for a walk or be fed his meal.
Warning
If the dog is barking to warn of something, he's doing his job. I find it is best to acknowledge the alert - I tell my dogs "thank you" as I look at what they are warning me of. This assures the dog that I have seen it and tells him that he no longer needs to let me know that there's a potential threat. It's not something I have actively trained, it seems the dogs just understand. Also, you can train the dog to perform an alternate behavior. If the dog is performaing an obedient sit or down, he shouldn't be doing any barking.
If your dog continues to alert to something after you've acknowledged it, then you need to figure out the reasons for that. It could be that he wants to interact with the object of his alert, it could be that he is scared of it or it could be that he doesn't feel reassured by your actions, which likely means he doesn't view you as his leader. In these instances, it is best to seek the guidance of a professional trainer who can asses what is going on and advise you on how to address it.
Anxious
A dog that barks because he is anxious requires an approach to calm his anxiety. The first thing to do is to determine what it is that makes him anxious, and either remove that or remove the dog from it. Then work on some obedience away from the source of his anxiety. Gradually reintroduce what it is that caused him to be anxious. Work on his obedience while keeping him in his comfort zone. Over time, begin to move closer to the source of anxiety while continuing to work on the obedience that he is familiar with.
If the cause of the dog's anxiety is an event, rather than an object - such as in separation anxiety, where a dog becomes anxious when you leave him, then you would need to acclimate him to being in this situation. Using separation anxiety as an example, you would leave him for very short distances and very short periods of time. Initially you would simply go across the room, and then you would leave the room and immediately return. You would then build from there, increasing the amount of time that you are out of the room slowly, as well as proceeding further from the room and eventually going outside. As the dog becomes less anxious, you should vary the amount of time that you are gone.
Also, in the case of anxiety, you can create positive associations by using food and toys to train him that such things are to be looked forward to rather than to be worried about. However, you need to be careful to not be rewarding the anxious behaviors, otherwise it is possible to train the dog to act nervous even if he isn't.
Under no circumstances should you correct a dog when he is anxious.
The Frustrated Dog
A dog barking out of frustration might be in a fenced yard and wants to get to something on the other side of the fence, but because he can't, he barks. Or he might be on a leash and can't reach what he wants because it is past the end of the leash. If you simply give him what it is he wants, you are rewarding the barking.
You should have him sit or lie down before allowing him to have it, assuming it is something he can have, such as if his toy has fallen out of his reach. Also, having him sit as well as redirecting him to an appropriate object of interest is useful if what he wants is not something he should have. Perhaps he wants the cat. We aren't going to reward him with the cat when he sits, but we can reward him with his favorite toy and play with him for a little while. Over time, he will begin to look for his toy instead of the cat. Over time also, if you always have him sit before giving him his toy, he will sit when he wants it instead of barking.
A dog will also bark out of frustration if he is confused. If he is being trained and the handler is sending unclear signals, the dog will bark as a way of expressing that he simply doesn't understand. If this is the case, you need to back up your training and go through the foundation work again to see if something is missing. Also, evaluate your handling, especially your tone of voice and your body language. A mirror or a video camera might be helpful, or find a trainer to work with who can spot where the confusion is coming from.
Need something
Dogs also bark because they are informing you that they need something, such as pottying. This barking should be prevented by maintaining a schedule that the dog can rely on as well as anticipating his needs and addressing them before he needs to inform you of them. If you have a young dog that needs to potty every four hours, then don't wait five hours and wonder why he is barking at you. He is communicating in the way that dogs communicate.