How to stop my anxious dog barking at guests when treats don't work?

Question

How to stop an anxious dog from barking when people enter a room? I offer treats when he calms, or if he remains quiet, but he will not accept them if he is feeling anxiety. It is imperative he learn this skill, as he cannot be left alone at this time. Pet's info: Dog | Pomeranian | Male | neutered | 5 years and 4 months old | 13 lbs

Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA · Accepted Answer

Poor Vito! In general, we tend to treat this problem by teaching the dog to associate good things with people entering a room - often, very tasty treats :) My first thought is that you may need to use higher value treats if he isn't interested in eating them when you try this - things like chicken, roast beef, or string cheese are often good choices for this type of training. If he still will not take treats in this situation, then this means that he's too worried or anxious to eat - in that case, you will need to find a way to make the situation easier for him (possibly by removing him from the room until the person sits down and gets settled, then bringing him back in), or he may need anti-anxiety medication in the beginning to help. Since it can be difficult to do this on your own, it would be best to make an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist or a good reward-based trainer who can help you in person. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here (dacvb.org) or a qualified trainer here (ccpdt.org).

How to stop my anxious dog barking at guests when treats don't work?

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