[BullyBabe]

My pup has a huge barking problem when people come over. I have had some workmen making repairs this week, and she has gotten very agitated and will not stop barking. It is to the point where I must put her in another room and close the door. She will spend the entire time people are here barking, scratching, and slamming into the door. What can I do to stop this behavior? It is becoming a huge issue, and I am unable to have people over or even have someone come and do work for fear she will not stop barking at them. It makes me look like a bad dog owner, but I have tried everything I can think of. Any ideas on how I can stop this crazy barking?

[Kimberly Alt]

I have no tips for you, but I want to say you’re not alone. My dog, Sally, does this same thing. We rescued her when she was 3 and have had her for 7 years, and it’s one of the few quirks we haven’t been able to break. Just this past week, we had our basement remodeled. The contractor was super nice and greeted her. She sniffed him and “accepted his presence.” I had her on a leash in my office (located by the front door) to keep her from entering his workspace. She would bark at him whenever he’d speak to me or come in/out of the house. She’s not aggressive with people; she wants to be free to go up to them. But her bark sounds so vicious, I feel terrible. It became so constant that I put her upstairs in my bedroom, which decreased the amount of barking some. I know not everyone is a dog person, but even the workers who are dog people still need space to work safely and not have a dog in their faces. Plus, I don’t want her ever getting hurt because she’s getting into their tools and whatnot. So, she is always on a leash next to me or put in a room where she is still able to roam but unable to interfere with the worker. It’s the best solution I’ve found that works for us. I’ve noticed as she’s gotten older, she’s becoming increasingly more and more protective. If she’s on a leash, she is more aggressive with it than if given the freedom to go wherever she pleases. But I can’t always allow her to be off leash, so it just stirs things up for her.

[BullyBabe]

I appreciate your response. I should try keeping her on a leash when people are here. That might help. I hate feeling like I am locking her up, but as you mentioned, contractors and repair people need to be able to do their work and feel safe and comfortable. A few weeks ago, she scared a plumber. He would not come inside until I made sure she was somewhere he couldn’t see or hear her. He said he had a bad experience with one dog and now won’t even go inside if a dog seems at all aggressive. Mine is not aggressive, but she has a big bark. So that was a very embarrassing situation. It made me feel like I have an out-of-control dog. All dogs bark. Mine just likes to do it more than others. I guess it’s just something I have to manage, and I hope people are understanding.

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