Communicating is the key to any successful relationship, but Spot's constant barking is causing a rift between the two of you and upsetting the neighbors. You need an effective method to teach your dog to stop barking on command.

You love communicating with your dog and don't mind a normal amount of barking. However the constant barking has become much more than an annoyance. You're not sleeping and you have quickly become "that house" in the neighborhood. The following tips will help you teach your dog to stop barking on command.

1. The first step is to watch your own behavior and make sure you don't accidentally reward your dog for barking. If you're petting your dog or giving him treats for being quiet, then you are reinforcing that behavior. As tempting as it is to do whatever it takes to quiet him down, you may actually be working against your goal.
2. Next, you want to teach him to bark on command. Yes, he already knows how to bark, much too well in fact. As counter productive as it sounds, you must teach him to bark on command before you can teach him to stop on command. Find a situation in which barking would be acceptable -- perhaps when playing with a new toy or asking for a treat, for example. Encourage barking in these situations by saying "Speak" over and over. Soon, Spot will be barking on command. Make sure to issue your commands quietly forcing him to pay closer attention to you.
3. The final step is to teach the "no barking" command. When your dog is barking in one of the acceptable situations, praise him for a short time and then issue a stop barking command such as "Enough". Speak this command more loudly than your speak command. When the dog quiets, smother him with praise and a treat for his good deed.

This process may seem slow going but the reward will be more than worth it. There is no better dog than one who stops barking on command. You, your dog, and your neighbors will be much happier for all your hard work.

Make sure to have plenty of treats and new toys on hand before you begin this process. You don't want to catch your dog doing something right and not have the proper rewards available for him.