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Originally Posted by Marcino We live in a condo, and our neighbours are starting to complain... When he barks, I try to reassure him by petting him, talking soft to him etc... he settles down, but only temporarily. |
When you do this, you are actually reinforcing the barking behavior, he probably thinks you are praising him for barking. Instead, when he barks for no reason, you should tell him to knock it off in a firm, sharp, commanding voice. He has to learn that you are in charge, and that you are the one to decide when there is danger, not him.
If you are not in obedience training with him, you should start soon and plan to continue for a couple of years. OB training builds a bond of trust and respect between dog and owner, besides teaching the dog good manners. Your dog will learn that your "command" voice means business and will listen to you.
Of course you aren't there to correct him if he is home alone while you're at work. He may be responding to noises he hears outside. My rotties have always been crated while I'm at work and when they were young, they were crated during the night as well. Their crates are in an inside room where they are unlikely to hear noises from outside unless very loud. They rarely bark at night and my neighbors tell me that they only bark during the day if someone rings the doorbel or when the lawn is being mowed (I live in a condo too).