Answer:
Kayla:
First of all, a shock collar might stop him from barking (because he's absolutely TERRIFIED!) but it doesn't get to the root of the problem WHY he's barking. Your putting a bandaid on a bullet wound: it doesn't really work.
Watch his body launguage and listen to the tone when he barks. Is he just excited to greet the visitors? If so, get your visitors and you to completely ignore the dog till he calms down (trust me he has to stop eventually even if it's super annoying to wait out.) , and then reward the calm behaviour. When he stops barking act like he did the best thing ever.
Then he should bark less and less after a while as long as you stick with it. Does he seem aggressive, like he needs to protect his territory? That's a leadership issue. Dogs are pack animals and have leaders and followers. If he sees himself as leader he will feel the need to protect his pack and territory, you and your house.
If you are the dogs leader he will feel safe because it's the leaders job to protect the pack, so he knows you will protect him. Yes I know he's a chihuahua, but dogs don't care about size.
For more info on dogs and dog training (and loads of other stuff on dogs) Please check out the websites they're REAAALLY helpful!) dog breed info isn't just breeds its on behaviour, training, health basically everything. No I don't own the sites. And no this is not a money thing lol there free.
good luck!
Nobby:
Since you are clearly unhappy with the advice you are getting here, work with a trainer. Which you should be doing if you are using a shock collar anyway.
Have you tried anything at all before you tried a shock collar? You can train him to bark on command and reward him for one or two barks. You can teach him an alternative action such as sitting on a mat near the door and greeting visitors. You can try desentisising him ,and you can try a citronella collar.
Is he generally well trained? If not, you are starting in the wrong place! Obedience training comes forst, that builds up his confidence in your opinion of what he should and should not do.
Narissa:
A 20lb chihuahua...that's not a Chihuahua. Just sayin.
What you are using, and the way it is being used is CRUEL, and I'm not against electronic collars in the slightest. You should first try other methods of stopping the barking, teaching a quiet command and/or a place command is usually the most effective. If you still need the bark collar, which I doubt you will- you need to get a GOOD one, I'll bet you got some cheap model from petsmart or something. Get a highly adjustable one from a trusted brand, not an automatic one, and for the love of god no crap brands like ''petsafe''.
Mr.Tims:
take off the barking collar because it it nonsense,
you have to teach your dog no to bark,train with him when the doorbell rings and he starts to bark tell him a firm "NO" after you checked who it was we don't want him not to bark at an intruder:[
make him sit then when he listens tell him "good boy" practice with him a lot.
good luck!
