how do i stop my schnauzer barking at visitors in the house?

I have a delightful 16 month old standard schnauzer. She attends puppy classes and is well socialized and generally well behaved however Im finding it impossible to stop her barking whenever my boyfriend comes over. He recently stayed for 2 days and the barking never ceased!

Id really appreciate any advice anyone has, thanks.

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May 23, 2011
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starstarstarstarstar 		Barking at guests
by: Anonymous

I understand your frustration. We gave up on training the dog and trained our guests. We crate the dog until a few minutes after the guests have arrived. When we let her out, our guests know they should ignore her completely..including no eye contact. We continue talking like she isn't there. She will then go get a toy and lay in her bed. We still have a problem when someone arrives unexpectedly and rings the doorbell....like you said, I guess she is just doing her job.
Cathy
May 23, 2011
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starstarstarstarstar 		Barking at guests
by: Anonymous

I understand your frustration. We gave up on training the dog and trained our guests. We crate the dog until a few minutes after the guests have arrived. When we let her out, our guests know they should ignore her completely..including no eye contact. We continue talking like she isn't there. She will then go get a toy and lay in her bed. We still have a problem when someone arrives unexpectedly and rings the doorbell....like you said, I guess she is just doing her job.
Cathy
Jan 23, 2011
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starstarstarstarstar 		Barking
by: Gina

Bentley (2.5 yr Mini) loves to stand at the window and bark at anything that moves outside ... He has help from his best friend Button (2.5 yr Havanese)... I am going to try the clicker

However, he gets very excited when my 5 yr old nieces come over, to the point of biting at them if they run in the house.

Any idea how to control that - currently he doesn't get to participate in family gatherings when they are around. He has bitten them twice.
Help
Jan 06, 2011
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starstarstarstarstar 		Clicker Training works Great
by: Cindi

Clicker training works great. When taking your dog for a walk as a person comes up and you notice them first click and give treat so she knows she not barking is rewarded after they walk bye and dog has stopped barking reward. In your home start with people she knows that come and visit, Click then Give them a treat for not barking. Do this every time until she gets it then work when strangers come by if they bark ignore them, do not even reward with a stop or shut up just ignore so you arent rewarding them with attention. If you need to start by having clicker when someone that lives in your home walks in the room without barking the give a treat.
Jan 04, 2011
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starstarstarstarstar 		barking
by: Cindi

Good luck with your efforts to stop the barking. It is the nature of the breed. They are very territorial and protective. They are just doing their job. Have you tried getting on the floor with them and giving them treats. When you get to eye level, even the visitors, they seem to understand better.

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