When the doorbell rings, our dog goes ballistic with nonstop barking. We want her to bark, but we also want her to eventually stop barking. What can we do?
It's not the doorbell the dog is barking at. The dog has linked the buzzer with the arrival of guests. If guests knocked on the door, played electric guitar or blasted a recording of Tony Bennett singing "White Christmas" before entering your home, the dog would go ballistic whenever anyone knocked, played a guitar or crooned like Tony.
Set the dog up with some practice runs. The dog should be on a leash and training collar, and you should be armed with dog treats in your pocket. The doorbell rings, and the dog barks. That's fine because you say you want the dog to offer a warning. So tell the dog, "Okay, good dog." But after three or four barks -- or whatever number you choose -- say "quiet."
Don't bark back at the dog by hollering, just say the word "quiet" once, and say it firmly.
At first, your excited dog won't heed your request, so tell it to sit. Do this fast. This is where basic obedience comes in handy. If your dog is really excited, you may need to provide a correction to convince the dog to sit. When it does, offer treats. It can't possibly bark and chew at once, and say, "Good quiet!" in an upbeat voice as it chomps away.
After several more practice tries, say "quiet" earlier with the treat in your hand and not yet in the dog's mouth. Don't offer the treat until the dog earns it by quieting. Your timing will guarantee a speedy success with this exercise.