Annie has started annoying barking

Annie has started barking at people lately. Even people she has met a few times. I just had to reintroduce her to our new mailman....she had met him once, but has barked at him through the window everyday(which i didn't find too weird because she has always had a thing about people walking close to the window in front of our house) But I had her tied out today while I was doing some reading outside and the mailman walked by and she barked her head off at him....tail wagging, but still a big bark that stops people in their tracks, so I told him to come over and meet her, which she kept barking until he got all the way up to her, and then she dropped her head and wiggled and licked at him like he was her best friend...She done this to several people now and it's starting to get annoying because people don't really like to believe she's a very sweet dog when she's barking her head of at them. The other day she did this to my my neighbor's son in law, who is over quite often and Annie sees all the time...well..he just petted her and she loved all over him and then as soon as he stopped she backed up and started barking again. I think she's doing it to get their attention, but people really don't take it that way. Any tips on how to correct this behavior?

 

Both Wylie and Jake are so bad about this and do the same thing,
so I am interested to see what people say, I was thinking of getting one of those citranella collars, Wylie is especially bad, and when she is outside, she barks at everything a car driving by, people walkin on the street, bicylcists you name it, like Aniie its not a mean bark, but quite irrititating,

 

I bet that is irritating!!

All I can think of is the standard desensitization and counterconditioning training. It takes a long time usually. There is a good article in a recent Whole Dog Journal about a family whose dog goes nuts whenever someone is swimming in their pool, and how the training process would go. It's the same process no matter what the situation.

In a nutshell, you have someone help you set up the situation that creates the problem. Have your helper stand far enough away that they do not get the response from Annie, and feed her a high value treat. Have the person gradually get closer. At each distance, treat her with really yummy stuff until she is looking to you for more treats rather than reacting to the person. Then move the person closer.

The idea is that you are gradually desensitizing her to the presence of the person, and also counterconditioning her to associate a person approaching with yummy treats. Hopefully, she will begin to look to you for treats rather than barking her head off.

I actually have no idea if this would work in this situation or not, but it's all I can think of. :|

 

Natalie does this to my next door neighbor and she also does it when I take her camping. She if very friendly with strangers and it seems that she is doing this out of frustration....not being able to get to the people/person. With my next door neighbor, a trainer advised me to do something similiar to what Jamiya desribed. Since my neighbor and Natalie are outside at the same time infrequently I have not had ample opportunity to practice.

 

I'll have to try that...I'm usually home when the mailman comes...so I'll just have to practice with her. He has 5 dogs...so he's pretty cooperative. Though I must say he's not a huge pit bull fan, which is suprising since he owns a rottie. He should know better than to believe vicious dog stories.