All dogs bark, it's their way to communicate a message. Dog barks for various reasons: To acknowledge, to alert, out of boredom, to attract attention or when they are excited.

Although some barking is acceptable, too much barking is certainly frustrating, especially for your neighbors and eventually leading to complaints. The easiest way to halt a problematic barker is to control his barking while you are at home:

1. Set up a condition where your dog will always bark. For instance, you can ask someone to ring your doorbell or knock on your door.

2. After your dog charges to the door and start to bark boisterously, move toward your dog, grab his collar and give the command "quiet" - no shouting please, it doesn't help.

3. If he stops barking, praise and reward. He's a genius and deserves it.

4. When he continues barking, close his mouth with your hand, wrap your fingers around his muzzle - use both hands if needed, and give the command for him to keep quiet. Praise if he stops.

Most dogs would be able to learn the "quiet" command with frequent training like this. Set up similar situations to "lure" your dog to bark and repeat training whenever possible.

If you happen to own a hard-core persistent barker, use this method:

1. Vinegar-Water solution - mix a proportion of 7/8 water & 1/8 vinegar together. Pour the mixture into a water pistol or what kids call "super soaker" for longer distance shooting.

2. Aim and direct at his chest whenever he can't stop barking even on your command. Dogs hate the smell of vinegar and would usually back off and stop barking. He'll even sneeze a few times. It's harmless so you need not worry.

3. As always, praise him when he stops barking.

For your information, your dog might still be barking noisily and disrupting your locality when you are not at home. In this case, you'll need a training equipment known as "bark collars" to help train him.

There are several types of bark collars on the market. Some of these collars send an electric shock to your dog when he barks, some make a high pitch sound or emits a squirt of citronella which is annoying but safe for your dog. Usually, these collars can help you solve a problematic barker.