There is nothing more annoying than a
barking dog that barks continually, especially at night. You do need to
find out why the dog is barking so much by paying attention to the times
that this barking occurs. Annoying barking by the dog when everyone in the
household has gone to bed and the lights are turned out may mean the dog
is lonely or that it is afraid of the dark. You should try not to talk to
the dog at this time because this will actually reinforce the barking
because the dog will learn that it gets your attention. Try leaving on a
light in the area where the dog sleeps to see if this solves the problem
and make sure that there are chewing toys close by so that it can occupy
itself with the toys.

An annoying barking dog may be a sign that the dog needs exercise. You
should walk your dog for at least fifteen minutes a day to make sure that
it does get fresh air and activity that will tire it out and enable it to
sleep when you do. Dogs sometimes bark when they are hungry or thirsty, so
you need to make sure there is plenty of food and water that the dog has
access to, especially when you are not at home.

If you have tried these techniques with an annoying barking dog and have
had no success, it may be time for more extreme measures. In cities there
are obedience schools for dogs where they can be trained not to bark
excessively. If however, you do not have access to this kind of facility,
you may have to use one of the many devices that keep the dog from
barking. An example is a device that will deliver a high pitched sound to
interfere with the bark because the sound is very unpleasant to the dog’s
ears.