Dog Barking & more Dog Barking

Barking and more barking: Dogs that howl, and bark non stop whenever they are left alone have a disorder called separation anxiety. There are certain breeds that are used to living in packs such as beagles and husky's, and they do not do well alone. The solution for these types of dogs is to get another dog to accompany them. In order to avoid intense anguish and loneliness it's almost always necessary to go to a psychologist or to a dog behavior specialist. The way to alleviate this anguish is by teaching the dog to depend less on the owner. Punishing a dog for this behavior will not do any good and will only worsen the situation. If your dog suffers from this disorder, do not resolve the problem by telling him to shut up (there are dog owners that go to inhumane resources like surgically extirpating the dogs vocal cords or by using electric anti bark collars). These kinds of things will just cause the dog to suffer more if he cannot bark, and the real problem will continue to exist and it might manifest itself in other problematic ways. Stop Dog Barking.

Questions and answers
Q: We have a German shepherd that won't stop barking until we get inside the house. Why does she do this?
A: This is your dog's way of letting you know she is impatient to see you. Don't try to get her to stop by telling her to be quiet. Instead, ignore her completely until she is quiet and then treat her when she does.  
Q: Our neighbor complained that our Schnauzer Riki barks constantly when we aren't home, however it doesn't happen when we are home. Will making him use an anti bark collar get him to stop this excessive barking?
A: There are certain types of anti bark collars that are much less cruel than electric ones. There are certain types called citronella collar that let off a smell that dogs hate. These types of collar are very effective because the dog associates his barking with that smell. In your case however, Riki only barks when you aren't home, and this could be a sign of anxiety. In these types of cases, it is necessary to discover the cause of the anxiety and treat it. If you only go as far as avoiding Riki from barking, he could start showing his anxiety in other more destructive ways by destroying things or even becoming aggressive.