First off, apologies if I'm bumping an "old thread", but this is the only significant thread I could find on barking and I would like to add my own personal experience and stuff that helped me.
I had a real similar experience when I adopted Ben around 7 months ago, and managed to really minimize the excessive barking he was doing (which just drove me crazy).
I read 4 tips from an article I had bookmarked that talked about the terrible mistakes dog owners do when their dog is barking, so I thought I'd share them with anyone who might be going through anything similar. (To be honest, I was guilty of #3 myself).
Screaming: NEVER start screaming at your dog or show your dog that you’re heated and angry thinking you’re going to get them to stop barking that way. You’re not. You’ll just make it worse because they might sense that you’re joining them in barking (let’s face it, human screaming is the equivalent to dog barking) or worse off, they will sense that you’re frustrated and might try to imitate you, and that’s a whole other dangerous story because that’s when them attacking you becomes a real possibility. If you’re going to make your dog stop barking the right way, you have to learn how to keep your cool. Speak and act in a calm yet firm way.
Being too nice: Don’t be too sweet and wishy-washy with your dog when you want them to stop barking. You must be firm and assertive (but refer to #1 and don’t yell!) so they don’t mistake your affection with your approval of their barking.
Inconsistency: Not being consistent. I see this happen a lot of times so I had to include it here. When you’re training your dog when to bark and when not to bark, the last thing you want to do is confuse them. All your household members and everyone who interacts with your dog must follow the same methods you follow when your dog barks inappropriately. If you let your dog get away with inappropriate barking one time and punish them for it the other, you’re sending them mixed signals.
Giving them food: Never EVER try to make your dog quiet by giving them a treat to make their mouth full and stop them from barking. This way, you’ll teach them that when they bark, they get a treat from you.
Check out the article for yourself
here, it's a great read.
