Dogs do not bark without a reason.
If they are barking for a prolonged period then it is probably due to various reasons like they are hungry or isolated.
But screaming at a dog for barking is not a solution to stop them from barking.
It will only add to the noise which your pet is making.
Dogs normally associate the fact that their masters are screaming to root for their barking and hence start barking louder.
Hitting a dog for barking should never be done.
They are creatures sensitive to human actions and attached to the people they stay with.
One of the main reasons for dogs barking is due to being isolated.
They don't like being left alone.
But there are various other reasons due to which your dog can bark.
It can be somebody new in the house or due to some kind of internal problems like being unwell or having a stomach ache.
Dogs also bark to get attention of their masters.
Hence it is advised to understand the reasons due to which your dog is barking.
Isolation is an important part of training your dog.
It should learn to be alone at certain times of the day.
If your dog is in isolation in the garden or in a room then ignore its barking for a while.
When it stops barking, then go and meet it.
One of the best ways to train your dog for isolation is to meet it and then leave.
If your dog is barking for getting something then you should not give that thing to it.
This will result in your dog barking every time it wants something.
But it is also important to train your dog to bark when strangers enter the house or any strange activity occurs around the house.
The dog should not bark excessively but should be trained to call you or another family member when it sees strangers entering the home.
There are various ways to stop your dog from barking.
These include treating your dog like a family member, removing the reason for which it is barking and trying to understand the reason it is barking also.
It is important to understand the reasons due to which your dog is barking.
It can be because it wants to go out or because it has seen a bird or a cat somewhere.
There are dog bark collars available in the market.
These are effective without doing any harm to your dog.
When dogs bark the collar sprays a certain amount of citronella which dogs hate and hence it stops barking.
But they should not be used all the time and should be limited to certain occasions.
Else your dog can stop barking even if it has been trained for the same.
One of the best ways to stop your dog from barking is through positive reinforcement.
This will provide an incentive to the dog to follow your commands and stop barking.
Using words like 'good', when your dog stops barking, exhibits good behavior and the dog would obey your command the next time also.