We have a 2-yr old golden retriever/standard poodle mix. She's a great dog, no aggression issues or anything of the sort.
One of the things we'd like to address is her barking/howling, though. Other than an occasional play bark, she's normally very quiet. However she starts into a loud round of howling and barking whenever she sees someone approaching the front door, when she hears the doorbell, and many times when she sees someone walking on the sidewalk outside the house. We had to close the blinds because she was doing it constantly whenever she'd see someone.
She gets very, very excited to see new people (practically uncontrolled joy), which I think may be part of the same behavior. But I'm also thinking it could be anxiety/nerves causing the barking/howling. Also realize it's likely some type of 'territorial alarm bell' and she's letting us know a stranger is near.
Has anyone experienced something similar and/or have any tips for how to deal with it? We've been trying to get her to remain calm when people come in the house and the greetings take place, with limited success.
Any advice appreciated.
Thanks.