Acknowledge and Redirect

For alert barking, fighting the bark only makes a louder dog. Instead, go to the window, look at what your dog is alerting to, and say "thank you" in a calm tone.

This works because alert barking has a purpose the dog considers important. Ignoring it frustrates them. Yelling at it sounds like you are barking too, which confirms the threat. Acknowledging and redirecting respects the communication while ending the behavior cycle.