Dogs Have Recently Started Barking

[Fanuilos]

We until April, we had two dogs, both White Shepherds. Neither were very barky dogs, one would bark a couple of times when people walked up our drive way to alert my husband and I that we had visitors but not at people walking on the foot paths. She was our living doorbell.

Anyway, in April we had a litter of pups. Mid May we also had a baby. When the pups began escaping the puppy pen frequently, we decided the pups could go outside permanently - they were about 6 1/2 weeks old.

Both dogs have now become really barky, barking at people on the other side of the road walking on the nature strip etc, and any time of the day or night. We still have two pups here but I think they might have started the barking when the pups went outside or started going to their homes.

I assume the dogs are just being protective of the remaining pups and/or the new baby in the house. When they are inside, one of the dogs sits at the base of the baby's bassinette and looks like she is guarding it.

I've never had a dog with a barking issue before - does anyone have suggestions to curb this behaviour?