barking at night

    • Silver

    barking at night

    my stepdad brought home this dog. and as far as dogs weve had goes this one takes the cake for the worst. it chews stuff up, drags road kill up in the front door, doesnt bark at strangers or vehicles that pull up in our yard, and worst of all it barks from sun down till sun up. It would run circles around our house just randomly barking at nothing keeping everyone awake. we chain it up at night but the barking hasnt stopped. And monkey see monkey do our other dog has began to join in on the nonsense barking sometimes. Is there anything I can do to stop it from barking? my grandmother mentioned something about having its vocal cords clipped at the vet but I dont know if she was joking or if they actually do that. It barks all night every night its to the point where i want to load it up and carry it to the pound when nobody is here and just let my stepdad assume it went missing.

    • Gold Top Dog
    My aunt had a dog that wandered up who would bark all night (all around the house) unless he was let up, and shut up, on the porch. He seemed to have been someone's indoor pet at one time though. Where does your other dog stay at night -- before it began barking? I know my dog, if left out (stomach trouble or stubbornness, usually) will bark because he thinks he is protecting his yard. He is on high alert at night, possibly because it's very dark and there are lots of noises and animals in the woods behind our house, as well as people walking on the path. However, if he's in the house, he won't even raise his head if you ring the doorbell -- unless you're the UPS guy.
    • Gold Top Dog

      The answer to your question is that you need to learn about dogs and their relationship with their humans.  I suggest that you read a few books on the subject.  There are many good ones out there.  Look for books by Jean Donaldson and Patricia McConnell.

    If you aren't interested in learning about dogs and how best to teach them to be good companions, it would be best to find a new home for this dog.  Dropping the dog off at the pound could be an option, if he has a chance at a home.  A death sentence seems harsh for a dog who is doing what comes naturally and many pounds euthanize unwanted dogs because they lack the space to house all the dogs that people no longer want.  Please show this dog some compassion and give him a chance if he can't fit into your lifestyle.

    • Gold Top Dog

    You chain it up at night? not good chained in the house or outside, neither is good as far as I'm concerned.

    • Gold Top Dog

    Based upon what you wrote, it appears that this dog hasn't had any formal training, is likely bored, hence the running in circles, destructive chewing and nonstop barking.

    Dogs are pack animals and they don't understand "human rules" automatically. That is taught. If I left Ari chained up, didn't interact much with her, she'd likely become a problem barker, chewer and likely also chew herself to bits from sheer frustration. Dogs generally do not come to us trained. It's up to the humans to make time to train the dog how it needs to fit into the household. 

    I also second the advice on reading up on literature that deals with dogs and their relationship to us and humane methods of training.The Cornwall books are great.

    The barking isn't going to stop automatically. It's up to the ENTIRE family to train the dog about appropriate barking. I do not have any advice on training for that, because it is not something I've ever had to deal with, but I'm sure someone on this forum can help steer you in the right direction.

    • Gold Top Dog

    brad1821
    carry it to the pound when nobody is here

     

    You would do that?

    • Silver

    There was no before it began barking it has barked like this since the day it was brought here. Yes we chain it up at night and as far as im concerned chaining the animal is better than cleaning up the dead armadillos that It kills at night when it is unchained. It has began to call/taunt the neighbors two dogs which are huge and have already killed my grandmothers Jack Russell. One of them charged at the dog today but it got away pretty quickly by the time I got outside to run them off they were already gone. It was left unchained tonight and I heard it barking/howling down in the woods along with the sounds of something dying now there is silence because it has a temporary chew toy. Im just fed up with the barking and so is my mom.
    • Gold Top Dog

     I have no words. Someone help me.

    • Gold Top Dog

     I found my words. Cleaning up dead armadillos has to be better than cleaning up a dead dog, right? You sound really uncaring and a bit selfish, but thats just my opinion.

    • Gold Top Dog
    Brad, if you are going to have any success with getting the dog to stop barking, you're going to have to learn about dog training and dog behavior. As much as we'd like them to, dogs don't actually speak English, so you will have to learn how to communicate with your dog in a way that he will understand.

    I believe you care about this dog at least a little bit, or else you wouldn't be here, right? So you're going to need to work a little bit and put yourself in the dog's place to better understand why he's doing the things he's doing. (He is a dog, with thoughts and even feelings, even though they might be very simple. If you want to get through to him to get him to stop barking, you'll need to use a little bit of dog psychology. A good first step is not calling him "it" - he's an animal, not an inanimate object. :))

    So, first step: put yourself in this dog's position. You can't read, write, or listen to music. No internet, no video games. You sit around all day, being bored, and hoping someone will hang out with you. At night, instead of having a bedroom to sleep in, you are left outside. What do you do? Your day was boring, so you're not tired. There are lots of sounds that are distracting, and you can't sleep. So you go investigate, and maybe you hunt, and maybe you call around (bark) to see if anyone else wants to come hang out with you. When you find something cool, you bark to let everyone else know about it. When you hear something weird, you bark to scare it off. And barking is pretty fun, and you have nothing to do and are bored and lonely, so you bark. And bark. And bark. And bark.

    Honestly, if you want this dog to stop barking, you're going to have to give him something in his life that is more enjoyable than barking. For many (most?) dogs, that's just a soft bed inside the house, near the people. Make sure he has plenty of exercise and activity during the day, so that by nighttime he's actually tired and wants to sleep. Then give him a quiet, comfortable place to spend the night. A crate might be a good idea, or you could even set him up with some blankets in a bathroom or spare room.

    Your dog's barking is telling you something. It's basically a request. Your job is to find out what that "something" is, so you can fulfill your dog's needs and he won't need to bark anymore.

    • Gold Top Dog

    Didnt read everyones responses but heres my advice.

    Teach the dog that a crate is a good place, always put them in with a treat and start out with short periods. Never let them out while they are barking and whining. If they are barking or whining either ignore and let them out after they quiet downso they realize silence releases them or a quick squirt with a water bottle when they are barking, make sure you get them right on time with the bark and dont yell as you do it, just say "quiet".

    If you can, try not to chain them at night because it puts them in a bad situation with wild animals and other dogs. It can also stress them and cause them to bark because they are far from you and possibly never been chained like that outside.

    excercise and spend time bonding with the dog too so they are mentally and physically stimulated. pent up energy and boredom can cause repeatitve barking.

    Be patient, the dog is having trouble because noone understands him enough and hes not understanding you either. This can be handled so its not a lost cause.

    I recommend only debarking as a LAST resort, its not the best way to handle the situation and there are soooo many other ways to handle your situation than what I have already said, Im sure other members will help you too. Im just saying how I have worked with my dogs. Im sure some ppl might not like what advice I offered and also some will agree with me but we will all agree this is not the dogs fault. Goodluck

     ETA- I noticed you let the dog run without supervision. This is a accident waiting to happen, the dog could get injured or injure someone or another dog. This will also make training harder and help bad habits form quicker. Its ok if you didnt know but do research and look out for your dogs safety.

    • Gold Top Dog

    proofpup
    debarking

     

    This dog doesn't need to be debarked, he needs a friend. Or at the very least, someone who cares.

    • Gold Top Dog

    very much agreed, I hope O.P uses the information given to them

    • Gold Top Dog

    brad1821

     

    There was no before it began barking it has barked like this since the day it was brought here. Yes we chain it up at night and as far as im concerned chaining the animal is better than cleaning up the dead armadillos that It kills at night when it is unchained. It has began to call/taunt the neighbors two dogs which are huge and have already killed my grandmothers Jack Russell. One of them charged at the dog today but it got away pretty quickly by the time I got outside to run them off they were already gone. It was left unchained tonight and I heard it barking/howling down in the woods along with the sounds of something dying now there is silence because it has a temporary chew toy. Im just fed up with the barking and so is my mom.

     

    The first smart thing you did was provide the chew toy!  That's a great start.  Plus, your alternatives are not just "chain the dog" or "let it run loose" - you could consider putting up a kennel or a cable run inside a fenced yard.  Dogs hate isolation and want to be with a social group, so that shouldn't be your long term solution to anything.  The very first thing to do is establish trust (which means, at least temporarily, don't make a big deal of the barking or any other ignorant behavior).  Do it with food.  Let the dog learn that you are the provider of all things good, and that you will not yell at him or hurt him.  It takes time for a newly rescued dog to bond, never mind learn anything.  Go to the pet store and get a clicker and some treats.  Then, go to www.clickerlessons.com and do what the lessons tell you!  You will be amazed that this dog, as most dogs, can probably learn, and may even like it.  Once you understand the basics, and have taught him to sit, down, stand, target your hand or a stick, and walk nicely on lead, then tackle the behavior issues that you don't like.  Chances are, if you use half his kibble to train him every day, and let him enjoy a puzzle toy to eat the rest, he'll be less destructive and less barky. 

    I'm always surprised that people are surprised when dogs act like dogs.  They really don't know how to do anything else until we take the time and patience to teach them.  Think about it this way - if you were raised by humans (LOL, I'm sure you were, right?) and then you suddenly found yourself out in the woods with a pack of dogs, would you know how to mark territory, hunt cooperatively, or play so that the other dogs would know you didn't mean to fight instead?  Nope - your instincts would take you so far, and then an experienced dog would take you the rest of the way.  The reason that others have suggested you read Donaldson is that she is very good at explaining how dogs think and why we misunderstand how to deal with them on terms that they can understand.  The book is called The Culture Clash - and I think you are right in the middle of one, so great idea to read it and learn.  You have a lot to learn, but if you embrace it and do the learning, you will never look at dogs in quite the same way again, and the thought of chaining one up in the yard to spend the night alone will be as repugnant an idea to you as it is to us.  Good luck to you and I pray this dog does not end up dead because of human ignorance...

    • Gold Top Dog

     Annie.. the chew toy was whatever the something was that the dog killed...

    I recommend contacting your local rescue to take the dog.