Oh, I hope someone can give me a process that sticks! Maya is a Pyrenees cross. I know that they have been bred to bark for a living, and I don't mind a warning bark or two, but Maya goes right over the top. We have a bike path behind our house, and Maya is triggered by dogs walking by. She races the fence and barks like mad and hops with her front feet on top of the fence. Maya is a BIG dog, and though she is as friendly as the day is long, she scares people when she does this. I don't blame them - I'd be nervous too.
The thing is, is that we have worked on this and worked on this! We'll target the behavior for a month or so and Maya will get really good at ignoring the dogs or at least coming to me when I call her. All I've had to do for the past few months is tap on the window and Maya will come racing up the deck to get a treat and then back out again without barking. Maya will be really good for about three months and the bang, we're right back where we started from. Right now we're back where we started from.
Our process has been to do lots of obedience work in the back yard so that she sees this as a place where she needs to listen. She'll go out only with me and with a leash on and if a dog goes by and she starts to race to the fence I'll step in front of her and say 'Uh uh' and body block her from the fence. She gets treats as soon as she sits and looks at me. From there we move to a long line and she gets a leash flutter to remind her not to go to the fence and she gets treats as soon as she comes back to me. Eventually we get to where I can call her from the back door. Great process, but it takes a while and as I said, we have to repeat it every three months or so.
I'll admit that I'm starting to get frustrated. I hate getting mad at my dog. We have a great relationship, and she is such a good dog. This issue just spoils it. Here is a link to a u-tube clip of Maya last summer in another bad patch. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPnOoPq1iCw
Does anyone have any suggestions?