puppy barking at me

Hi and welcome to the board.

It sounds to me like your pup has gotten attention by barking and so she's just doing what has worked in the past. It also sounds like she's being pretty demanding of you. Have you heard of NILIF? I have used this protocol with all my dogs since they were tiny and had great success. You will experience the extinction burst because in the past the barking has eventually gotten attention.

And another step would be an obedience class. She sounds fairly normal, maybe just a little on the wound up side.

What kind of exercise does she get? Dogs need exercise every day. They really benefit from a nice long walk, too. And I don't mean the kind of walk where she's sniffing and dragging you around on her leash, I mean a good concentrated pace for 20 minutes.

Hope that helps. You know, we like pictures..  

Actually I can't think of when I gave her attention for barking. She just recently started this, like within the past week. And so I don't know if she got the idea that because I was saying "No Bark" to her that to her that was attention? I was told that she was adopted once from the shelter but returned after 5 days because they couldn't house train her in those 5 days. So not sure if they gave her attention when she barked? But for 2 weeks here, she didn't bark, she was a nice puppy and slept. But all of a sudden it's like she's got this burst of energy..

I have been trying to get her to do things before she gets a reward. Before I put her food down, I make her sit and try to not let her rush right to the food. She needs to sit nicely before she eats, but I don't know how much I should expect from her as a 4 month old puppy. So today when she wanted to play or something, I told her to sit and then we played. She's doing really well with sit and down.

I plan on doing obedience, just need to get her enrolled. One training place's class doesn't start til January, and I called another and left a message to find out when their class starts.

I take her around the block, I know that's not much, but I wasn't sure what to do. I walk briskly so she she has to walk briskly to keep up. But most of the time she spends the time behind me and will try to stop. So it seemed to me that she didn't like the walk? Or should I just force her for longer walks? I'm up in northern WI so it's very cold out right now, so I also wasn't sure how long would be acceptable for her to be out in the cold? So instead of long walks, we play fetch but eventually she tires of that too and just wants to play tug of war or something.

Here's a picture of Lila:

Hi and welcome from another northern Wisconsin'er! Lila is adorable! I'm not sure where you are, but TLC Dog Training is an excellent place.

alli713

...I don't know how much I should expect from her as a 4 month old puppy.

Actually, quite a bit. You'd be surprised at how much a young pup can pick up. Just keep the training sessions short, and work on it every day. Most puppies/dogs love to please their owner, and when a treat is involved... Yay! That's an extra bonus. The key is consistency. And obedience classes aren't just for learning commands, they're great for socialization. 

But remember, puppies are puppies, don't get too frustrated if she doesn't pick up on things right away or gets distracted easily. Good luck! 

 OMG, what a cutie pie!!!!

Actually I can't think of when I gave her attention for barking. She just recently started this, like within the past week. And so I don't know if she got the idea that because I was saying "No Bark" to her that to her that was attention?

Dogs aren't born knowing what "no bark" means, and, yes, some dogs perceive this as attention, or a "duet" LOL.  Try teaching her to bark on command, then teach quiet.  LIke this: http://www.clickertraining.com/node/1125.  Worked for my Aussie, and clicker training is used in some shelters now to help insure a quieter environment.  I like that you are teaching her to exhibit a behavior before getting a reward. That doesn't mean that you can't occasionally lure her with a tidbit (useful to teach something like "spin";) but you are generally on the right track.  Puppies get bored, and they tire, so don't be too overzealous when you exercise.  Learn about targeting, and you can use part of your walks to teach her to walk nicely without pulling.  Until you get to class, there are some free lessons here: www.clickerlessons.com.  It's a well written site, with techniques that are commonly accepted by clicker trainers. 

First things first, what a DOLL! She's precious! She looks younger than 4 months to me. So, I'm going to back off on the 20 minutes and say that around the block is probably good for now. She should have several play sessions throughout the day, though that get her pretty tired. At her age, she can set the pace.

When I say attention for barking, I mean ANYTHING. Even eye contact. She is probably trying to get your attention so if you even look at her, she was successful and that would encourage her to bark more to get more attention. SO yes, telling her not to bark is attention.

Can you teach her some obedience yourself? Like stay? If you can teach her to sit and wait, then put her food down and make her wait until you release her to eat, that will help her learn self-control. My dogs could all do that by 4 months.

It sounds like her exercise level is right for her age. But it's important to be consistent, and puppies love schedules, so a walk every day is good, even if it's just around the block. Make her sit and wait while you attach her collar.

For now, I would completely ignore her barking. It's probably just a habit she's developed and will quit when she discovers it doesn't get her anything at all. And if she barks or bites at you, stop the game and leave (like you said you were doing). And work with her to do basic obedience. You can teach her several simple things and build on them until you can get her into class.

I haven't used this page, but it looks interesting and talks about barking.

Link 

Thanks for all your replies :)
As I said, I'm really uncertain of her age, I just have an approximate age so she could turn 4 months from anywhere from the beginning of this month to the middle I think.
When I was younger we had a pug and I did beginning obedience with her, so I'm using some of that knowledge with Lila. So far she pretty much completely understands sit from what I can tell, but when she's excited she doesn't necessarily want to do it lol. And we're working on down.
I'm a student so the longest she's home in her kennel is 4 hrs. So once I get home I take her out and either go around the block or play with her.
I think completely ignoring her when she barks is probably the way to do it, but what about when she's barking and I'm ignoring her and she proceeds to do something undesireable? Like chew on something or something like that, I would assume that in that case it's okay to correct her? Or block her from what she's trying to do?
Is there a reason why some places say they don't allow obedience until 6 months? I would like to enroll her in January, once my Christmas break is over, but she won't be 6 months then. Is this something I could discuss with the facility do you think? Since she seems willing to learn, I don't know what the problem would be, and she already has all her shots.

I thought I was lucky with a really well behaved puppy til she started all this barking and mouthing me lol. But I guess it just gives me something to do :)

alli713

but what about when she's barking and I'm ignoring her and she proceeds to do something undesireable? Like chew on something or something like that, I would assume that in that case it's okay to correct her? Or block her from what she's trying to do?

I my opinion, yes. One thing you will get here is a difference of opinion because there are a wide variety of training styles represented. I believe in corrections and blocking, but some don't. You just have to go with what works best for you and your situation. I would probably try to distract her with something else that she enjoys. A chew toy or something like that. You could also use a squirt bottle and a calm "No".

Any time my dogs are doing something I don't want, the first thing I do is stop and think, "What's the best way to get her to stop doing what she's doing and do something I want her to do"? It takes practice and experience to find the best form of distraction or correction.

I love the book How to Raise a Puppy You Can Live With. I got some great ideas from there. And your little one will be going through different stages and trying different things to figure out her place in this new home. Have you gone through this section and read the other threads on puppies biting and barking? You should also look in the Training section. See if you come across any good ideas in there. Lot of smart people here.

alli713

Is there a reason why some places say they don't allow obedience until 6 months?

I think that's because of shots. I would definitely talk to them about it. 

Yeah, puppies are a lot of work, the hardest part is figuring out how to get the message across to them in a way they'll understand. But the rewards of a well-behaved dog are so fantastic!  

Thanks for all your replies :)
As I said, I'm really uncertain of her age, I just have an approximate age so she could turn 4 months from anywhere from the beginning of this month to the middle I think.

Typically, that's about the age when some puppies find their voices:-))

When I was younger we had a pug and I did beginning obedience with her, so I'm using some of that knowledge with Lila. So far she pretty much completely understands sit from what I can tell, but when she's excited she doesn't necessarily want to do it lol.

You could take her for a walk, or play some fetch before you start your training sessions.  That way, you take a bit of the edge off and she may be more able to concentrate, and be a little less excited.

And we're working on down.
I'm a student so the longest she's home in her kennel is 4 hrs. So once I get home I take her out and either go around the block or play with her.
I think completely ignoring her when she barks is probably the way to do it, but what about when she's barking and I'm ignoring her and she proceeds to do something undesireable? Like chew on something or something like that, I would assume that in that case it's okay to correct her? Or block her from what she's trying to do?

I rarely use corrections.  I'm more inclined to ask the dog to perform an incompatible behavior.  For example, if she is jumping up, you could ask her to sit instead (or, you could ignore that, too and turn away until she has her paws on the ground and reward her for not jumping - the timing is important, though, since you don't want her to think she's being rewarded for jumping on you and then getting off.  (Google "behavior chains";)

Is there a reason why some places say they don't allow obedience until 6 months?
I would like to enroll her in January, once my Christmas break is over, but she won't be 6 months then. Is this something I could discuss with the facility do you think? Since she seems willing to learn, I don't know what the problem would be, and she already has all her shots.

I have found that the facilities that do this are often traditional trainers.  There are many clicker and positive training facilities that take younger pups.  I will take them as young as 8-10 weeks, provided they have been checked for parasites and communicable disease, and they have age appropriate vaccines/exams.

I thought I was lucky with a really well behaved puppy til she started all this barking and mouthing me lol. But I guess it just gives me something to do :)

You are lucky - cute matters:-)))