Dog Community

Too much barking

Posted : 5/21/2008 7:43:24 PM

I love Bandit, he's 7 mths old now and getting neutered within a month or so (unexpected car repairs took the neuter fund for now Sad )
but he has this wonderful habit of barking, and not just a bark, bark, stop or anything...nope...he's like barkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbark breathe
barkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbarkbark

I've tried teaching quiet, it doesn't even seem to phase him at this point. I've tried redirecting his attention, I've tried ignoring him, nothing seems to be working! I would reallly like to be able to get some sort of a handle on this before the baby comes and he keeps her awake all the time or is waking her up with all this barking. He feels he has to bark at everything that MAY move outside, let alone what's actually moving. And when someone comes to the door!! OH MY!! Now he's got some issues with new people being in the house, and we're trying to work on that. People who know me well (ie friends) understand when I say move slowly if you're going to put your hand down to him. Quick movements make him run away barking. But only with new people. And for the most part I tell them to just let him come to them. He usually does. It just takes him some time. (My BIL on the other hand took advantage of the fact that I had him on a leash after a potty break and grabbed a hold of him and was like seee I'm not so bad and rubbed him all over and wouldn't let him get away...in a way yeah great show him that new people aren't going to hurt you..;.but I'd rather he learned that in a less forcefull way )

So if anyone has any suggestions for me on the barking issue. I know I have to socialize him to battle the new people thing. We are working on that Smile

fitzfids

Posted : 5/21/2008 8:50:12 PM

A citronella collar can work wonders, but you mentioned that you had to use the funds for his neuter to get the car fixed....so instead.....

Maybe try making a shakecan....put pennies in a soupcan, put plastic on the top with a few rubberbands to make a lid. CONSISTENCY is key, but every time he barks, shake the can and as soon as he looks away/stops barking/turns to you call him over and reward with a treat or brief toy tug.

If this doesn't help, try something even louder, like an airgun...the point is to interrupt his barking immediately and consistently. Once you do, start tying a phrase such as "no barking" in with it as you reward him. Soon, you will be able to say "no barking" and your dog will look to you for a reward instead of barking. But for now, you have to take yourself out of the equation by using another noise to interrupt it. If you run over and yell at him when he barks at something, he just thinks you are barking WITH him. Does that make sense?

purple chaps

Posted : 5/21/2008 10:08:40 PM

Makes total sense! I think that's why I'm getting so frustrated...I'm trying not to raise my voice because I don't want to "bark back" I've tried using things around me to distract him by making a loud noise to at least break the barking but I will definately try the soup can.

What about a water gun? What is the purpose of the citronella collar?

tiffy

Posted : 5/22/2008 9:20:58 AM

The citronella collar sprays out citronella everytime the dog barks. I knew a dog this was used on and the spray frustrated him so he kept barking. Imagine a room filled with the scent of citronella. I wouldn't go this route. IMO.

mudpuppy

Posted : 5/22/2008 10:22:02 AM

yeah, if you're going to go an automatic bark collar use one of the electronic ones. A crisp, clean, well-timed correction; those sprays are kind of silly, the scent lingering long after the correction was applied, must be totally confusing to the dog.

Weirdly enough one way to get a dog to stop barking on command is to teach the dog to bark on command- seems to allow the dog to put "barking" under conscious control.

espencer

Posted : 5/22/2008 7:03:04 PM

How much exercise is your dog having every day?