Please Give Me Some Tips On Our Barking Dog!!!!!!

Me | July 8, 2005 | LadyS

[LadyShallott]

My husband bought me a dachshund last year for my birthday. When we brought him home (at the time)we lived in a very rural, VERY quiet neighborhood. We are now living in Columbus on a very busy side of town. Hence the increase in traffic, noise, people, and everything else that goes along with it. Well our dog barks for hours at the smallest noise. I hate trash day....when the trash truck shows up our dog is in full blown hysterics. What can I do about this? We have tried training (it didnt work), taking him outside when the the loud noises occur (doesnt work), and making sure he has everything he needs in terms of going outside and so forth. Scolding him basically sends him under the nearest couch to bark. The sound of the phone ringing sends him into barking fits. Mind you this is a dog that has grown up with a very noisy and active toddler who drags him around for almost everything. He is great with kids and is very protective of our daughter. Plus there are nights when we (daughter and myself) are alone when my husband has to go into work. So I dont want a mute dog. I would just like to find a middle ground with our dog. Any ideas?

[LadyShallott]

We had a golden retriever before Buster the super dog. He was a very sweet, laid back dog. Our daughter was highly allergic to him when we brought her home from the hospital. He (Riley)was adopted by a K-9 officer who had just lost his dog. Labs are the same way. I was referring to the muzzle more than anything. LOL

[Sirc_Valence]

Watching parts of "Uncle Matty's" programs helped me very much with my pitbulls. I was just flipping through the channels and I caught a few episodes on PBS. I strongly recommend his tapes or his website. His instructions are very simple, effective, and insightful. My doggies (Roxy and Brat) were able to be on the street with me unleashed when they were still pups (I wouldn't do that when they were a threat to strangers of course) and they would listen to my verbal commands very early. I didn't really take notes, I basically internalized the info and that made taking in strays much easier than I know it would have been for me otherwise. Someone must have dropped them off at my doorstep because that's where I found them. This was when I was in highschool. I could take with me that way to the park and they were very disciplined. I think I was even teaching them to cross only when the light was green, but I lost them over a family dispute so I don't know for sure.

Your dog seems to have a combination of fearful aggression and territorial aggression. It might be predatory aggression. Try a phone consultation at 1-800-334-3647. Don't give up on your dogs! I know how tempting it can be when you can't get anywhere with barking that keeps you up at night or other bad and disruptive behavior. That's how my dogs were at first when I would put them outside and other times.

[martin_fierro]

"I YAM the Dog Whisperer!"

[Joe 6-pack]

I agree with Hairofthe Dog...a pinch collar coupled with a command, "Quiet," or, "No" or even, "Hush." This entails some additional time commitment on the part of you and the family, keeping him on a leash and applying the collar when needed.

Also, when he is reacting to a routine noise outside, get down to his eye level and confront him...roll him over, distract him and grab his throat placing him into a submissive posture. Speak in a low, firm tone and let him know you're going to have things your way and not his. I haven't had to do this for a very long time, but I would actually bite my shepherd's throat (and come up w/ a mouthful of fur) but it got his attention. When I say, "NO!" he will essentially freeze whatever he is doing, be it barking, approaching another dog, etc.

I'm not a fan of shock collars, and consequently do not have enough experience to recommend their use, but I do know some people that have used them to great effect.

[bert]

...That technique also worked on my two cats....

Well well, a barking cat thread..

[Vermonter]

I have to agree that the shock collar can work wonders.

We have a year old Australian Cattle Dog which we wound up adopting after first fostering him for the Humane Soc. The breed is very energetic by nature and requires a lot of exercise.

When we got him he was still in his puppy mentality and had run wild for an unknown period of time. He was totally unmanageable, but a sweet friendly dog.

Two sessions with a trainer specializing in the electronic collar had him walking at my side with or without a leash, coming when called from almost any distance and going to his 'place' when told to. We also stopped his jumping up and mouthing on me.

He now lives inside with us (and 3 cats and another small dog) which I never thought would be possible. He still has his 'moments', but a quick reminder with the collar brings him right around.

Barking was not one of his bad habits, but the trainer assured me the collar could be used to control it if it became a problem.

I'd try the water bottle first and move to the collar if it doesn't work.

Good luck

[Graybeard58]

Get him one of these:

[AnAmericanMother]

Don't use one of the cheap anti-bark collars. You have no control over when it goes off (for example, if you have tags on the dog's other collar, THAT will set it off sometimes - I found that out the hard way. Poor Shelley! I caught her quick though and stuck my hand under the contacts. So I can testify personally that they don't hurt!)

Get an electronic retriever training collar, the best are Tri-Tronics

or DogTra.

I have an InnoTek, I'm not really happy with it (you have to look at the transmitter to see what level you're on - the Tri-Tronics and DogTra can be run by touch alone).

Use a choke collar to train "Quiet" first, in response to a mild stimulus (that only makes him bark a little - not the trash men.) As soon as he stops, give him a nice (but tiny) treat. Repeat as necessary, until he gets the idea.

If he's smart (most doxies are), he'll think that you can't get at him to pop him with the choke collar once he's off leash. THAT's when you introduce the electronic collar. Substitute a "momentary" stimulus on the collar for the choke collar.

Our trainer says to start with the lowest possible stimulus and gradually increase until you see a reaction in the dog (not a scream or screwing him into the ground - he should pause, hesitate, or maybe flinch). Then back down a couple of increments.

[truthkeeper]

Sorry, I didn't mean to sound so critical. Plainly you are trying to correct the problem. Your story hit a nerve because right now we're dealing with the neighbors directly across the street - right across from my bedroom - who allow their dog to bark allll day and alllll night long. And the dog has this weird, strangled, screechy kind of bark that is like fingernails on a blackboard. I have to run a fan, wear earplugs, and keep the windows closed in my room (which makes it hot and stuffy) in order to get any sleep.

I suppose I should gear up to deal with Animal Control, but am still rather drained from the last go-around with the neighbors in the backyard. They would also allow their Dalmation to bark non-stop day and night. (Ever heard a Dalmation go at it? "Persistent" is an understatment.) It took 6 months to get them to finally move the dog to the other side of the house where his yelping is a little more muted.

So you see, I am surrounded by barking dogs. Dunno, maybe it's a California thing. And it does get to you after a while.

[stboz]

Cut the dog's tail off...right behind its head.

[BruceysMom]

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES should you use a shock collar this will make the dog fearful and maybe even agressive. The humane alternative is a citronella anti- bark collar. It allows the dog so many barks then the dog is sprayed with citronella. It annoys the dog and doesn't harm him.

[OSHA]

Get yourself one of them compressed air horns. The louder the better! Every time your little doggy starts barking, you cut loose with the air horn right there in the house. One blast for every bark.

It may not stop him from barking but after a while you will be deaf and you won't care anymore. Problem solved!

[sharktrager]

Have you tried more cowbell?

Scared Bunny Blog
Not for the timid

[CheneyChick]

Yeah, that Dog Whisperer dude fixes dogs in five minutes.

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/channel/dogwhisperer/

"Boomer" in Episode 4 is a barker.

[ken5050]

Not sure if this is helps, but here's my suggestion, FWIW..if your dog is neurotic..give him a substitute obsession. I had a doxie once..great dog...sweet, loveable..got along well with everything..kids, cats, even the parrot..but the dog was nuts for a tennis ball..she'd fetch it, bring it back, and wait for you to throw it again...inside, outside, anywheres, incessantly... you know how they quiver when they're excited..attentive..like they just got a mild electric shock...I only stopped tossing the ball when my arm got tired...is your dog into fetching balls?..maybe you can substitute..get him hooked on the ball, then when he barks..roll the ball..he can't run and bark, and he can't bark with a tennis ball in his mouth..

[Spktyr]

[Hetty_Fauxvert]

The jake brakes and horns drown out most of the noise from anything outside.

Sounds like you are in a verrrrry noisy area now! Your poor dog's nerves may be frayed. Talk to your vet about a short course of appropriate medication, to be taken concurrently while you continue to train him. Vets are using psychotropic medications on their patients more and more these days. If the poor little guy is on the edge of a nervous breakdown from all the noise, that will certainly make it harder for him to pay attention to any training.

BTW, the water-squirt thing is very effective on cats (which we have several of) and goodness knows cats are harder to train than dogs! If you haven't tried that, you might give it a whirl. Good luck!

[AnAmericanMother]

this will make the dog fearful and maybe even agressive

I disagree profoundly - every hunting retriever I know (mostly Labs but some Goldens and Flat Coats) is trained with an electronic collar, and they aren't fearful or aggressive (wouldn't be any use as retrievers if they were. They have to sit on the line and honor other dogs, plus go after birds that aren't always completely dead.)

Properly used, electronic collars do not cause pain and merely annoy the dog. Obviously, sadists and stupid people need not apply (but that's true of all animal ownership.)

I attended a great seminar a couple of weeks ago by a professional trainer who uses the electronic collar sensitively and to amazing effect. My dog was a "guinea pig" and she figured out the drill in five minutes. He did compliment me that she was very intelligent and very sensitive to the collar. On a scale of 15, we had to go up only to a high 2 and then backed down to a medium 1 for a good response.

Citronella will destroy your dog's sense of smell. Retrievers need their noses in prime operating condition.

[Temple Owl]

Try squirting your pooch with a water pistol. It sometimes solves the problem/

[Vermonter]

I strongly disagree. If this were the case, two Humane Societies in large towns near me wouldn't be using this method (with a trainer) to help train dogs for adoption.

I've seen no signs of aggression or fear in my own dog. The shock he occasionally gets is instantaneous and gets his attention immediately. He responds as he's been trained and the correction is over with.

I've held the shock collar in the palm of my own hand (as required by the trainer) to feel for myself how painful it is. It is not severe at all.

The collar is best used in conjunction with a trainer who himself has been trained in proper use.

My dog's collar has adjustments for strength of the shock, from zero to 100. My dog has never required more than a setting of 20 and normally responds to a 16.