Bark, bark, bark, bark, bark...................

barking

What do dogs do when they are talking to you? BARK
Listen to them, they can tell you many things. Our rough Collie had different barks for many things. If she hadn't ask to go out before bed time, I guarantee you the bark she gave meant you better hurry because I have to go!
We live on a quiet street with neighbors but we are in 5 acres of dense woods. Many creatures roam, large and small. Some of them walk erect on their only two feet. Dogs see and hear things we only imagine. Of course they become excited and irritating some times. Learn to quiet them with a stern word or two then love them more.

We are going for our Tri-Color Sheltie the 12th of this month. He will be loved, irritating, messy, laying where you do not want him, deciding he doesn't really like that person at the door, and many other things. We will cuddle, pet, brush, and above all love him as a child. That is what having a dog in the family is all about.:wink2:
 
My young bi-black can be very barky. Most of the time it's not a big deal and stops when I tell him 'Enough!'.

But he also barks on walks when he sees other people or other dogs. There is nothing mean about it - he is just so excited to see a potential playmate ! Not usually a big problem, but at 5am in a densly populated neighborhood ? It can be a problem.

What works is asking him to do tricks for treats. I taught him a lot of very silly tricks (jump, turn around, sit up, shake, etc.). So, when he gets barky, I put him in 'heel' position then ask him to do these silly tricks, in rapid succession which he LOVES to do. Of course he gets a treat for doing his tricks, so he is very motivated. Dogs can't multi-task, so if you can distract them then they will stop doing what they were doing.

That is why the breeder said call them and treat them. That will break the bark cycle, and get them to focus on you. You are rewarding them for coming to you, not for barking. By the time they come to you they have forgotten about the barking.

Same reason that you can't punish a dog for pooping in the house unless you catch them in the act. After it's happened, they're onto something else.
 
Well, it continues, and it is getting to me, I can not stop this, and when it starts, forget it, they will not stop until they are ready to. I wish I had not gotten the second dog, it was bad before, but now, it is worse. I asked the vet what to do, he said to fill a bottle up with rocks and then throw it at them for the noise to scare them, I am afraid to, if I do this, next time I pick up something, it may scare them as they will think I am going to throw something again, it is tricky as they are both so skittish. Geesh.:(
 
I wouldn't throw it at them, but if you just shake it loudly to get their attention perhaps that will be enough distraction to call them over for a sit/treat? I don't have a barking issue here but anytime I want Hanna's attention all I have to do is crack open the treat drawer and she's right there sitting at attention.
 
I have a can with pennies in it. I get it out when vacuuming. I do not throw it at her, I just shake it a bit every time she goes after the vacuum. I have on occasion dropped it near her but never throw it at her. Shelby now knows if she sees or hears the can she must behave. And it really does work.

Now if she is way over the top, like going crazy barking at the kids outside etc. then the can does absolutely nothing.
 
The barking Sheltie....well actually it's not limited to Shelties...but clearly they are very expressive barkers.

Like many, I'm not horribly upset by Indy when he barks....he barks at the hair dryer, vacuum, squirrels, dogs walking by, my printer, and yes particularly meal times.

I only get upset when he won't stop when I say.

So a few things I'm doing.

- meal feeding stops as soon as he starts. I put him into a down and make him wait. If he gets up, I put him back into a down.
- I had great success with him with the remote ultrasonic trainer. Not a collar, but a handheld that I control. The principle is to interrupt the behaviour. This is a great interrupter. (I only discovered it no longer working because the battery is getting weak). I think it was takeroll4 that suggested a "come". The principle is similar. The idea is to break the focus from what's causing them to bark. Of course, come, will only work if your dog has good recall to begin with (but frankly, you want that anyway)
- Pet corrector is another great attention getter. Same with shaking cans. The problem with all those tools is that you have them handy.
- the hair dryer......I've learned to send him off chasing a toy. And now he will bark 3 or 4 times and go find a toy himself.

He still barks, but I find I can quiet him quicker as a result of using a number of techniques.

I will continue to use the remote trainer, but it is not my main tool ( must replace batteries!).


Hope this helps.
 
I wonder if a special bark muzle needs to be invented

the muzzle wont prevent the opening of the mouth but, with some kind of elastic , it would take more jaw muscle strength to open the mouth. the jaw muscles would tire quickly and thus the dog would bark less or very little. It is a idea that may work.

this would be a bit high tech, Micro controler that allows the mouth unrestricted moment when tilted down at a 30 degree angle for water and food, but forced to restrict mouth moment when the head is at a horizontal plain.

What about those devices that send a joltto the next when it heard barking?
 
I don't know ... dog barking, despite its potential for annoyance is probably the most useful thing a dog does, and probably was the primary reason humans started keeping them in the first place. A natural intruder alarm.

My neighborhood is full of dogs, and they all bark. I have no objections to letting Dickens bark either, so long as it's broad daylight. When it gets excessive I look to see what's bothering him, then either make him come in or interrupt him. At night I don't give him more than a short round of barking every now and again. It's not really the barking per se that's so annoying, but the persistence of a dog that won't quit.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top