Barking at agility training

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romeosangiovese

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I'm just curious, when you go for agility training, do your dogs bark alot? Not necessarily while running the course, but when they are just waiting their turn, in their crates or leashed to the fence.

And for those with multiple dogs, do your other dogs who are waiting on the sides bark alot when you're running one around the course?

We have this agility equipment usage session on weekends at an outdoor dog run where people sign up (not many, about 5 or 6 usually but some have more than 1 dog) and they use the equipment, rotating around the different obstacles and then finally running a set course. There is no trainer, you just DIY.

Recently, a labrador owner complained about the shelties' barking (there are some 6 shelties, 2 of which are mine) and they are all barkers (Romeo might shut up now and then but Juliet will bark continuously if I'm not working her).

I just wanted to know if this sort of barking is normal at agility or if it's just.. shelties.. or if it's just our dogs. I'm wary of disciplining my 2 around agility training because I want it to be a fun experience and I don't want to affect their drive (especially Romeo's, he has very low drive as it is).
 
The lab guy is in the wrong sport if he hates barky dogs, LOLLLL

Most people at the agility areas I go to don't even hear it anymore... there are just so many Shelties... who do get excited... and for Shelties excited means barking lol

I have but a few dog friends who are not into agility or flyball, they like the controlled sports more like obedience and rally-o, etc.. and they all comment on the crazy Shelties who never shut up :D I tell them to let it go and stop being control freaks :winkgrin:

What works for me and others is crating a tad out of sight and cover crate with a cloth of some sorts, and he stops barking after a while ... I want Toffee to rest and relax as much as possible, hence I think crating is good, even if he barks/howls at first as he doesn't want me to leave! Then upon my return tho he is ready to go and tuned into me
 
My two are guilty of barking...Bentley barks when I'm running Lexi.

Lexi barks when anyone other than her is running...but goes nuts when I'm running Bentley.

I don't correct them extensively. I would prefer to keep them engaged to limit barking than to try to get them to be quiet. Of course, keeping them engaged all the time is impossible (trying to listen and learn!) but I think it's okay that they bark as long as I can engage them if I want to. Barking and ignoring me is not okay.
 
I do not want my dogs being frenzied in the crates when other dogs are running. So if they can not tolerate all that motion going on around them, they get covered. Generally they know the rules so covering is not needed often. Since covering crate is a punishment in my book, it has rules. Bark- get covered, stop barking, I wait 2-3-5 minutes, uncover, if still quiet 2-3 minutes after they get nice reward for being calm. It helps my dogs to relax and rest. I consider it a good ability to balance drive and control. Now if they bark while they running, well I am not fond of it but will do nothing about it. Che was barking his head off when herding but I was told it will go away as he works more.
If my dog is not crated, he is still expected to " settle" and watch other running dog peacefully- no lunging or barking permitted. Again, it is all about balance. It is difficult for many motion stimulated dogs so we work on it specifically by ourselves and in off leash classes. I have to say that sometimes it confusing, Leo is much more motion stimulated yet he is capable of better control and Che has more difficulties. Yesterday in off leash class we had a set up when other dog was doing weaves, while barking his head off, ball was bouncing and frisbees were flying while dogs were suppose to hold down position. Che had his eyes rolling right into his brain:lol:
here is clip from Mr Swagger training, I believe he is 4 months old here and is watching flyball turnament
http://susangarrettdogagility.com/2011/06/puppy-distractions-go-to-a-new-level/
I will ask you to control your dog if your dog is in crate and barking his head off.:uhoh:
 
None of my dogs bark waiting their turn. Diva and Ember will sometimes but not all the time bark when I am running one of the others but it is rare.

Justice and Ember never bark when running. Never. I have never corrected them for it they just don't . Diva barks about 20-30% of her run but it is usually at the end.

I do alot of obedience though and they are not allowed to bark ever or they lose points sometimes a point a bark up to an NQ. It isn't that I am a control freak, it is just that from the time they are small puppies they get nothing when they bark. I have a video of Bock barking in his kennel and me waiting him out until he was quiet. He does not bark either now days when he is working even for his new mom. I make it worth their effort to shut up and pay attention.

Believe me at home Ember has the biggest mouth you have ever seen and Diva isn't to far behind her. Outside the house, Ember is mute. When she is quiet she gets cookies(she knows it could be in a minute or 3 hours) and that is worth it for Ember to put in the effort.
 
Mine only bark if I'm working more than one of my own, and am running the other dog. If I'm just working one of my dogs, even with other dogs there, they don't bark at the other dogs. Now, at a trial, that is different for Athena. To gear up to go in the ring, she needs to bark about 2 dogs out or I just don't have as game a dog as I could have. As far as while running, Kai used to bark me down at the weaves which I put an end to because she would lose focus, and only Aurora and Athena will give an occassional bark on course. I don't usually even notice it. Someone else will point it out later.
 
My two cents. I dislike a ton of barking. Especially when you can tell the dog is distressed or going crazy because another dog is running. I don't think it's fair to them to get all crazy when they're tied down or in a crate. I also think they could hurt themselves.

If Romeo needs to be worked up, you could try to keep him quiet until his run is coming up, or learn to gauge how long you need him excited to run well. If it's all the time, that's fine. However, if Juliet doesn't need anything, then quieting her will be the best thing. Covering a crate does wonders, but isn't always helpful.

Koji will bark at anything that moves. So if he can clearly see the ring, he is massively worked up the entire time. To me, that's hard on his body, his mind, and me. To be worked up for 8 hours straight? No, I don't want my dog in that state the whole day. I cover his crate so he can't see the other dogs run, that seems to calm him down. I'm fine with him being barky before we go in, after the run, but I prefer to keep him quiet otherwise. He's not always. The other weekend he was barking to announce himself. Not in succession, but it was like, bark....pause...bark, pause, bark. It was kinda cute.

Now, having a classful of Shelties myself 6 out of 8, you'd expect a ton of barking. But honestly, the only dogs really barking are two siblings who bark when the other is running. The other Shelties, mine included, bark when running, but not while waiting.

Barking is okay.....to a point. Is the barking distressing the dog? Is it adding to the others barking? Is it putting them in an excited mental state all day long? Things like that would make me think about if I need to quiet them down or not.
 
k9kreationz said:
Koji will bark at anything that moves. So if he can clearly see the ring, he is massively worked up the entire time. To me, that's hard on his body, his mind, and me. To be worked up for 8 hours straight? No, I don't want my dog in that state the whole day. I cover his crate so he can't see the other dogs run, that seems to calm him down. I'm fine with him being barky before we go in, after the run, but I prefer to keep him quiet otherwise. He's not always. The other weekend he was barking to announce himself. Not in succession, but it was like, bark....pause...bark, pause, bark. It was kinda cute.
Click to expand...

That's a good point. I always park/crate away from direct sight and sounds of the ring. I know my dogs would eventually settle, but I don't want them overly excited for excessive amounts of time.
 
Thanks y'all! Juliet's the more motion sensitive one (to my or Romeo's movement that is - it's the same at home when we train) so I'll have to work with her on that (she's like "Me! ME! ME!! Pick me!!" over and over!). Romeo isn't really motion sensitive unless it's a big dog running (he's somewhat dog-dog reactive). He's cool with me running Juliet and generally more laid back and "whatever" unless he sees a larger dog run by.

The barking doesn't seem to distress Juliet at all. Romeo maybe a little coz of his reactivity to the bigger dogs. They rotate being run around so it's maybe 10 minutes of crating/barking, 10 minutes of running alternating over an hour and a half.

I think part of the problem is that we set up almost right next to the equipment so that the usage turnover is faster. Everyone's set up along one side of the ring.

I'll try covering the crate, but I'm also wary because it's so hot here, I'd like to get as much ventilation as possible. Will try working on Juliet at home too so she's quiet when I train Romeo. I'm always so eager to use the agility equipment that I forget to train these other things!!

I'm sure I must tune out some of the barking because I'm so used to it. But I also wonder if it's because the handler who complained has a lab and just doesn't get shelties! :lol:
 
Yikes. I forgot about the heat. You could try just covering the front part that is facing the ring. I think that's how I started out with Koji and typically that works. I have to cover the whole thing for dogs passing by.

I would say, as long as they're not stressed out, then whatevers. It could be he's just not used to it. I mean, I don't really hear the "amount" of dogs barking at a trial. I just hear my own, lol.

Juliet sounds like Koji. He usually barks to say, "pay attention to MEEEEE". :rolleyes2: Typical youngest child syndrome, huh? hehehe.

In all honesty, if there's nothing you can do and it was just that one person that complained, then leave it be. Trust me, I know people will let others know if their dogs are barking WAY too much or if they're barking because they're very stressed/fearful/etc. Here, people care more about the dogs well-being than human ears. ;)
 
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