Barking!!!!!

[JacqueZ]

If it starts to bark I turn my back to it. Its been my experience that the more you talk to it or yell at it, the more it barks because it thinks you are joining in.

This all the way. My husband yells when Honey is barking, and it never helps.

I'm sure somewhere this has floated around the forum but about a fifth of the way down the page is a series of cartoons that perfectly sum it up.

http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/11/dogs-dont-understand-basic-concepts.html (They're the ones with the blue backgrounds)

 

[LaddieKatieMom]

When we adopted our Lady, barking was an issue with her. Everything: if she heard a doorbell on TV, other people, other dogs, etc. We were in PetSmart and I saw those sonic no bark gadgets. I bought a Sonic Egg - asked them if it didn't work could I return it and they said no problem, just save the receipt.
Well....I used it maybe three times and NO MORE BARKING!!! Doorbell rings on the TV, no big deal. Other people/dogs on our walk, no big deal. I could not believe that it worked so well and so quickly. It's OK for her to bark if she hears someone at the door, or outside (for a limited amount of time), but problem is GONE...so give it a try. It cost $20. Well worth it.

 

[Justme]

Its been my experience that the more you talk to it or yell at it, the more it barks because it thinks you are joining in.

Sometimes I knelt down right next to my boy, and talked to him in a very soft, very calm voice. He would stop barking so he could listen to what I was saying.

(I also taught him the Quiet command and the Shhh finger signal.)

 

[EJHUNTL]

I've been very lucky to have quiet shelties, especially my last 2. The big thing for me is that from the very first minute they come home, I do not encourage or reward barking in any way. Good things happen when we are quiet and we get ignored when we get noisy. Doing that consistently has worked for me.

 

[Tagg]

You have no idea how many people I meet that teach, inadvertently, to bark. Puppy yips are cute but they turn into barking. I agree with Eva, never encourage or reward right from the get go. Having said that, puppies born of barky moms will learn it from her. It becomes doubly important not to reward puppy excitement barking from the onset.
Tinsel has a habit of trying to make noises when I prepare his food. If he starts up, I go sit down. As soon as he is quiet I give him praise and then it's back to the food bins for me. The Aussie across the street greets me at the door without barking and sits until I pay attention to her. Sometimes it is immediate attention, other times it is when I get to the dining room. She never knows what I am going to choose to do so she has to be patient. Her owners are always amazed with this because everyone else gets assaulted both physically and verbally as they enter. I have never allowed any other behavior from her so she knows that when Joanne enters, this is the only behaviour that will gain her attention and probably a treat.

 

[Karen Largent]

Barking Shelties

We have a 5 year old Sheltie. Acutally today is her birthday and she is a barker. I just did what was suggested on the forum. She started to bark and I went right up to her face, Held my hand up in her face and said "Quiet" and she immediately stopped.

Now she is the kind that can learn a new skill with only one or two tries so this was major for her today. We have been trying different things and this worked!

So thank you so much! I am very happy and will use this technique from now on.

It was so simple, I don't know why we hadn't tried it before.

They are so smart and can be taught She just did it again and it worked again!

Karen

 

[Liza0714]

I agree with the obedience training, and also while training, rely primarily on hand signals rather than on verbal ones. It has helped quite a bit with out new sheltie who is a significant barker.

Once she finishes intermediate obedience, we start teaching "tricks" and while it is wildly counter-intuitive, the thing that best shut up my beagle/border collie from his crazy barking was was teaching him the trick "speak". Once it became a command the barking became much less interesting to him. Additionally, once he knew "speak" it was simple to teach him " no speak". It has helped immensely.

 

[bkzoo]

I have taught Watson "quiet" but I'll be honest, it depend on what triggered the barking. He's not a non-stop barker in general so it's really not so bad. We have used a crate in the past as a sort of "time out" but not as in a punishment of putting a kid in time out... popping him in his crate gave him a chance to chill out (he doesn't generally bark in there) and it was especially good when he was younger and would bark at storms. He happily rode it out in there with no barking... the stress level was less for him.

And for what it's worth, I'm pretty sure he walks at my side at this point because he wants too. I'm fun, I often have a pocket full of treats and he knows I'm safety when we out in public... not because I've lorded over him and shown him who was in charge.... we tried that schtick before I knew better. It didn't work.

I don't mean to disrupt the thread - just haven't been on much lately and wondering how Watson is doing...

 

[Watson's Mom]

I haven't been on much lately either. Watson is currently snoozing right next to me quite contentedly... resting up for our mutt strut dog walk later.

We still take obedience classes and he still has a touch of a stubborn streak but he did make friends with a pot bellied pig named Elinore Roosevelt.

 

[trini]

Darci...how nice to see you! I was just wondering the other day how Watson was doing and missing hearing from you...Watson is looking good.

Trini