Maggie will not stop barking - 11 weeks

S

Sheri

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Maggie is doing great at 11 weeks, she goes outside to the bathroom and knows what 'treat' means, her name, go play, etc.

She sleeps all night and only starts barking right about when my alarm goes off.

The problem is, she wants to play with Lucy non-stop. When I put her in her pen while I'm trying to work, it's constant, screeching barking. I know she doesn't have to go to the bathroom because she'd just gone. She wants to play. She doesn't sleep much during the day because she is always barking, wanting out of her cage to go play. I don't give in because I don't want her to think it's ok to yell like a maniac.

I know she's at a delicate stage right now and I don't want to do anything that's going to give her some kind of weird trait as an adult.

Anyone want a puppy for a few weeks? :biggrin2: Any ideas would be appreciated...big time!!!
 
Since 11 weeks is too young for much of a walk, I would try to fit in a short play session before putting her in the crate and leaving the house. There are lots of fun games you can play with your puppy that will help develop your relationship and build skills that will come in handy later.

One of the trainers I see regularly has put a puppy series on YouTube. I think you have to subscribe to get the full series, but here's a link to a sample. The trainer, Kim, is a top competitor in both agility and obedience.

http://www.youtube.com/user/eprlesson#p/u/5/NIGKPJzsGbU
 
I would put the crate in a separate room and ignore her. She is barking because she gets attention as a result of the barking, being negative (tell her to stop) or positive (eventually getting let out). I would also NEVER let her out of the crate when she is barking. Only let her out when she is quiet.
 
depending on what type of crate you have maybe putting a sheet or blanket over it might help her some. i know some puppies tend to try to pull them into the crate though. but with koda he tends to bark at my other dog when hes in his crate.. putting a sheet over it tends to help him calm down and he cant see what shes doing. he barks at everything she does...the sheet seems to be the only thing that helps.
 
I will give these suggestions a try. I thank you, my ears thank you and my neighbors thank you ;)
 
danisgoat said:
I would put the crate in a separate room and ignore her. She is barking because she gets attention as a result of the barking, being negative (tell her to stop) or positive (eventually getting let out). I would also NEVER let her out of the crate when she is barking. Only let her out when she is quiet.
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Ginny did the same thing when she was a pup, she constantly wanted to play with Sadie and would yap and howl in her crate to be let out.

I put Ginny's crate in a separate room with a door. Just like putting a baby down for a nap, I would draw the blinds to make the room dark and some times cover the crate with a blanket. I'd shut the bedroom door and door at the top of the stairs to make it as quiet as possible. This minimized the carrying on. It was something that she eventually grew out of (for the most part), since it doesn't get her attention. She still does howl some times though, which we just laugh at.
 
I've been ignoring her when the barking starts up (provided I am positive it isn't a yelp to be let out to the bathroom) and it seems to be working. I will either just keep working at my computer (yes, with that screeching!) or get up and leave the room entirely.

At the most she will bark for 5 or so minutes then give up. (YAY!) Then she will go back to her imaginary digging. She does that a lot. I'm wondering if I should tell her the Chilean miners have already been rescued. :lol:
 
Oh boy, Bailey did the exact same thing.... bark, bark, bark, bark, bark, bark, bark, bark... Non-stop in the mornings, around 530-6am! The little pig was used to being fed early in the morning by our breeder, and we have slowly transitioned him off a rigid schedule, and he has learned that he has to wait for us, and be patient and quiet to be fed.

His other barking, is still somewhat of a problem. When I leave him in his bathroom when I take out our Golden to go to the bathroom or for his walk, Bailey starts barking, but I assume he eventually stops, because by the time i get back, he's quieted down. He also barks when he wants out to play, but we just ignore him till he quiets down, which seems to work a bit. He's gone from 30+ mins of constant barking, down to maybe 10mins... still painful, but progress (i guess). We do, however, shush him, or tell him to be quiet! from down the hall, which sometimes works on him (it used to work on our Golden pretty well when he used to whine when he wanted out to play).

Good luck, and I feel your pain....
 
I'm having the exact same issue - our almost 13 week puppy is seriously barking up a storm. He never used to, but then discovered how fun it can be to play around the apartment (our fault, shouldn't have exposed it to him that early) and will bark his head off to get attention, sometimes at 5am in the morning because that's when I get up.

I'm honestly worried for the neighbors - our walls are thin, and I don't want someone reporting him. I tried the sheet thing, but should I move him into the bedroom, rather than the openness of the living room? We also ignore him a lot but sometimes we wonder if all of a sudden he has to go to the bathroom, and that's why he's barking... so confusing!
 
Maggie barks because she wants out to play. I am certain of this now. I know she is 'empty'. She just wants to be with the big dogs. I won't give in, no matter how annoying the screech can be. I only let her out of her pen when she is quiet. It seems to work, but man....that shrill could crack glass!!!
 
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