reactive to sounds

[melbell]

Hi everyone, I figured since you guys are so amazing, you might be able to help me with my 9 yr old sable girl. She barks at every sound she hears which then ends in a huge uproar where I have to yell at her to come to me and lay down. Being in an apartment is rough with sounds. She also barks at people. We have a huge sliding door to lead to the back of our apartment where she and Ruutu will stare out and wait for something to move. oooh silly dogs. Lately, my fiance will grab Honey during one of her barking fits and hug her tightly and it does calm her down a lot. I know there are a lot of threads here about thundershirts, but do you think they'd work for her with barking at animals, people and the sounds of birds, people talking, foot steps, door slams etc.? I know it's a money back guarantee, and there is a pet expo coming up where I might go ahead and buy one. My only other issue is buying her the right size...and then do I leave it on her all the time?? It's mainly when we're home as when we're at work I often find her sound asleep on our couch life is hard for my dog...She also has issues on walks with seeing people, birds and other dogs. I'm not looking for a fix all, but mainly for in the house, so I don't have to keep yelling at her. It probably doesn't help that Ruutu takes it upon himself to bark (just one bark) if he sees anything then she comes running and he jumps on her back. oi. kids.

 

[SheltieChe]

If you are looking at many years of building such behavior than you might need to look into medications, if it sudden onset of anxiety, then checking with vet for medical issues is good idea. Sound reactivity can be very difficult and can easily escalate to large proportions in no time since you really can not prevent it from happening in apartment situations. I do not have any experience with thundershirt.
If it is at all possible to predict some situations when dog will inevitably go into barking fit, lets say 8 am all your neighbors leaving, then it is much better to try to manage the situation by crating dog with favorite chewy before 8 am or take dog for walk etc.

 

[Han&Bon]

I'm sure lots of us feel your pain and I really do. Bonnie is a bit similar, we are in a small townhouse so lots of dogs/cars/people around that set her off. And she has picked up nervous/worrisomeness from me!
I know its hard in the moment when you are frustrated but raising your voice will make it worse, they think they are doing the right thing and you are joining in. What your fiance is doing is probably somewhat the way to go, take her by the collar and hold her and wait til she is calm and relaxed or put her in the bathroom for 10 seconds to snap her out of it. I've also training Bonnie to come inside if she is barking at things outside. I usually go and see what it is and say thank you and tell her to go inside. All in a normal voice so its not a 'your in big trouble' voice as she's less likely to listen to me if I do this!
A few of the really frustrating traits I have trained her to do less by making the noises over and over and desensitising (giving treats and positive rewards while doing this) or being prepared with the treats there when it starts to distract and ask her to sit and be calm while it is happening.
And as said take her for a walk at the times that set her off the most or put her in her crate/pen so she knows she can relax. Bonnie has had the thundershirt but I don't think it helped for the barking at all. Sorry!

 

[melbell]

I'm sure lots of us feel your pain and I really do. Bonnie is a bit similar, we are in a small townhouse so lots of dogs/cars/people around that set her off. And she has picked up nervous/worrisomeness from me!
I know its hard in the moment when you are frustrated but raising your voice will make it worse, they think they are doing the right thing and you are joining in. What your fiance is doing is probably somewhat the way to go, take her by the collar and hold her and wait til she is calm and relaxed or put her in the bathroom for 10 seconds to snap her out of it. I've also training Bonnie to come inside if she is barking at things outside. I usually go and see what it is and say thank you and tell her to go inside. All in a normal voice so its not a 'your in big trouble' voice as she's less likely to listen to me if I do this!
A few of the really frustrating traits I have trained her to do less by making the noises over and over and desensitising (giving treats and positive rewards while doing this) or being prepared with the treats there when it starts to distract and ask her to sit and be calm while it is happening.
And as said take her for a walk at the times that set her off the most or put her in her crate/pen so she knows she can relax. Bonnie has had the thundershirt but I don't think it helped for the barking at all. Sorry!

awe well thanks for about the thunder shirt! haha glad I'm not alone. She's always done this,she believes she's the protector of the house regardless of who's house she is in. We don't crate her at all and I wouldn't start crating for her barking, but the bathroom idea might work. I only yell because she doesn't listen to me otherwise No one has complained or anything and I get told they can't hear her through the walls (thank god!) but people often think she's going to eat them when people run outside in my backyard. She's fine once she knows the person though. Just protective.

reason I won't crate her: My parents crated her all her life due to her having accidents in the house and just making life easier on them with having 3-5 dogs at a time. She then scratched her skin raw (where her eyebrows would be) off of the crate to bleeding point. She actually had another bleeding episode right before she moved in with me. Since she's been here, we have never crated her (except when maintenance comes in) and because of that she now has fur growing back in those spots and also eyebrow whiskers again. She's MUCH happier now she doesn't live the crated life.

 

[Han&Bon]

Aww poor puppy!! Yeah I wasn't big into crates either, I do have one just for training if we need to travel in the future. I have one of those cheap wire pens that I can quickly drag around her bed and put her there for a short time out. I suppose its trying to say that its okay she doesn't have to look after the house, the humans do that. Just in your body langauge and confidence you can do this. If its the noising time of day I often just close the doors and keep her in for a while so she misses most of it and doesnt have to get anxious about the world! Sometimes I sit in the back yard with her at those times of day and have her lie down with me and give her rewards for just relaxing next to me and ignoring sounds.

I had one neighbour complain (well Bonnie was barking at 2am at flying foxes outside!) so I've definitely had to work hard at lessen it as its not a nice thing. Sometimes when she occassionally still goes off at crazy levels and I'm stressed I think we escalate each others stress levels But i'm seeing improvements so it can happen

 

[Lunatic59]

reason I won't crate her: My parents crated her all her life due to her having accidents in the house and just making life easier on them with having 3-5 dogs at a time. She then scratched her skin raw (where her eyebrows would be) off of the crate to bleeding point. She actually had another bleeding episode right before she moved in with me. Since she's been here, we have never crated her (except when maintenance comes in) and because of that she now has fur growing back in those spots and also eyebrow whiskers again. She's MUCH happier now she doesn't live the crated life.

I'm sure your parents weren't deliberately trying to upset your girl, but it sounds like they didn't use the crate properly. Crating when done right will not only provide you with an excellent method to control your dog, but it will give them a home (aka den) and a sense of safety and security. We've never had an unhappy or upset crated dog.

At 9 though, I don't know what you'd need to use a crate for, especially if she doesn't like it.

 

[melbell]

I'm sure your parents weren't deliberately trying to upset your girl, but it sounds like they didn't use the crate properly. Crating when done right will not only provide you with an excellent method to control your dog, but it will give them a home (aka den) and a sense of safety and security. We've never had an unhappy or upset crated dog.

At 9 though, I don't know what you'd need to use a crate for, especially if she doesn't like it.

No they weren't trying at all. She'd only be in it to eat and when my parents were at work. Honestly, I have no idea why she didn't like it as it was near my male sheltie's crate too which her and him used to be pretty close. She didn't start doing the scratching thing though until she was about 6, so something changed

 

[melbell]

Aww poor puppy!! Yeah I wasn't big into crates either, I do have one just for training if we need to travel in the future. I have one of those cheap wire pens that I can quickly drag around her bed and put her there for a short time out. I suppose its trying to say that its okay she doesn't have to look after the house, the humans do that. Just in your body langauge and confidence you can do this. If its the noising time of day I often just close the doors and keep her in for a while so she misses most of it and doesnt have to get anxious about the world! Sometimes I sit in the back yard with her at those times of day and have her lie down with me and give her rewards for just relaxing next to me and ignoring sounds.

I had one neighbour complain (well Bonnie was barking at 2am at flying foxes outside!) so I've definitely had to work hard at lessen it as its not a nice thing. Sometimes when she occassionally still goes off at crazy levels and I'm stressed I think we escalate each others stress levels But i'm seeing improvements so it can happen

Luckily my neighbors are really nice and aren't even bothered by her. I can hear both my kids fusing though from outside at my friends door (2 doors down). But I listen for it, where others don't so that might be why haha. Sadly where they bark the most is our back patio sliding door which has blinds on it and no way to really block them from seeing things. Honey will listen after I tell her no and to go lay down, but boy it would be nice if I didn't have to!