Sandstorm needs a very firm NO correction-nothing else works!!

[KarenCurtis]

Back on topic....when I try to correct Indy for his annoying barking, he gets all skittish and antsy, and just goes and hides....makes it difficult to praise him for when he finally stops.

I'm going to have to read this thread again and see what worked for you.

I just don't have a real skittish dog, which is why I think it works for Sandstorm. This afternoon though he was barking at the glass door over nothing, I firmly said NO- it took him awhile to stop- and when he does growl/bark or bark at things, his tail is usually up-not wagging, that is a different bark when his tail is wagging. When he meets people and barks it's different; tail wagging-usually. Do your dogs go crazy over the vacuum? I would like to stop that also.
I think Sandstorm wants to be alpha dog- not nearly as much as our old GSD though.
Karen

 

[Emmasmom]

My Noah used to go crazy over the vacuum cleaner, the neighbor's lawnmower, opening/closing windows, the mixer, Mom taking her pills (I told her he was protecting her from the poison-one was digoxin and the other warfarin). We had to put him outside when vacumming or using the mixer or else use a very loud firm voice to tell him to stop and go lie down. This never worked for my mom- he never listened to her but I could speak to him and he would stop. Guess dogs are like kids - moms have the tone and the look (I don't have kids but I am known in the family for making the nieces' kids behave).

No problems with Emma yet but give her time.

 

[BarbV]

I think Bacca is the alpha dog, but in a laid back kind of way. He really does not try over hard to impress me. He just IS. But he's sweet and loving to humans and loves to play. I never have to shut him down. He is often out of control, but a quiet word is enough to settle him. He plays on his own terms. But he's a cuddler and owns top spot next to my pillow at night.

Indy is definitely a "needy" dog. Love me, love me, love me! Pay attention to me, mom there is something going on over there...bark, bark, bark! And then he runs and hides. I'd love to find a way to make Indy more alpha and not so needy!

 

[Caro]

I'm Jewish and Italian. There's no hope for me and my family. We're as loud as they come.

Boy, I must be awful, I often yell at mine, and certainly no and uh-uh are uttered often enough! I have been doing it more as they get older, because as adults they do know the what is acceptable and what isnt so they get yelled at, or a very stern no and if its only a mild transgression its an uh-uh. I figure if Deska is barking loudly then I have the right to yell back! It does work, I know some people think it encourages the barking but with my dogs it shuts em up.

Ah yes, and my family are Greek so YELLING MEANS I LOVE YOU!!!

 

[Megansmom]

Boy, I must be awful, I often yell at mine, and certainly no and uh-uh are uttered often enough! I have been doing it more as they get older, because as adults they do know the what is acceptable and what isnt so they get yelled at, or a very stern no and if its only a mild transgression its an uh-uh. I figure if Deska is barking loudly then I have the right to yell back! It does work, I know some people think it encourages the barking but with my dogs it shuts em up.

Ah yes, and my family are Greek so YELLING MEANS I LOVE YOU!!!

Wow, so when you yell at them to stop barking, they stop!!!! Like you said, I have also been told and read everywhere if you yell back, you're encouraging them..It just goes to show you every dog and every person is different and doesn't not always respond to the norm of things

 

[Emmasmom]

If Noah was barking outside, I would yell at him to stop and he would. I found if I got the tone in the voice, not necessarily the volume he listened. Emma sometimes needs a loud no or stop. If I do this, she stops what she is doing. Just like kids, once they know they have pushed too far, they read you and know they can't push any more. It's just a matter of finding the point where it works.

 

[LoveDogs]

When Dylan starts barking non stop (when he sees other dogs outside) I can get him to stop somewhat when I step in front of him and say no. He doesn't stop completely. He will give me residual barks. You know like he will back away from where he was and looks at me with corner of his eyes and bark once to see if he can get going again. He does this for at least 4-5 times more until stops completely.

 

[OntarioSheltie]

I think dogs need to have firm, set, boundaries, which they don't get when you ignore the behavior. So for a behavior that doesn't extinguish itself with the positive stuff, a good "no" or "wrong" doesn't hurt them.

I've found this also with both of my girls. Ignoring the behavior doesn't always work.

My parent's sheltie is an insane barker. Part of the problem is that Milo believes that he is the dominant member of the house, but that could be a whole other thread, and there are many threads on the forum about this. In short, make sure you're pack leader, not him. Anyway, with Milo, often the only thing he will listen to is a loud, firm 'NO.' He's used to my Dad's voice and won't listen to any other tones.

What about redirecting the behavior? When he's barking try calling him to you and putting him in a sit, then giving him a really high value treat for sitting. The first couple of times you may have to get his attention by waving the treat in front of his face.

 

[romeosangiovese]

I've been "experimenting" with training in my household, coz while Romeo is a soft tempered dog who will comply and really is an absolute angel in the house (tho' not quite outdoors), Juliet is not!! She's small but makes a lot of noise!! Oh and she's not bothered by water sprays and coins in a can don't faze her at all (she'll bark at it while Romeo shuts right up and gives me pitiful eyes). SIGH! Different techniques for different dogs!

For random barking what I've found working for Juliet is giving her instructive feedback (I think that's what Ian Dunbar calls it). She's smart and eager to please (tho' has a lot to say!!). I first had to teach her what Quiet meant then when she barked, I just kept saying Quiet until she shut up and then praised and rewarded. The number of times I had to say Quiet is slowly going down. I don't want to raise my voice coz I've done that before and it doesn't really help coz the next time you try to tell them to be Quiet again, they don't listen until you shout!! I tried No as well but that doesn't really tell them what it is I want them to do. They could think the No was meant for them playing or looking at something which triggered the bark. That's just what I encountered.

I also use redirection for barking at things/people/dogs outside the house (I get their attention and then very excited ask them to do things for me and they think they will be rewarded big time, and they are, so they forget about what they were barking at).

 

[Justicemom]

For random barking what I've found working for Juliet is giving her instructive feedback (I think that's what Ian Dunbar calls it). She's smart and eager to please (tho' has a lot to say!!). I first had to teach her what Quiet meant then when she barked, I just kept saying Quiet until she shut up and then praised and rewarded. The number of times I had to say Quiet is slowly going down. I don't want to raise my voice coz I've done that before and it doesn't really help coz the next time you try to tell them to be Quiet again, they don't listen until you shout!! I tried No as well but that doesn't really tell them what it is I want them to do. They could think the No was meant for them playing or looking at something which triggered the bark. That's just what I encountered.

Good point on the use of the word No, wrong or ah ah, whatever you use. They mark the behavior you don't want. The dogs stops the behavior. There is now a behavior void. The dog choses or you chose the next step. At this point we should praise the end of the behavior or ask for another behavior to fill the void such as a watch me ,a sit etc. So the correction as instuctive.