When did your sheltie start to bark?
- Thread starter Shelby+Julie
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Shelby+Julie
Forums Regular
Those are great stories about your dogs, sounds like they learn to bark at some point, just to varying degrees! Shelby has gotten a bit more vocal since we got him at 8 weeks (he is 7 months). I'm curious to see what occurs later on!
Emmasmom
Forums Sage
Max at just three months is barking.
Our trainer pointed out that dogs almost always have a reason for barking. You have to figure out what that reason is and make sure they are not getting reinforcement for it.
For example, Buffy used to bark when she wanted attention, like during our dinner. This was when she was a puppy. We did not give her that attention—although this resulted in some pretty painful & annoying dinner times. If she barks at something on the street (which is relatively rare) I do not let her get to it. I have a "settle" command where I pick her up by her chest and let her hand—that chills her out sometimes.
I'm sure you can find some info on the forums about teaching the "quiet" command. That one takes a lot of patience but it works if you keep at it.
She sometimes barks as a "demand" if she thinks she should get a treat or when she wants the ball in fetch. We do not reward her when she does this.
Buffy also barks when playing. I usually just let that go.
She doesn't bark when people come in the door because we are in a condo and people walk by the hall all the time. We wanted her to ignore that. But I have heard of some people training a "thank you" after they bark once or twice.
She "talks" more than barks. Like growls, whines, does a combination of everything. It is really cute.
All in all, Buffy is not super barky, but she talks once in a while. The thing that irritates me is the high, loud barking for no reason. Buffy doesn't do that. Her barking level stayed about the same throughout her life. My other Sheltie Abby wasn't barky either. I think it is more external stimulus and life events than an internal developmental thing.
And if you really don't want them to bark, don't get another Sheltie. They egg each other on.
For example, Buffy used to bark when she wanted attention, like during our dinner. This was when she was a puppy. We did not give her that attention—although this resulted in some pretty painful & annoying dinner times. If she barks at something on the street (which is relatively rare) I do not let her get to it. I have a "settle" command where I pick her up by her chest and let her hand—that chills her out sometimes.
I'm sure you can find some info on the forums about teaching the "quiet" command. That one takes a lot of patience but it works if you keep at it.
She sometimes barks as a "demand" if she thinks she should get a treat or when she wants the ball in fetch. We do not reward her when she does this.
Buffy also barks when playing. I usually just let that go.
She doesn't bark when people come in the door because we are in a condo and people walk by the hall all the time. We wanted her to ignore that. But I have heard of some people training a "thank you" after they bark once or twice.
She "talks" more than barks. Like growls, whines, does a combination of everything. It is really cute.
All in all, Buffy is not super barky, but she talks once in a while. The thing that irritates me is the high, loud barking for no reason. Buffy doesn't do that. Her barking level stayed about the same throughout her life. My other Sheltie Abby wasn't barky either. I think it is more external stimulus and life events than an internal developmental thing.
And if you really don't want them to bark, don't get another Sheltie. They egg each other on.
All this barking talk reminds me of a silly thing my Angel Pavi used to do. He could absolutely not stand the coffee bean grinder, and when my husband would use it, he would go absolutely nutso--jumping, barking, running around. When we were at our cabin one summer and the craziness started, I put him outside, and he commenced run run around the cabin (it's small) and bark and jump and act nutso. He must have circled it 20 times for one coffee grinding. After that, we always let him out just before the grinding started. I'm certain the neighbors thought he had lost his marbles! 
I thought Sassy (my former sheltie) was a barker. She's pretty quiet compared to Mya.
I got Mya when she was 12 months old and I never heard a peep from her until she was with us for 2 months. Now ....Mya barks up a storm whenever she feels the need to be heard.
The dreaded doorbell is the worst.....Mya goes utterly ballistic.
I got Mya when she was 12 months old and I never heard a peep from her until she was with us for 2 months. Now ....Mya barks up a storm whenever she feels the need to be heard.
The dreaded doorbell is the worst.....Mya goes utterly ballistic.
I think your post just jinxed me, Beau was at the window and was barking wildly at someone on the street. I made him get down off the window. It was the oddest thing, It was my neighbor, (the ones with the kids) so, I'm wondering if they saw him in the window and did something I didn't hear to make him do that, he's never done it before
BarbV
Forums Celebrity
I had to laugh at this.....yes, a trainer would say this for sure and help you spend lots of dollars helping your find out why your dog barks and how to deal with it.
Cripes! These are SHELTIES! Shelties bark! Period! Some of us get lucky and have only minimal barkers (e.g. my Bacca!) Other are barking machines. They live to bark and bark to live!
Can this be addressed and trained away? For sure....but you need lots of patience, diligence and sometimes tough love to make it work.
Shelby+Julie
Forums Regular
Shelby has found his voice... He is a good little dog though 
Listens to me, mostly, when I say to be quiet. So he was neutered two days ago and the first night he slept in his crate by my sister's bed because he hated the cone thing and we wanted him to be as calm as possible. That worked, but then last night I put his crate back down stairs (regular spot) [oh, and after watching him all day and he didn't bother his stiches, I left the cone off] and he sounded like a COW...! oh my goodness, such a goofy noise he was making! I went down shushed him and went back to bed, not another peep
He is ready to run today. poor guy doesn't know he still has the whole weekend with no running...
Listens to me, mostly, when I say to be quiet. So he was neutered two days ago and the first night he slept in his crate by my sister's bed because he hated the cone thing and we wanted him to be as calm as possible. That worked, but then last night I put his crate back down stairs (regular spot) [oh, and after watching him all day and he didn't bother his stiches, I left the cone off] and he sounded like a COW...! oh my goodness, such a goofy noise he was making! I went down shushed him and went back to bed, not another peep He is ready to run today. poor guy doesn't know he still has the whole weekend with no running...