Barking

[Dust Angel]

Sienna has a barking problem, she has had it for a while. She is not a nusience barker, she wont sit there and bark all day, we know this for a fact as we have asked our neighbours if she barks when we are not home. Now barking is fine if she is warning us that someone is here or that there is a strange dog in the front yard (happens all too frequently here). However she has times when she barks like crazy like when she sees someone putting shoes on to go out, when we are walking towards the door to leave, when she has to lie and wait for dinner or when she gets really really excited.

I have tried several things to stop it. First i tried to teach her the command bark, then i tried to teach her the command silent. Well she will bark on command but silence no way. When we are leaving and she starts barking i have tried walking back in the house and sitting down, (if we leave without taking her she is silent as soon as we go out the door its just the excitment that she might be going out that gets her) did this everytime she barked for a solid month - nothing changed. I have tried the blank stare into space and not moving when she starts - nothing. Apart from these times she doesnt do it - it seems to be an excitment thing for her.

She is other then this a very well behaved and trained dog, has excellent recall, a list of tricks as long as your arm and a wonderful nature. She will be three next month and her barking at these key times is steadily getting worse. Any ideas would be appreciated, i have had several suggestions of a various types of bark collars, but im sure this is just a matter of hitting on the right training and completing it successfully, shes a smart girl and idefinatley dont want to head down that track. She is clicker trained if that helps suggestions at all.

Edited August 31, 2007 by Dust Angel

[Kavik]

What about making these things that she thinks is exciting less so by desensitising? For example putting shoes on to go out, put shoes on and don't go anywhere, shoes on, shoes off, no difference. When walking to the door to leave, walk to door, walk back and don't leave so that she cannot associate one with the other.

[Lablover]

Persist with your 'silence' command. Obviously she does not understand it yet????

[Ah Ngau]

I was having the same problem a couple of months ago. And like you, ignoring the dog when he/she barks doesn't work. In hind sight, the dog was excited and seeking attention, ignoring him would only encourage him to bark harder.

I now allow my dogs to bark a couple of times when they are excited (i.e. visitor at the door, children playing outside, etc). Praise they "Good boy" and then ask them to be "quiet", timing is essential. As soon as one of them stopped for a split second, I will REALLY praise the little man. If they didn't stop, I would shout "QUIET" and tug on his collar. This would shock them a little and stopped the barking. When a couple of second then praise him for being quiet. Increase the silent period a couple of second at a time. Both of my dog master the "quiet" command in a week.

Things to keep in mind.

1. Don't punish them for barking, barking is natural for them. Only reprimand them when they disobey your command, i.e. "BE QUIET".

2. Ignoring them won't work.

3. You may also want to teach them to get and hold their leash in their months in preparation to a walk. When their months are full, they can't bark.

4. Sometimes, when he is being a good boy, laying down on the floor peacefully. Let them know you appreciate that. Just a small pet is good.

Lastly, I am a newbie. That's just what I did to my dogs and it happens to work.

[Dust Angel]

Thankyou everyone for the great suggestions, i will definatley try them.

What about making these things that she thinks is exciting less so by desensitising? For example putting shoes on to go out, put shoes on and don't go anywhere, shoes on, shoes off, no difference. When walking to the door to leave, walk to door, walk back and don't leave so that she cannot associate one with the other.

Ive tried this to a certain degree, but didnt follow through with it so i will defintatly devote some more time to it, thankyou.

Persist with your 'silence' command. Obviously she does not understand it yet????

I think the problem is that she does and just doesnt want to do it, shes quite a smart dog and usally picks things up very quickly. I will persist though. Thanks

w3. You may also want to teach them to get and hold their leash in their months in preparation to a walk. When their months are full, they can't bark.

Sorry this made me laugh, not because it is not good advice, just Sienna can bark with two tennis balls in her mouth! Dont ask me how but she can I have taught her to carry her collar and lead, problem is whenever they are in any way accessable she will grab them and follow me round the house with them looking pitiful!

Everything you said makes perfect sense and i can see how ignoring her would only spark her to greater efforts, she is pretty good apart from when she thinks she is going out and at dinner. I will definatley try all your advice though and appreciate your post.

[Erny]

Everything you said makes perfect sense and i can see how ignoring her would only spark her to greater efforts ...

This is the "extinction burst" that comes with extinction training (ie where we ignore them in response to their behaviour because we know that is exactly NOT what they want us to do).

When the dog excalates its attempts, take it as a sign the extinction training IS working.

The most important part is that you ride it through all the way. Most times it's not the extinction training that fails, it's that we lose patience and/or can't stand the noise and so we give in before the extinction burst has peaked. And THAT teaches the dog the level of behaviour it now needs to exhibit to achieve its goal.

ETA: What you have been doing sounds pretty close to right. But one question .... when your dog was barking and so you left the house without her and she then quietened down, what did you do?

Edited September 2, 2007 by Erny

[TangerineDream]

Hi DA,

Tango does the same thing!!! and spins in mid air at the same time.....I do the same thing as you...stand and wait and stare into space and wait for him to come back to earth because he knows that the collar doesn't go on till he's sitting calmly in front of me....can take (what seems like a) few minutes..... Then there are the times that I walk outside the front door and get the same response, but it's slowly getting better, because the carpet runner in the hall doesn't get moved as far as it used to.

One thing that I found that has helped quite a lot was to move his bed in the study in full view of the front door and do the repetitive in-out-in-out while making him stay and correcting him if he so much as leant forward...I chose a time when there were to be no other distcations for 30 mins or so and then bored myself going in and out...but it was worth it. Think I should try this again....

Wonder if it's a GSP thing?

[Dust Angel]

But one question .... when your dog was barking and so you left the house without her and she then quietened down, what did you do?

Erny every time i leave the house and she realises she isnt going as well she settles, as soon as the door is shut she simply sits down and watches me leave. At this point i dont do anything out of the ordinary - just leave. Should i return to the house and praise her for being silent?

Its wierd too as she seems to know the differnce between me going outside to get the mail (no barking then) and when im going to be going in the car and driving away (before i leave the house) - she also seems to know the difference between when im getting ready for work or uni and when im going to the farm to do the horses or to the shop etc? Pherhaps it is the clothes i wear - or the length of time spent getting ready? For instance my mum is getting ready for work right now Sienna is quite as a mouse, however i know if i went and put some casual clothes on and my joggers that would be it.

Wonder if it's a GSP thing?

You could be on to something TD either that or its a conspiracy between Tango and Sienna to make us think its a GSP thing.

Edited September 2, 2007 by Dust Angel

[rob@minnie]

No conspiricies. Our Elsa does the same thing although is improving with age.

My major problem at the moment is the total freak out (high pitched squeaking and rapid spinning) when she hears certain noises. Worst is sound of alfoil or any scrunching of paper.

[Erny]

DA - have you tried applying a correction for the barking and then, provided she remains quiet for (initially a short) duration, rewarding her (by taking her with you or whatever)?

[Dust Angel]

No i havent tried that Erny, the problem is the only time she doesnt come with me is when i cant take her, work uni or when she would have to stay in the car. Pherhaps i will start pretending im not going to take her and doing as you have suggested. I have got my mother involved and now when she starts barking as we are getting ready (shoes are a major indicator for her) we both stop what we are doing and stare at the floor, she does her normal bark thing it gets more and more frantic then she will go into a submissive type of body language with her head down and her tail wagging only slightly and low, and come over to me quietly, she then gets great praise and we begin to move again - all in all this process happens about four to five times before we make it to the door. Im sure it will get quicker!