Dog Barking

[kateykateykatey]

What do you do, what have you tried, what's been most effective, and why?

Is it effective to teach your dog to bark on command, as a way to reduce intermittant barking?

What was a complete failure?

Edited October 14, 2007 by kateykateykatey

[The Spotted Devil]

My ACD was a very protective dog and thus a bit of a barker. My Dally pup only barks when there is a knock at the front door or if he is fast asleep in his bed and is woken up suddenly (usually by the cats running amok :p ). He's still at that age where barking scares himself more than anyone else I don't use any of the options - instead when pup barks I praise him then call him to me (more praise) and then tell him "no more". If he barks again I repeat "no more". This method has worked really well for me.

ETA: Zig already knew the concept of "no more" from when we were playing with a toy so it was fairly easy to transfer the command. I do it in a light, firm tone rather than raising my voice if that makes sense. I also trust his bark too....he was going off his nut at the lounge room window and I couldn't see a thing - until 2 teenage kids scaled next door neighbour's fence. Boy did they get a fright....although that could have been from my language ;)

Edited October 13, 2007 by The Spotted Devil

[kateykateykatey]

oh, wow, that's soemthing I hadn't considered! I thought of a few others before, but I can't remember what they are to add them.

[dogsforall]

i'm a mean mommy and put the hose on them if they won't stop after being told to

but now they have learnt and if someone is being persistent all i have to do is pick the hose up and they all go hide in their kennels (told you i was mean)

but thankfully all mine are quiet unless something is out of the ordinary and then i don't mind them barking

[deltron]

I usually go and have a look at whatever he is barking at before I tell him off.

Yesterday he was barking and defending the house.... from a snail... *sigh*

[catzatsea]

i'm a mean mommy and put the hose on them if they won't stop after being told to

but now they have learnt and if someone is being persistent all i have to do is pick the hose up and they all go hide in their kennels (told you i was mean)

but thankfully all mine are quiet unless something is out of the ordinary and then i don't mind them barking

Same in this household. :p

[Nevafollo]

our get "oi" "shut up" or "quite" and 9 times out of ten they respond our dogs bark at cats and people walking past the house ESPCIALLY i they have a dog off lead that feels the need to come on to our property!!!

if they dnt shut up the get a cup of water thrown at tme and all but 2 will take that as punishment...two love it...

[rastus_froggy]

Mine rarely bark and when they do there is always a reason (a good reason) but when I get a foster who whinges or barks at nothing I get saucepan lids and bang together very loudly, it usually just takes a few goes then they get it.

[KOE]

Didnt have a selection I would use.

If my shepherds bark I always go and look tell them quiet because they do not bark at nothing.

[kateykateykatey]

That may have been the option that I thought of, then forgot. I'll add it!

[kateykateykatey]

Ok. The "I go to see what they're barking at" option is added, but I'm curious to know what you do - is this a behaviour that is praised?

[Trisven13]

I must confess to have two options - the first is a very loud, very gruff "OYYYY". That will normally shut up all of my dogs EXCEPT for Mac the annoying. Mac is partially blind and thinks that everything on this planet is worth barking at - our solution with Mac is to just bring him inside and put him in his crate - he loves it and calms right down. When in our front yard he doesn't bark even a quarter as much as he does in the backyard - no reason why that we can figure. The usual methods of preventing barking just don't work with Mac when he has a good bark up so bringing him inside is the simplest solution for neighbours and ourselves. When we're not home he is always crated - when we're home he is outside unless he has a barking fit.

With new foster dogs, if the OYYYY doesn't work I will use my patented (NOT) Coke Can of Doom. This is an empty coke can, filled with tiny pebbles which I bash into my computer desk, my kitchen counters etc when the dogs can't see me - shuts pretty much all of them up very quickly - they just can't quite work out where the noise is coming from. I have a new foster here though who doesn't appear phased by the Coke Can of Doom - time will tell, she only arrived a few hours ago and everything is very new.

[skip]

So cute! Deltron.

He's not alone. My rottie once tried to bail up some ants making a conga line to take his biscuit crumbs!

Great topic. I have to move soon and I see a bit of yapping from the little one at first.

[kateykateykatey]

thanks Skip I was just thinking about it last night, because Scrimp was doing an attention bark, which I was ignoring (successfully).

He also barks at cats, to which I tell him ENOUGH (I don't know why, I suppose because that one can go on for ages) and on several occasions I've been known to give him a bit of a long winded technique, which I will explain.

Scrimp, for some reason, loves to bark at one of our cats when she sits on the side fence and looks over. I think it's got something to do with her trying to pick a fight with the neighbour's cat, I don't know. On one occasion, Scrimp was barking and OH unsuccessfully told him to stop (half-heartedly, mind you) twice. I came out to the kitchen, where he could see me, and said,

"I don't walk you 2 times a day for you to come home and bark your head off at whatever you please and generally PISS ME OFF"

He looked at me, sighed, and walked to his kennel (head down) went in, lay down, and sighed. He got told.

LOL

not my usual method, but highly effective.

I've not tried the coke can of doom, but I've read about it.

[Tilly]

Our dog is allowed 3 barks - it is something like bark ... long space ... bark etc. This is his warning bark as to say ... "I am watching you". If he barks more then that (a vollie of barks) - we always investigate because he never barks at nothing.

He will go off with the kids walking past bouncing their basket balls or if people take too long to walk past the house (because they are probably spray painting crap on the letterbox!!!) We still check it out and he is told he is a good boy and thanks for letting me know or something like "its ok - I can see them".

Occassionally if he is howling at the ambulances or police then he is told "enough".

Edited October 14, 2007 by Tilly

[KOE]

Ok. The "I go to see what they're barking at" option is added, but I'm curious to know what you do - is this a behaviour that is praised?

As I said they do not bark for nothing so I praise them especially when there is a person hanging around, we live on the banks of a river and have a lot of gear here and have had the shed broken into so yes I praise them.

I actually bought Kim and trained her to be a guarding dog.

[jesomil]

My adult Kelpie I dont think has ever barked at home. The girl does the odd bark and I just call out Quiet!! and that stops her. She knows that if she doesnt stop then i will come outside so she will generally stop on the first call.

We have a very enclosed back yard with trees etc so there is not much to bark at excpet the odd possum ggrrrrrrr.

[jaybeece]

Mine isn't a recreational barker so if he does it, it's for a reason.

I check out what he's barking at which is usually a noise next door or someone walking down then street and then praise him for letting me know. He stops barking straight after that and follows me away from the door.

If I can't be arsed getting up I'll praise and call him away, that usually works too although he's more likely to keep barking until I get up and take a look