Territorial Barking And How To Stop It

[Sing Song]

Hi guys

We have moved recently and when our dogs hear anything they go crazy similarly they go nuts when someone comes to the door. I was wondering if anyone had some training suggestions i can apply. I have put off getting a citronella collar would that be the better option?

cheers

Sing Song

Edited November 9, 2009 by Sing Song

[Erny]

Try teaching your dogs what is trespass and what is not. That does mean that you need to be around to supervise though - if you're not, try blocking them to the rear yard for those times when you are away.

The barking at the door when someone knocks? I presume that is accompanied by high excitement and scrabbling to see who can get to the front door first? Teach them a conditioned response that is not compatible with going to the door. From day one with my boy, I never allowed him to greet people at the door. Initially I just popped him into his crate or pen. As he grew bigger, I simply ushered him into the hallway (in your case could be another room, or it could be their respective crates if they are crate trained) which for me is in the opposite direction from where the street access front door is. I tend to find now that whilst he gets excited and barks a bit (he's getting reasonably good at "Thank you; it's ok; enough") he is almost automatically heading to the hallway - I barely need to usher him that way now. I close the door to the hallway and greet my visitors. I can determine from there whether I then need additional control (eg. lead/collar) if the visitor is coming in beyond the front door way and tend to that whilst my visitor waits. My boy is understanding that I deal with visitors, not him. My leadership attributes that I have shown since day dot has also helped a lot.

Basically, it's about creating structure and routine and being completely consistent about it.

ETA: If your dogs weren't barkers before you moved, chances are you won't need to use anti-bark collars if you put in a bit of time teaching your dogs what their boundaries actually are, what's ok to be around those boundaries and what (or who) aren't. If the dogs are habitual barkers, I like to look into other things that could be contributing causes so these can be worked on (ie removed). The anti-bark collar can then do its job by working on the symptom (ie barking). I do not like Citronella Collars. My preference is towards the static anti-barking collars - the ones where you can set the dial to a stim-level that suits the dog, rather than the ones which have standard levels and ramp up and down.

Edited November 9, 2009 by Erny

[Sing Song]

Hi Erny

thanks for your advice. Originally we had problems when we discovered that some kids were taunting our dogs at our previous house as we lived near a lane. I think that seemed to trigger them to be hypersensitive about people coming down the lane. Now that we have moved they are bascialy barking at the neighbours when they hear them get in and out of their house and when people come to the house. I am home studying most the time so I am in position to teach them what to do but I think i have made it worse by reprimanding them when they bark. If I had an alternative strategy I would be happy to apply it but I would appreciate something specific with steps so I can make sure I am implementing it properly and determine if it is working. Are you saying that there is the barking now which is a habit and then there is the reason they were barking in the first place like anxiety or being territorial or watever and I need to desensitise them to the noises theya re reacting to and also do something to interrupt the habit?

Sing SOng

Try teaching your dogs what is trespass and what is not. That does mean that you need to be around to supervise though - if you're not, try blocking them to the rear yard for those times when you are away.

The barking at the door when someone knocks? I presume that is accompanied by high excitement and scrabbling to see who can get to the front door first? Teach them a conditioned response that is not compatible with going to the door. From day one with my boy, I never allowed him to greet people at the door. Initially I just popped him into his crate or pen. As he grew bigger, I simply ushered him into the hallway (in your case could be another room, or it could be their respective crates if they are crate trained) which for me is in the opposite direction from where the street access front door is. I tend to find now that whilst he gets excited and barks a bit (he's getting reasonably good at "Thank you; it's ok; enough") he is almost automatically heading to the hallway - I barely need to usher him that way now. I close the door to the hallway and greet my visitors. I can determine from there whether I then need additional control (eg. lead/collar) if the visitor is coming in beyond the front door way and tend to that whilst my visitor waits. My boy is understanding that I deal with visitors, not him. My leadership attributes that I have shown since day dot has also helped a lot.

Basically, it's about creating structure and routine and being completely consistent about it.

ETA: If your dogs weren't barkers before you moved, chances are you won't need to use anti-bark collars if you put in a bit of time teaching your dogs what their boundaries actually are, what's ok to be around those boundaries and what (or who) aren't. If the dogs are habitual barkers, I like to look into other things that could be contributing causes so these can be worked on (ie removed). The anti-bark collar can then do its job by working on the symptom (ie barking). I do not like Citronella Collars. My preference is towards the static anti-barking collars - the ones where you can set the dial to a stim-level that suits the dog, rather than the ones which have standard levels and ramp up and down.

[Erny]

Are you saying that there is the barking now which is a habit and then there is the reason they were barking in the first place like anxiety or being territorial or watever and I need to desensitise them to the noises theya re reacting to and also do something to interrupt the habit?

Without seeing your dogs it is hard for me to tell you precisely what you need to do, so all I can really do is give you the tips that I've given you in my previous post.

I don't scold my dogs for barking at something that is perceived as a territorial trespass, but I do reprimand for not stopping when I ask them to. Of course, I first have to teach them what I mean by my request, and that generally comes in the form of guiding and showing.

For instance, with my current boy - he was not used to being allowed out the front section of my yard, so his proximity to the 'outer' world when I did let him out there was closer and therefore he was more sensitive to territorial alert. He would bark, I would tell him "thank you, it's ok, enough". Through other things that he'd picked up on as a puppy, he did already understand that "it's ok" meant "there's nothing to worry about". If he would continue to bark beyond the word "enough" then I would repeat that word, but with greater assertion. If he continued beyond that I would send him around the back or inside (the latter is good especially if you're outside).

With my previous (avatar) girl (now RIP, bless her cotton socks), if she barked beyond the "enough" word, I'd command "drop". Putting a dog in drop makes it harder for them to bark and also takes away their freedom, so it can work. I didn't do that with my boy as from the younger age that he was, his "drop skill" wasn't in place sufficiently and as I doubted he would drop under the distraction, I didn't bother to try it. You could however loop a lead onto your dog/s and command it that way if you wanted to try this.

There isn't just "one way" to work this. The main thing is that your words (commands) are the same each time and that each time you show that you are the one who is in control and that you WILL control.

There is also e-collar training you could do, and once trained to the e-collar you could use this tool to assist in having your dogs observe your command to cease barking. But you'd need to learn how to train with the e-collar and I would strongly urge you to take on lessons from an experienced e-collar trainer for this. I use low-level stimulation.

When you're not around I'd suggest that you put your dogs to an area where they are not so incited by others in the proximity of your property, at least for the time being of your training.

You could try this, or things like what I've suggested. It is about CONSISTENCY - something that people often fail at. You also need to address your own leadership - not how YOU see it, but how you might suspect your dogs perceive it. No point expecting them to take your lead if you don't exemplify leadership to them in general terms.

If you're stuck with all of this and are at a loss at to what you need to chose to do with and for your dogs (they are all different) then it might pay you to engage a professional to come out to help you. The trainer/behaviourist would be able to assess your dogs and observe their behaviour and know what mix of territorial barking/fear barking was involved, and work through things to find a method or two that will have some effect for your dogs. This is the person who will be able to lay it down in step by step fashion. Many "step by step" instructions depends on your dogs responses to what you are doing.

Edited November 9, 2009 by Erny

[Diablo]

Excellent post Erny totally agree

Many I have noticed in particular behaviours that they are trying to resolve, you find the general obedience of the dog is also lacking. It may for example refuse to stop barking on command, but it also doesn't recall on command, doesn't drop on command or do much at all without a tempting bribe. It's amazing what other offensive behaviours are easily corrected from good basic obedience which tends to go hand in hand.

[Sing Song]

Hi Erny

thanks for your post. The dogs have good obedience the problem is largely when I am not home. They dont require food reward to perform basic obedience tasks. I havent taught them not to bark though. They will stop when I shush them but it depends on what they are barking at they are most animated when someone arrives at the home or they hear the neighbours. As we have just moved and they seem to be hypersensitive to the new neighbourhood sounds I have decided to increase their daily exercise and whereas I normally run them through the bush I have switched to taking them along a cycle path so they are getting constant exposure to people and other dogs and as there is alot of commercial mowing of public spaces going on I have had the opportunity where I am walking them to walk past and behind the mowers too. So far this seems to be working well, perhaps the move has made them anxious and they more nervous energy to burn. Anti static collars are illegal in the ACT. I know nothing about htem not having used one before but citronella collars are allowable and I have purchased one which I plan to use only if I am out for a long period of time. In the meantime I am going to set up a controlled situation and get friends to walk past the courtyard coming to the house while I teach them how to respond. I apply dog behaviour principles when dealing with dogs as I rescue but I dont have a training background at all. I would be interested in feedback on how I should approach teaching them what to do when someon does come to the house. For example with re to when and how to bark if someone comes would I teach them to bark a certain number of times and then stop or is the idea to stop them altogether? thanks in advance

forgot to add - would i do this with each dog one at a time?

cheers

Sing Song

Excellent post Erny totally agree

Many I have noticed in particular behaviours that they are trying to resolve, you find the general obedience of the dog is also lacking. It may for example refuse to stop barking on command, but it also doesn't recall on command, doesn't drop on command or do much at all without a tempting bribe. It's amazing what other offensive behaviours are easily corrected from good basic obedience which tends to go hand in hand.

Edited November 11, 2009 by Sing Song