wuffles Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 Our neighbours have mentioned that our dogs bark a lot when we are not home so we have been filming them! From our observations they do have a little bit of a woof at the neighbours or at passers-by but nothing I would consider excessive. Nothing more than about 5-10 seconds of barking a few times a day. However, the little one barks at the big one in play They are left with a frozen Kong each, scattered kibble and rotated toys, and are walked for an hour before work. Both are obedience trained. Once they have finished their Kongs they tend to run around and play for about an hour which is when she is barking -- it's probably for a period of 10-15 minutes. They don't really play with each other while we're home so we have never really witnessed this. She doesn't tend to bark when playing with other dogs at other times. How do you correct this without the dog associating the correction to playing or the other dog??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supercharged Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 I don't know so when you get the answer let me know! I have a cattle dog bitch driving me crazy with barking during play - her playmate does not utter a sound (male) but she does not shut up the whole time..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelleva Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 I'd love the answer too, my sheltie pup goes crazy barking at my son when he goes outside to play soccer with her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 how sad that dogs are no longer allowed to vocalise when they are happy playing with other dogs. Barking at children ..playing soccer .. well.. stop playing that particular game If it revs her up - don't do it. Simple. It may save a lot of trouble later on. instead- Take a few minutes and practise lots of sits/stays.. fetch, all things which can be controlled by the handler This will definitely exercise her little brain .. probably make her more settled and tired than soccer, too!! perhaps when she is a bit older - she may enjoy flyball or something? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowanbree Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 It doesn't really sound like a lot of barking, If I was sure that was all the barking I wouldn't do anything Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuffles Posted October 5, 2010 Author Share Posted October 5, 2010 It doesn't really sound like a lot of barking, If I was sure that was all the barking I wouldn't do anything I don't think it's too much either, but these days we live in such close confines with our neighbours that we unfortunately have to be a bit paranoid When she gets older she'll hopefully be doing agility but I don't think it will really help! It's just so hard to do anything while we are at work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PRADA68 Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 When you find the miracle cure can you let me know as well please I have a shepherd here that barks all the time whilst playing. It drives me nuts but he does not seem to mind one little bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W Sibs Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 My 2 bark and growl when they play together... It's like kids playing with their screaming, laughing and yelling. I don't think that's a lot of barking they do either... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fainty_girl Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 I don't know so when you get the answer let me know!I have a cattle dog bitch driving me crazy with barking during play - her playmate does not utter a sound (male) but she does not shut up the whole time..... My stumpy tail cattle dog X Jessie is very vocal...geez I wish I could quieten her down. She loves the sound of her own doggy voice! If i'm playing fetch with Tilly's favourite visiting Kelpie, Tilly can get quite noisy but she will not pick up the tennis ball if her mate is retrieving it. I make sure she has her own tennis ball because she will keep that in her mouth the entire time they play fetch. If she doesn't have a ball in her mouth she will yap, but if she has a ball then she will mouth it and playfully growl instead. If your dogs are just having a playful bark and then stopping after a short time, then your neighbours could be a little more tolerant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mim Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 I don't think it can be stopped except if you separate the dogs but I don't think you want to do that. Muddy drives us crazy with his barking during play. He has a really annoyingly high pitched bark too but I don't want to stop them all from playing. So sad that dogs can't be dogs in their own home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supercharged Posted October 6, 2010 Share Posted October 6, 2010 I don't think it can be stopped except if you separate the dogs but I don't think you want to do that. Muddy drives us crazy with his barking during play. He has a really annoyingly high pitched bark too but I don't want to stop them all from playing. So sad that dogs can't be dogs in their own home. Exactly why should we seperate them when they are enjoying themselves! We live between two old people..........I had a visit the other day from one telling me I should seperate them because they were fighting, I suggested she actually watch a game and see what was happening. But they persist several times a day for up to an hour at a time, what do you do then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maddy Posted October 6, 2010 Share Posted October 6, 2010 Sally and our current foster play very loudly and I've found the only way to really stop it is to give them something else to do. It's not ideal for the foster (I want them forming healthy relationships and associations with other dogs through play) but when they're chasing each other around in the middle of the night and barking, it's a compromise that has to be made to keep the neighbours happy and to get some sleep ourselves. I usually give them a large piece of wallaby hide each (with fur on) to chew and play with and that seems to work well. Doesn't make a mess inside either so it can be used if they're getting a little loud in the house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skruffy n Flea Posted October 6, 2010 Share Posted October 6, 2010 i have the same issue; bella and bryon are beautiful when they play fight, but i'm not certain that they do a lot of that during the day while we're at work [one neighbour however thinks that byron is nuts cuz he barks at a cat that climbs the tree :D that overhangs our fence from the back neighbours yard]... in any event and only very occasionally, bella will bark at byron while she bounces off his back to elicit play [byron just stands there, staring at me ] --- usually, they both just growl and that too can get very loud to offer some assistance tho and going by some training techniques offered in the tips and tricks forum, try teaching your barker to speak first and then, once that's mastered, teach and treat quiet... i'm close to halfway teaching bella to speak but she does recognise ssshhh that being our cue for quiet and that has been partially effective when she gets barky during play --- she's doesn't completely correlate the two concepts, but she appears to be getting it i hope that helps you some Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuffles Posted October 6, 2010 Author Share Posted October 6, 2010 to offer some assistance tho and going by some training techniques offered in the tips and tricks forum, try teaching your barker to speak first and then, once that's mastered, teach and treat quiet...i'm close to halfway teaching bella to speak but she does recognise ssshhh that being our cue for quiet and that has been partially effective when she gets barky during play --- she's doesn't completely correlate the two concepts, but she appears to be getting it i hope that helps you some To make matters more complicated, ours don't play much when we are home, and they rarely bark. In fact, I don't think I've heard the little one (who is doing the play barking), actually bark once in the past few weeks :D We've videoed them the past few days and apart from 1 or two bouts of the play barking, each hour or so they will bark at someone going past the house or the neighbours out the front, but only for 5 seconds. I am considering keeping them inside during the day although who knows what kind of destruction we would come home to They already have frozen Kongs, rotated toys, an hour of exercise before work and both get obedience training. They are absolute angels while we are home. I'm stumped Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haven Posted October 6, 2010 Share Posted October 6, 2010 Check with your local council, depending on what time it is 15 minutes of barking is possibly acceptable. If it were really excessive barking then I would try keeping them inside during the day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted October 6, 2010 Share Posted October 6, 2010 wuffles do they have a digging pit? perhaps a nice deep digging pit with their toys buried would help?Is there a certain part of teh yard n which they do their barky play? If so.. then perhaps modifying this part by removing objects or putting objects there ... erecting a part-fence ... may just change their behaviour ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelleva Posted October 6, 2010 Share Posted October 6, 2010 (edited) :D how sad that dogs are no longer allowed to vocalise when they are happy playing with other dogs.Barking at children ..playing soccer .. well.. stop playing that particular game If it revs her up - don't do it. Simple. It may save a lot of trouble later on. instead- Take a few minutes and practise lots of sits/stays.. fetch, all things which can be controlled by the handler This will definitely exercise her little brain .. probably make her more settled and tired than soccer, too!! perhaps when she is a bit older - she may enjoy flyball or something? When I said she goes crazy barking, I mean constant high pitch barking for as long as the game goes for. The excitement starts for her the second my son is outside and she doesn't stop unless I intervene. This is not exclusively when they play soccer either, its just pure excitement that he's out there and wants to play with her. Georgia and my son have a great relationship and I'd love to encourage that, I just need to find a way to discourage her from barking about it. Obviously I don't want the neighours arcing up over it. So you think its best if I don't let them play together at all? I don't really think thats a solution, she's a member of our family just as much as our son is. She's still a pup and definitely still learning whats acceptable and whats not. I've come a long way with her general barking in the yard. I've worked out she responds best to positive rewards, rather than yelling. For a while there I found myself yelling at the barking dog, which is a vicious cycle. So now when I feel she's barking unecessarily I'll tell her to leave it in a happy voice, and when she does as I've asked she gets a little treat. I think I'm going to need to try the same technique when she's playing in the yard with my son. Edited October 6, 2010 by Michelleva Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skruffy n Flea Posted October 6, 2010 Share Posted October 6, 2010 to offer some assistance tho and going by some training techniques offered in the tips and tricks forum, try teaching your barker to speak first and then, once that's mastered, teach and treat quiet...i'm close to halfway teaching bella to speak but she does recognise ssshhh that being our cue for quiet and that has been partially effective when she gets barky during play --- she's doesn't completely correlate the two concepts, but she appears to be getting it i hope that helps you some To make matters more complicated, ours don't play much when we are home, and they rarely bark. In fact, I don't think I've heard the little one (who is doing the play barking), actually bark once in the past few weeks :D We've videoed them the past few days and apart from 1 or two bouts of the play barking, each hour or so they will bark at someone going past the house or the neighbours out the front, but only for 5 seconds. I am considering keeping them inside during the day although who knows what kind of destruction we would come home to They already have frozen Kongs, rotated toys, an hour of exercise before work and both get obedience training. They are absolute angels while we are home. I'm stumped that does make it more difficult and i must admit that in our situation [or anyone's situation], if you're not home to hear the barking, then how can you employ the command!??! as for keeping them inside, it might work but put it on trial first --- it won't necessarily be a failsafe method tho as to the potential for destruction of personal property... i like persephone's digging pit idea tho! get one of those wading pools [clam shells] too if you don't already have one and fill it with water [or even the dirt] to give your dogs more options during the day! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuffles Posted October 6, 2010 Author Share Posted October 6, 2010 (edited) wuffles do they have a digging pit? perhaps a nice deep digging pit with their toys buried would help?Is there a certain part of teh yard n which they do their barky play?If so.. then perhaps modifying this part by removing objects or putting objects there ... erecting a part-fence ... may just change their behaviour ? We had to throw out their clam shell because they were pulling bits of plastic off and eating it but it doesn't stop them digging in the middle of the yard :D The main issue seems to be that our older boy tires of play quite quickly, so when he tries to slow down, the little one barks at him to continue. It's not in any particular part of the yard. ETA: We are hoping to get them a new clam shell as soon as they come out in the shops here Edited October 6, 2010 by wuffles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skruffy n Flea Posted October 6, 2010 Share Posted October 6, 2010 wuffles do they have a digging pit? perhaps a nice deep digging pit with their toys buried would help?Is there a certain part of teh yard n which they do their barky play?If so.. then perhaps modifying this part by removing objects or putting objects there ... erecting a part-fence ... may just change their behaviour ? We had to throw out their clam shell because they were pulling bits of plastic off and eating it but it doesn't stop them digging in the middle of the yard :D The main issue seems to be that our older boy tires of play quite quickly, so when he tries to slow down, the little one barks at him to continue. It's not in any particular part of the yard. ETA: We are hoping to get them a new clam shell as soon as they come out in the shops here that doesn't bode well for keeping them indoors either you may need to engage a behaviourist! have you checked with other neighbours to see whether your dog [or dogs] is/are barking excessively? it might be more a case of a less than tolerant neighbour for any kind of minor indiscretion!??! just a thought Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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