Help Needed Please..

[toofarnorth]

My cocker Billy is now just on 12 months and over time his barking at birds has become more and more...to the point I now need help on how to handle it. He gets so excited..his bark becomes really high pitched and its non stop.

Billy is usually indoors when I am home, which is a lot as I only work part time. He is exercised every day...about a 30 minute walk, and I also play ball and scent games with him around the house.

But....as soon as he is in the backyard he is looking for birds...he looks up tv antennas on my neighbours houses, fences..etc. And if he sees one, he will bark and bark at it. If he is indoors and he can see a bird outside, he will start up the high pitched bark and then race outside through the doggie door to get as close as possible to the bird.

What I have tried so far:

- distraction, that is when he starts i distract him with a toy or initiate a game. This works sometimes, but is only a bandaid solution.

- growling at him/telling him off

- water gun...but usually he is so excited and hyped up he just doesnt care.

I am really worried about this as I am on a 700sqm block, worried that I will receive a noise complaint. I am on the verge of going around to the neighbours and telling them that its something that I am aware of and am trying to work on a solution.

I have bought last week a electric collar....but want that to be my very last resort, if I decide to use it at all. ( I bought it because the shop had 20% off and I figured I could still return it if I decide against it)

Does anyone have any other suggestions? I know that this behaviour is instinctual in him, but feel that its just getting out of control now.

[noisymina]

I'll bet the birds are enjoying the game too.

Anything you can think of to deter the birds might help.

[LizT]

My 3 year old Cavalier was very excited about birds when she was about a year old. She too is an indoor dog and would get very excited if she spot a bird through the window, still does actually, she 'perches' on the armrest of the couch and whines softly these days. She has been told to hush when she barks at them and has now learnt that this is not allowed.

When outdoors she'll look up to the sky and watch the birds fly by, she doesn't bark at them anymore but still becomes extrememly alert when she see them. I guess Spaniel are a bird dog so you have to expect some kind of reaction to them. She also 'points' at them too.

[JackieW]

One of my wirehairs is nuts about birds too. Next door feeds butcher birds etc so when we're out the front he's standing at the fence looking for them. Or barking at a pigeon on their TV aerial, or pigeons on the electric wires or in trees... He's not much interested in the plovers in the garden, just fascinated with other birds.

[Tapferhund]

The answer is right in front of you ! He is a hunting dog, a bird dog and this part of him, this "need" in him is not being satisfied ...and as a result he is barking through frustration. In affect he is trying to satisfy his own hunting (bird dogging) needs.

Perhaps you should think about 'working' him in this area? You might find it will help him enough and therefore settle his barking down. ??

[Nekhbet]

he needs to have his drive channeled into something more productive then piercing at birds. How much scenting do you do with him and how hard do you make it?

I'm trying to think up something that emulates hunting, that is easy for you to do and that will satisfy Billy's drive ...

[toofarnorth]

Thanks for the replies and comments..i feel I am fighting a losing battle when his behaviour is so instinctual.

Tapferhund and Nekhbet....I know he wants to do a lot more and I have just finished taking him to a 'adult puppy' class which was actually really good fun for both of us. Ive tried to enrol in obedience, but both clubs here have been booked up for a little while now, and arent taking enrolments until February now. I also have a young guy once a week to take him for a really good walk/run, which he loves. I have some mobility restrictions which does restrict what I can do with him to a degree.

[Tapferhund]

Good on you toofarnorth, the more you do with him to occupy that mind of his the better......but you need to also satisfy the "gun dog" within him if you can. Why don't you ring the gun dog club within your State and ask them if there are any gundog retrieving "games" you can do with him to help satisfy that need in him.

[lanabanana]

If you are concerned about the neighbours, I dont think there would be any harm in going and having a quick chat with them all to explain you are awar eof the issue and trying to work on it.

But I suppose on the flip side you start giving them ideas then....

[Paul Bright]

Have you tried reward based training methods?

http://www.clickertrainingadog.com/freevideo/