~Anne~ Posted October 16, 2006 Share Posted October 16, 2006 I have rescue that is almost completely blind and has very little hearing..... and is an avid barker. He is not barking just for the sake of it or because he can hear a noise (coz he can't hear noises...), but rather, it appears he is barking to find company? When he is put outside he immediately starts barking at the door wanting to come back in. He does this off and on non-stop ALL day. He is put in a puppy pen at night inside to sleep and wakes anywhere form 3am to 4.30am and barks. He does this off an on until he is fed breakfast. As he can not hear me if I growl at him or tell him to stop I have been using a water spray everytime he barks (obviously while I ma not around during the day he can bark all day and no-one sprays him). The water spray is only resulting in him becomeing very wet! It stops him in the short term only. How on earth do I control his barking when he can not see or hear me? Am I being too impatient perhaps? His barking habit has no doubt built up over the 6 years so that he has been blind and I have only been using the water spray for 5 days. Can anybody offer a solution? He is being rehomed this Sunday and his new owners are keen to work with whatever I tell them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dog Logics Posted October 16, 2006 Share Posted October 16, 2006 Puggles....how old is your dog? Is the blindness and deafness age related? Remember dogs can feel vibrations we don't even notice so may well be stimulated into barking by sensations he'll be feeling. Make a point of trying to reinforce the quiet moments by using nice treats. Be careful not to reinforce the point where he is barking so you'll need to wait for a few seconds of silence and then reward. Perhaps try leaving him in his pen with a buster cube filled with nice treats or some of his kibble to keep him occupied rather then being left in silent darkness. You may have to feed his whole meal in portions inside a buster cube or activity ball so that he spends his time earning his food and not barking. If its age related it can be a form a senility and that is much harder to deal with. Check that he has no other health issues as pain can cause constant irritation and an inability to rest. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Anne~ Posted October 16, 2006 Author Share Posted October 16, 2006 Thanks for your response Dog Logics. Ralphy is 7 years old. There is no obvious reason for his deafness but his sight is due to pigmentary keratitis. The damage to the cornea is from sever and chronic dry eye and so neither disability is age related. His health check was all clear and so he isn't in any pain or discomfort.... just lonely I think as even tho you may be only 2 feet away he doesn't know you are there if you are still and quiet. When you say 'vibrations' do you mean acutal movement or a sense of movement? The cube might be a good idea although he still will not chew on toys or smoked bones (I am yet to try a fresh bone) so it may not work for him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Anne~ Posted October 18, 2006 Author Share Posted October 18, 2006 Do I ask hard questions or is it nobody wants to offer suggestions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve K9Pro Posted October 18, 2006 Share Posted October 18, 2006 K9: You need to read the body language of the dog & see what it is saying, but from what I read the dog is probably a little stressed alone... I would suggest that you get a few little cat bells, wear one when your with the dog, when the dog is put outside attach the bell to the dogs collar or to another dogs collar. Playing some music in the yard can help too.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Anne~ Posted October 18, 2006 Author Share Posted October 18, 2006 K9: You need to read the body language of the dog & see what it is saying, but from what I read the dog is probably a little stressed alone...I would suggest that you get a few little cat bells, wear one when your with the dog, when the dog is put outside attach the bell to the dogs collar or to another dogs collar. Playing some music in the yard can help too.... He's deaf...................... Unless I put cow bells on the dogs and play the music up very loud he won't hear it.... and all it will result in is very upset neighbours and my other dogs requiring physio after their necks being put out of alignment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve K9Pro Posted October 18, 2006 Share Posted October 18, 2006 P: He's deaf...................... Unless I put cow bells on the dogs and play the music up very loud he won't hear it.... and all it will result in is very upset neighbours and my other dogs requiring physio after their necks being put out of alignment. K9: sorry, you actually didnt say he was deaf, you did say and has very little hearing..... K9: He may feel the vibes off the bell, other than that you could try a DAP defuser, he only has smell left... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Anne~ Posted October 18, 2006 Author Share Posted October 18, 2006 Make a point of trying to reinforce the quiet moments by using nice treats. Be careful not to reinforce the point where he is barking so you'll need to wait for a few seconds of silence and then reward. I did this last night and made a real point of letting him know what a good lad he was when he was being quiet (and not marking in the house or humping... which are the other two exasperating things I am trying to change) and he did show improvement so perhaps this is the only option I have to alter his behaviours??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve K9Pro Posted October 18, 2006 Share Posted October 18, 2006 K9: if he is humping and marking, this rank issue may be also driving the barking... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Anne~ Posted October 18, 2006 Author Share Posted October 18, 2006 K9: sorry, you actually didnt say he was deaf, you did sayand has very little hearing..... Ummm... yeah I guess I did but I thought that by following this with; "He is not barking just for the sake of it or because he can hear a noise (coz he can't hear noises...)..." and "As he can not hear me if I growl at him or tell him to stop I have been using a water spray..." and "How on earth do I control his barking when he can not see or hear me?" I thought it would be obvious he wouldn;t hear a little bell. K9: He may feel the vibes off the bell, other than that you could try a DAP defuser, he only has smell left... Thanks for this. What is a DAP Defuser? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Anne~ Posted October 18, 2006 Author Share Posted October 18, 2006 K9: if he is humping and marking, this rank issue may be also driving the barking... Do you mean 'rank' as in his place in the pack?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve K9Pro Posted October 18, 2006 Share Posted October 18, 2006 P: Ummm... yeah I guess I did but I thought that by following this with;"He is not barking just for the sake of it or because he can hear a noise (coz he can't hear noises...)..." and "As he can not hear me if I growl at him or tell him to stop I have been using a water spray..." and "How on earth do I control his barking when he can not see or hear me?" I thought it would be obvious he wouldn;t hear a little bell. K9: yes but I pictured the noises in the distance but the bell on the dogs collar... not so obvious.. Dap Defuser is a plug in device that emits Dog Appeasing Pheromones, it is a relaxant that has been showing some strong results.. P: Do you mean 'rank' as in his place in the pack?? K9: yes, & there lays the problem with Internet advice. Your initial description left out the humping & marking, but did say he is barking to find company? This would be a stress issue if the marking etc wasnt present... There could be other signs that would give us more direction, hence the advice, read the dogs body language... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Anne~ Posted October 18, 2006 Author Share Posted October 18, 2006 Dap Defuser is a plug in device that emits Dog Appeasing Pheromones, it is a relaxant that has been showing some strong results..P: Do you mean 'rank' as in his place in the pack?? K9: yes, & there lays the problem with Internet advice. Your initial description left out the humping & marking, but did say he is barking to find company? This would be a stress issue if the marking etc wasnt present... There could be other signs that would give us more direction, hence the advice, read the dogs body language... I assume the DAP Defuser is available from Pet supply places? I thought perhaps the marking may have been related to him 'mapping' out his area..... so he knew where he'd been and he was perhaps marking his spot so he didn't get lost. He only does this when he thinks he is on his own because no-one is near him..... he kind of wanders around aimlessly as if looking to see of he can come across company (even though we may be only a few feet away he can't hear or sense us). He's been desexed since he was 12 months of age and is now 7 years old.... not sure if he had issues with marking before as the person who surrendered him kept him outside all the time and he was an only dog. Now he is with two other Pugs and is inside most of the time. He has never humped humans, only the other dogs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusky Posted October 18, 2006 Share Posted October 18, 2006 I am not sure where you live but this link will be useful for you to use to search for better deals or in your area. I have a mate who swears by it since she started using for a very stressed out staffy. DAP info for puggles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Anne~ Posted October 18, 2006 Author Share Posted October 18, 2006 I am not sure where you live but this link will be useful for you to use to search for better deals or in your area. I have a mate who swears by it since she started using for a very stressed out staffy.DAP info for puggles Thanks Rusky! I wonder if this will help my epileptic dog. He wakes me every day anywhere between 4.30am - 5.30am and we have tried everything for more then 2 years trying to stop him.... it might make him more relaxed perhaps? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Jones Posted October 18, 2006 Share Posted October 18, 2006 D.A.P diffusers are great i have been using them for quite sometime in settling down puppys when they first arrive if you are after a diffuser i would buy a few in bulk as there permit to supply an unregistered chemical product runs out on the 20th of October 2006, (as far as i know they havent regained another permit) some places are very cautious on who they sell them to as they are only ment to be supplied to a registered veterinary surgeon for them to issue out on prescription. but a few places just send them out none the less Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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