Barking Then Howling When I Am Not Home

[mita]

Muttly, with all the ideas you're putting into practice, you'll become the DOL barking/howling tipster

[Mooper]

Will try the scary noise and invest in a supersoaker for my neighbour:)

I have an odd picture of you and the dogs all outside spraying your neighbour with supersoakers

[Muttly]

ah the mystery glass of water is really an old trick out of the hat. But a super soaker could be handy for when my neighbour is working on his house - he told me that they gave him a headache:(

[kamuzz]

And Jemappelle would love to hear how the collar goes.

This one is not a collar,it is a box to put in the area, and is supposed to be effective for multiple dogs. I hope it works

Also very interested - we have the same problems with the dog next door. Either mine sets her off, or she sets mine off. Either way, its noisy!

[Erny]

Just my 2 cents worth, but I'm not a fan of employing aversives to act as a bandaid whilst the CAUSE of the problem is not first remedied. If the cause is lack of mental stimulation as you suggest then it seems your dogs have escalated their territorial reflexes as an 'outlet'. Shut off that outlet and you could find behaviour manifesting in other or additional and unacceptable ways.

I hear what you say regarding snakes, and I have no idea of the 'lay of the land' you live on, but is there no way of clearing an area to work drive exercises on? If the area is cleared of high grass etc., perhaps you can do a visual check before you take your dogs out there for this workout?

[Rozzie]

What about the night chorus howling?

The big dogs sleep in the enclosed verandah at night and sometimes when one or two go out for a piddle, they start to bark... who knows at what... roos or foxes most likely... this starts the rest of them off... then the howling starts... it doesn't last for long but it's damn annoying... we could shut the backyard off from the rest of the house yard, but after the theft we incurred a few weeks ago, I don't want to get upi in the morning and find something else gone...

[Vickie]

I had some barking and howling issues at my last house with my 2 BCs.

I did some research & here's what I found, Some issues & resolutions:

They howled, every time I left the house, for between 1-3 minutes. I started leaving them inside for a few months after we moved & they just don't seem to do it anymore, even though they are outside now while I am out.

They barked 15-30 mins before I usually got home & 5-15 mins after I left. I stopped making a fuss of them before I left & when I got home. I realised I was producing all this adrenalin & they had nothing to do with it. I realised that it was me, LOL not them who needed the big farewell on leaving or a big greeting on return.

They barked when certain people walked down the laneway, I knew some of the people & asked them to greet the dogs calmly as they walked by, using their names.

They always barked at children in the laneway, I hid & found out kids were teasing them through the fence on their way to/from school. I stuck my head over the fence, explained to kids not to do it & threatened where necessary.

They always barked at a couple of dogs, I worked out that said dogs used to let out a yip on approach & owner let them fence bark all the way along the fence. I spoke to owners & politely asked them to go another way for a little while on their walks, they were happy to oblige.

I also moved house, having no laneway makes a big difference.

My BC's have always been well exercised & stimulated through training. None of the above issues had anything to do with lack of exercise. They were habits I allowed to form quickly which took longer to break.

I'm always wary of using adversives for behaviours if you don't really understand what is causing them. Sometimes we are really just verifying that they are right to be worried. I think sometimes when people yell at dogs for barking (I know how hard this is not to do), the dogs just see them as joining in.

Anyway I know my situation was different, but I thought it may help to share it, in case there are some similariteis between the 2. I'm not saying mine never bark now, but it's certainly not the habitual barking it was. My advice is to find out exactly when & why each episode happens as it will help to form a solution.

Edited November 5, 2006 by Vickie

[Muttly]

i think you are right Erny. It is really bad here, several dead dogs already. I am just juggling dogs, toddler and fosters. I am now having a break from fosters. i think as I first posted that exercise is a big part (they have interactive toys, each other, and me). But reality is that I have three rescue adopted dogs, 1 at 8.5 weeks on her 5th 'residence' that was removed from mum and litter at 4 week, from property Bendigo BC! Working lines.... Second is BC from Hawksbury Pound also clearly working lines, third silly black Kelpie, really not silly adult that I suspect if put on sheep would trump them together - and they show fantastic eye and all indications of being great workers. So it is a handful. Have managed the balance to have healthy, smart and obedient doggies who I think have been pretty happy. But Kelpie-boy has only been here since August and the lane as Mita noted is fair-game. And the propensity to howl/bark a new phenomena. I really am not out for hours... I study and do contract work largely from home.

Honestly when I heard it for the first time, it was so severe, debarking crossed my mind:( I am now with only my three and will try more snakebait exercise, and bones and separating them when I go out. But any barking collar type experience is great to hear about.

[Muttly]

Thank you Vickie, I posted after I saw your post. I agree. I am far from one of those 'blame the kids' but I know that some of the kids that pass by throw things, have caught them doing it. No doubt they don't feel very happy having the tenacity of Cujo x 1000 expressed at them either. I will never live on a lane again. I am in a country town of 530 people. But the laneway is the way to preschool, short cut to pub....

They don't do the howl or bark when I leave aside from Diesel Kelpie going yip, yip when I leave and return. Same as ball excitement.

This is very particular to territorial; guarding and then lurching into a cacophany of noise. They are very well behaved when I am here. One of my BC's shows that she would not let people she knows quite well into the yard when I am not here. Always has been like that (the one removed at 4 weeks).

That problem existed (very territorial) even when she was out a couple of times a day every day, living with other dogs etc. I think that I have strong working drives in a pet home and overall seems she has met up with a howler....

[Muttly]

:p 4 days in a row, no howl/barking. I know it is a bit early, but one day at a time. Separating them seems to be working which I thought it would as they can'f feed off each other. Also a zero tolerance policy with yipping.

Also have had them oput 3 whole days in a row and no foster since Sunday:)

[sas]

If stopping fostering is what you have to do to balance out the energy of your dogs then it seems pretty straight forward?

[Vickie]

Great news!

[Muttly]

Sas I think fostering continually is a factor, but not the only issue. Giving them a break will help. Adopting a third dog, ironically to balance my pack has been the source of this behaviour (well the howling anyway). I think I am having to continue to implement different management plans, especially whilst living on a laneway.

[Erny]

And ARF, many dogs simply can't help themselves other than joining in on a howl. My sister's dog "Monty" NEVER howled. But Kal (not long passed - sleep softly, girl) would howl on my cue. Monty couldn't help but join in. When Kal stopped, he stopped ..... then he'd look around with an expression that almost looked as if he really didn't know what happened, what he did nor why he did it.

I believe that joining in on a howl links back to instinct/survival traits. Almost an automatic reflex.

[Muttly]

That is what I have seen them like with visitors that are exciting. When they stop they look like nothing has happened out of the ordinary.

[Muttly]

Still going well. I think that I just have to keep separating the howlers while I am not away. The worst fared so-far has been some discontented barks from Bella on deck-land. And after a second snake on my property, keeping her on the deck is good for me:( Means Diesel who happens to need more leash training and car training, will get that in the short-term. Thanks for everyone's suggestions and validation, this is looking better than mace and de-barking:)

[Bindibu]

Thanks MrsD 400 metre radius sounds pretty good. I have to find what is available here, electric collars are I think illegal so the BigDog thingy might be too:(Sean has met most of my pack and could see stress levels whilst Souxie the foster dog was here. They relaxed a lot after her but certainly need a break now.

Ahhhh I didnt know that electric collars were banned down there (when are they EVER going to make uniform rules about stuff like that?), my advice is pretty well worthless then, sorry .

[Bindibu]

Sorry about the above had a small power surge and away went my reply. Electric barking collar cannot be purchased in NSW -as it is illegal. But you can purchase one outside the state and use it but be careful where. The RSPCA are very tough on them if used without a Vet Certificate.

[jemappelle]

Sorry about the above had a small power surge and away went my reply. Electric barking collar cannot be purchased in NSW -as it is illegal. But you can purchase one outside the state and use it but be careful where. The RSPCA are very tough on them if used without a Vet Certificate.

I was recently told that it is now illegal to use them in NSW even with a vet's certificate, however, it is still perfectly legal to use an electric containment system

[Muttly]

Thanks. I have had an update..... not going as well as the first few days. Going to now have to look at some inside, some outside when I am not home.... naughty dogs.