This (http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gempud/Lilly/DSC00039.jpg) is Lilly (http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l235/gempud/Lilly/DSC00042.jpg). We got her from Rain Rescue on Saturday and we love her to bits. She's a 3 or 4 year old Staffy cross and has a lovely temperament. She is starting to settle into the house but we have a problem that I'm sure most people have. She barks when we are out.

We both work full time so she is on her own during the day. We talked with the lady we got her from and she felt that Lilly would be suitable to be left on her own all day. And she is ok, she isn't destructive and when we come in from leaving her on her own she is usually settled and asleep.

My bloke went round to next doors this morning to tell them that we had Lilly and to say that we would like them to let us know if she is barking and causing a nuisance to them. The neighbour had a go at my bloke and said that when we left her for 5 hours last night, she barked for the first 2 and that she couldn't hear her own TV because of it. So before my bloke went out this morning he left a tape recorder going so that we could see what she was like. I came back early today as I'm not well so am having a sick day. I listened to the recording and she was barking - really loud continuous barks about 10 mins into the recording. I had to stop it there because it was setting her off again. We have bought a little thing to help, it's one of those things that lets off a high frequency sound when we press the button when she barks so that she will associate barking with a not nice sound. She can hear it, but it doesn't seem to be putting an end to the barking. For example, when I got back today she wasn't particularly excited or anything but she seemed to bark for no reason on and off for about 30 mins. I press the button and she stops and puts her ears down, but then carries on.

I have seen anti barking collars...anyone used these or know if they are good? I have also tried chastising her for barking by saying 'No' to her. She knows she shouldn't do it but she still does. Obviously we don't want the neighbours to end up going to the council over it - we want to solve the problem ourselves. My bloke has 3 weeks holiday coming up next week so he will be with her all the time then and I am thinking that it will be a good time for him to be able to train the barking out of her as she seems to listen to him more than me. However, we have the next 4 weekdays to get through. I must admit I am feeling really stressed and upset about it but keep hoping that it is just because she is settling in and that it will stop - but to be honest she seems pretty comfortable in her surroundings now so I think she already has settled in.

I'm so sorry for the long post, I needed to get it off my chest and to see if anyone else has any opinions.

PLease please please dont buy one of those awful anti bark collars. She is doing a natural behaviour and dosnt need to be punished for it.
You have only had her a few days so she will be stressed and still finding her feet.
When she barks dont say anything dont even look at her, if you do you are joining in and this will not help, When she stops of her own accord say a command word like stop or quiet then give her a really tasty treat. If she barks again ignore her again, by doing this you are ignoring the undesired behaviour and rewarding the good. This may take some time but if you are consistant and get everyone in the house to do the same she will get the idea.
Good luck:thumbsup:

Claire

You said you both work fulltime? So how many hours is she being left during the day ... does she get walked, does she have access to outside, and if not, how does she do her 'business'?

She's probably both bored and stressed. And if you then go out and leave her alone again for the evening, no wonder she's barking. She probably had a more interesting time in the rescue centre, than stuck in the house on her own all day.

Not being critical but if you work full time my personal opinion is that you shouldn't have a dog. Oh, well I suppose I am being critical lol, sorry :rolleyes:

Yes we do both work full time. She is on her own for approximately 8 hours with someone coming in half way through the day, round about 1ish to let her out for a wee. We plan to get a dog flap installed after the next week so she can come and go into the garden as she pleases. She gets walked twice a day - an hour in the morning just before we go to work and again in the evening as soon as we are back.

I don't think she's particularly bored as we made our situation clear when we were looking to adopt her, and we were allowed to adopt her due to her temperament and the fact that she is quite happy on her own for long periods of time. I could understand the stressed thing at the moment as she's just had a major change in her circumstances.

Having watched her a little bit more this afternoon, she seems to be barking at noises outside - like the birds and the wind but only when the TV is not on. When the TV is on and there is noise in the house she seems to be ok. So I am now wondering whether it's maybe because she's still getting used to the new noises in her new environment.

Claire1979, I like your idea. Training a dog often seems like the Supernanny programs you see on TV about how to make kids behave!

Hmmm, I'm having the same problem, but I'm home all day (click my signature and look at my avatar if you've missed the news ;) )

It's likely the barking is for attention, so even the collar is rewarding her with something as it's a reaction :(

There was a really good episode of 'it's me or the dog' where a dalmation was suffering from separation anxiety which may help if you can get hold of it

Things are getting quieter here, so I'll outline our methods and see if it helps :)

At the times when we have king in the utility room (where we have a baby gate carefully rigged up so that the door still shuts too) when he has barked for attention, the door is closed between us. As soon as he stops, it's opened again, and if he barks again it's closed. It didn't take him long to figure out how this worked ;) He has at least reduced the barking to whining, and having cured the barking, we're using the same method to address the loud whining that has replaced it - and that's working too

When he's in the livingroom he's in a large cage mostly, with the addition of a large blanket that is used in the same way as the utility room door.

The other method I've used is to be away from where he can see me, but begin to talk to him soothingly as soon as he stops noising for a split second. If he starts again I stop. This way he knows he gets attention only if he's quiet ;) We've now got to a stage where he'll remain quiet whilst I potter in and out and say hello to him every time I pass him.

He's been here 5 days is it now?

The Dally on me or the dog was trained in a similar fashion using the back door and the owner pretending to go out but returning at longer and longer intervals, but never entering if the dog was making a noise

Use the three weeks wisely, and consider a method of containment he can see you through to assist in his training - whether that's a crate which you can put in any room or a baby gate you can use to separate you

Good luck :thumbsup:

Having watched her a little bit more this afternoon, she seems to be barking at noises outside - like the birds and the wind but only when the TV is not on. When the TV is on and there is noise in the house she seems to be ok. So I am now wondering whether it's maybe because she's still getting used to the new noises in her new environment.

I leave a radio on for Brude when we go out - it's kind of a sign to him that we will be sometime, and helps drown out some of the noises that may bother him otherwise

If we only go out for 20 mins or less, he doesn't get the radio on, so he knows we'll be back sooner

Her bed looks a little small she needs to stretch her legs!

Those beds are for snuggling in ;)

Brude makes a great fuss of his travel cage being too small sometimes - stretches his neck as far as it will go and mashes his skull against the roof of it :roll: the rest of the time he's curled up so small you'd think you could comfortably get 2 or 3 in there :huh:

If that basket was bigger, it wouldn't be so warm to sleep in - so perhaps it just needs moving away from the radiator :)

Those beds are for snuggling in ;)

Brude makes a great fuss of his travel cage being too small sometimes - stretches his neck as far as it will go and mashes his skull against the roof of it :roll: the rest of the time he's curled up so small you'd think you could comfortably get 2 or 3 in there :huh:

If that basket was bigger, it wouldn't be so warm to sleep in - so perhaps it just needs moving away from the radiator :)
I hope she does not burn her paw...my cat used to love to sleep on a blanket on top of the radiator, regularly I had to remove her burning tail from the radiator where it fell whist she was in a deep cat nap!

We modified the windowledge in the room Brude gets shut in, as his leg would sometimes slip down the back of the rad - now the windowledge comes over the radiator, and one of these fine days I may get around to doing the front to it that's supposed to make it a rad cover, though we have the boiler adjusted so the rads aren't dangerously hot

Gem, I know this is completely off topic but I can't believe how much your Lilly looks like my 6 month old Tilly! When you have sorted her barking problem (and I'm sure you will), I hope you have as lovely a little dog as we have. Ali :)

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l160/alirosdan/Tilly.jpg

Not being critical but if you work full time my personal opinion is that you shouldn't have a dog. Oh, well I suppose I am being critical lol, sorry :rolleyes:

I have to agree - a dog should never be left for this long.

I think we're going to do the leaving the radio on thing - bloke has now got the rest of this week off so that makes 4 weeks of training to do...quite looking forward to it!

Yes the bed does look small in those pics but when she curls up in it she only fits in half of it! The rest of the time when she stretches out she is half in and half out of it so I can't win! Don't worry about her burning her paw, that radiator doesn't get very hot and she is only in this room when supervised.

Once the barking problem is getting sorted we then have to work on introducing the cat....now that will be fun as last time the cat saw her he wandered round the house making noises like he was something out of the Exorcist!

:shocked: I do hope you have a cage or babygate for that event :shocked: