Tips to stop a barking dog!

[Gaenor 10]

My dog barks every time he goes in the garden. I dont mind because he is expressing himself- but the neighbours might! I use the command quiet and remove him from the situation until he calms down.

[ShirleyJay 10]

We have had complaints about our dog barking. He doesnt bark excessively, only when the binmen come, windowcleaners, post etc. But one of my dear and pleasant neighbours has complained to the council about him. He is a small terrier and his bark isnt as loud as the boxer next door and the labrador next door but one. I am doing training with him at the moment, we have had him neutered which has calmed him down a bit. He isnt outside all the time, just let into our fenced rear garden to relieve himself, or he goes for walks with me on the lead. It is alleged that he "barks continually". He was even barking when he wasnt at home, according to the complainant.

 

When we got the first letter from the Council I bought a citronella spray collar which was recommended to my husband by another terrier owner. This was against my principles but we were upset and wanted to do something. It stopped him barking for a while but then he grew used to it. I have tried the approach recommended in the books of teaching him to "talk" then to be

 

"quiet", but to get him barking worries me as I dont want any more complaints. What I keep doing is, keeping some treats nearby, and when he starts barking for whatever reason, I take a treat, give the command "down", then "quiet", make him wait quiet for a minute then treat him. To be honest, it isnt a huge success, but I am at a loss what to do. I have tried a DAP diffuser but this doesnt have any effect on barking.

 

I am feeling a bit singled out also, as there are other dog owners close by whose dogs are larger, bark louder who havent had a letter. If this person takes it any further, I am honestly considering pursuing a harassment complaint.

 

If anyone has any advice to offer, please do.

 

This happened to me also, but there is no way of it going further, someone from the council will have to witness it, asses if there is a problem, then put recording equipment into the home of the complainant, if your dog is recorded as too loud on the indoor recorder and most importantly is barking non stop for over 15 minutes they might have a case. Try a sonar device in the back yard or just don't let him bark for more than 15 minutes

[Yellowrose 10]

This happened to me also, but there is no way of it going further, someone from the council will have to witness it, asses if there is a problem, then put recording equipment into the home of the complainant, if your dog is recorded as too loud on the indoor recorder and most importantly is barking non stop for over 15 minutes they might have a case. Try a sonar device in the back yard or just don't let him bark for more than 15 minutes

 

I have asked someone from council to come and witness it. They say they have to wait until the complainant complains, they now have an out of hours number to ring them on. But they havent come out yet. It has been a month and I thought the case should be dropped. I phoned the council officer concerned and she said we are giving it another week. He hasnt been that bad but there was some barking last week! She said she would ring me on Friday (tomorrow) but I am betting she doesnt. Today at 12 o clock the large golden retriever next door but one was barking as someone was going down the road, that started the boxer off next door and then our dog. As it was his walk time, I took our dog out for a half an hour walk and when I returned the neighbours dogs were still barking! What annoys me is these dogs are louder than ours, bark more than ours but they havent had a letter from the council. I have decided to be more assertive tomorrow if she rings me. I will ask that the matter be dropped unless a council official witnesses it.

[wackyjaki 10]

my dog barks alot i just tell the neibors hes there to let us know of any intruders he dosent bark all the time and if there was someone lurking round the backs he lets you know hes good for burglers as long as he doesnt keep people awake at night but you cant help it if he hears something in the night and barks hes just doing his job as long as he dosent bark continuly i personly cant see a problem

[NewBiz 10]

]my dog barks alot i[/b] just tell the neibors hes there to let us know of any intruders he dosent bark all the time and if there was someone lurking round the backs he lets you know hes good for burglers as long as he doesnt keep people awake at night but you cant help it if he hears something in the night and barks hes just doing his job as long as he dosent bark continuly i personly cant see a problem

 

I personally find dogs barking a lot an enormous imposition, and I don't see why anybody should have to put up with it. If I had a burglar alarm going of at all times of the day and night and simply told my neighbours they had to put up with it as it could act as a deterrent for potential burglars, I can imagine what they might say in reply, and they would be quite right too.

 

The OP is trying their best to remedy the situation, and I thinks that's laudable. however the attitude some dog owners display i.e their neighbours might find it incredibly annoying, but they'll just have to put up with it because they've decided to keep a yapping dog and not train it, is extremely inconsiderate.

[medusa 16]

We have one word that stops Molly from doing anything at all that's even a tiny bit naughty. That word is 'upstairs' and it's said calmly and quietly and results in a Molly who goes to her bed and lies down in the hopes that we don't make her really go upstairs and have to be away from me.

 

My OH found out that this was a fabulous one word behavioural management technique one day when she'd been naughty ignoring him trying to stop her when she was wanting to play with the cats and they had obviously had enough of playing and wanted to be left alone. Molly, being the clever dog that she is, had decided that if she was naughty then she could turn up to get told off and that it was worth being told off to be allowed to continue being naughty, so she started being naughty and then turning up to volunteer for the telling off, only then to carry on with the being naughty afterwards.

 

She already knew what upstairs meant, so one day when she was being a complete pain in the bum barking at all and sundry going past the house my OH sent her upstairs and didn't call her straight back again. After 10 minutes of her sitting on the landing (not tied up or anything) with her whining to be allowed back down, we called her back down and she was a very very good girl afterwards. The following day, when she started being naughty again, he told her to go upstairs and she ran to her bed to show what a good girl she could be as an alternative to being sent away from us- result!

 

So now, when she barks (which is only when people come to the door, but she's a German Shepherd, so we can't expect her not to do that, can we?) we thank her for telling us that there was someone at the door and give her a treat to go to her bed and if she doesn't settle down and go back to normal we say the 'u' word and she realises that if she doesn't stop she will be sent away from us, so she shuts up instantly and goes to polish her halo.

 

So, my advice is that if your dog is a clever dog then it's quite possible to find a single thing that they don't want to do (usually being separated from you is a good bet) and to find a word that means that. We use 'upstairs' but I've got friends who use the word 'chill' (also used in the context of 'calm down or you'll be put in your crate') or similar.

 

I would immediately stop the cuddling when the dog is showing unwanted behaviour. That's reinforcing all sorts of bad stuff, including that he can get your attention by bad behaviour and he's also feeling your tension, which is not helping him to calm down either.

[wackyjaki 10]

I personally find dogs barking a lot an enormous imposition, and I don't see why anybody should have to put up with it. If I had a burglar alarm going of at all times of the day and night and simply told my neighbours they had to put up with it as it could act as a deterrent for potential burglars, I can imagine what they might say in reply, and they would be quite right too.

 

The OP is trying their best to remedy the situation, and I thinks that's laudable. however the attitude some dog owners display i.e their neighbours might find it incredibly annoying, but they'll just have to put up with it because they've decided to keep a yapping dog and not train it, is extremely inconsiderate.

 

read it propely i said he dose not bark all the time only when there are intrureders

[Meter Man 15]

firstly i would train your dog to bark to command with rewards , then when they bark without command do not reward them , they should soon learn to bark only when you tell them or they dont get a reward .

[terminator 10]

read it propely i said he dose not bark all the time only when there are intrureders

And so he should

[wackyjaki 10]

firstly i would train your dog to bark to command with rewards , then when they bark without command do not reward them , they should soon learn to bark only when you tell them or they dont get a reward .

 

that would be no good for a house dog they are supose to let you know when someone is there not wait untill you tell them too what kind of trainer are you:loopy:

[terminator 10]

that would be no good for a house dog they are supose to let you know when someone is there not wait untill you tell them too what kind of trainer are you:loopy:

Depends what reward is might be postman

[wackyjaki 10]

Depends what reward is might be postman

 

yes you could be right:hihi::hihi: