Help! the dog won't shut up

[angel22 10]

How much "training" would you need before you stopped hating something

 

What does the dog hate?? The issue is with the dog barking at things. That can be solved with training. If she was rehomed, the dog would still bark at the tv, washing machine, postman etc. She'd just be someone else's problem!

Edited February 28, 2016 by angel22

[medusa 16]

Surely if the dog is terrified of the TV then you slowly work on what is so scary about a box with moving pictures that is not going to present any risk to the dog, and once you've done that the dog will no longer bark because they are no longer scared of it?

 

I agree that if the dog cannot cope with other dogs then that is the one situation in which I would consider finding a new home for them, if that cannot be provided for them in the current home, but only after all of the training methods have been tried. Dogs are by nature much more gregarious than people give them credit for and can learn to tolerate specific dogs even if they don't want to mix with a wider group. I'd consider rehoming only if it was a physical risk to one of the dogs.

[angel22 10]

The OP hasn't said that the dog doesn't like the other dogs so I don't think that is the issue.

 

East livin, You seem to be under the impression that the dog is barking because she's scared. The OP hasn't said that the dog is scared of anything, just that she barks at things. Dogs don't only bark when they're scared. They can bark out of boredom or even just attention seeking. She said the dog barks at the tv, washing machine, post man and even when out on walks or in the garden. She won't find a home without any of those things!

 

If the dog is barking because she's scared, as Medusa says, the dog can be taught to overcome her fear of that particular object and then she won't bark at it. So no, she won't be a quiet but unhappy dog! She'll be a perfectly happy dog having overcome her fear!

Edited February 28, 2016 by angel22

[medusa 16]

learn to tolerate!

 

not like, or be happy about. just tolerate.

 

all the above posts are about taking an unhappy noisy animal and making an unhappy quiet one instead.

 

No they're not, they're about teaching the dog that she doesn't have anything to fear from the TV (or whatever) and therefore that she has no need to be constantly on guard against them.

[ccit 10]

Much of this is conjecture because the OP has not given enough information about the dog. The one thing that is of concern is the comparison between this dog and her own, which she acquired as a puppy and subsequently trained. This comparison is of no use and likely to be harmful. It sounds as if this dog has particular needs which should be addressed. The OP needs to consider whether she can provide this.

 

I know that the OP wants to do her best for this dog, particularly as there is a family connection but sometimes the kindest thing you can do for a dog is to rehome. There is no shame in that if it is done in an honest and open manner. I am quite certain that if she is considering this, a new experienced owner can be found by contacting breed rescue. Probably the original owner would want the dog to be happy and content even if it meant leaving the family.

 

Some dogs prefer to live alone. I know of a bitch of the same breed that was rehomed because because she could not live happily with others, despite being brought up with them. The dog is much more content living the life of a solo dog. She always needed to be top dog and saw others as a threat. She is very vocal too but because she is an only dog the owner can control her easily and it has never been a problem.

 

Squirting water at the poor dog is likely to be counter productive. Owner and dog need someone to determine what is going on and to provide help with the issue.

[Chelle-82 10]

One of my friends took on a rescue Malinois who wasn't short on confidence but was a serious barker (and they're as noisy as GSDs normally) and she became a really good aim with a water bottle with a sports cap on it and got a jet of water in his mouth every time he barked. It took her literally a couple of days to shut him up and he's been fine and barking only in appropriate circumstances since. This wasn't a little spray of water, it was enough to make him stop to swallow.

 

The important thing to think about here is that all of these techniques are aversive in the way that they work, and if the dog is at all nervous then they all have the potential to do serious damage to the dog's mind and emotions. All aversive techniques should be used only in short bursts to reduce the damage to the dog, and never used with a dog who is barking through fear or anxiety, as they don't address the fear or anxiety and can make the dog become even more fearful or anxious about barking.

 

Have you tried to work out what it is that is causing the barking? Could it be anxiety related?

 

Hi Medusa,

 

She's not a nervous dog, very happy and boistrous... i personally think she's been allowed to bark and bark from being young and not had it corrected... Terriers are gobby so i expect some 'talking' but she's ridiculously chatty!

 

---------- Post added 01-03-2016 at 14:06 ----------

 

OP - is this the Cairn Terrier that you posted about a few weeks ago? If so, she is having a lot to cope with and there could be a number of factors, including anxiety.

 

Terriers are easily aroused, very territorial and are known to be barkers.

Diet - hopefully it doesn't contain additives/nasties.

Exercise - does she get enough? This is an intelligent breed that needs stimulation.

 

IIRC she was the only dog of an elderly person and not in very good condition. She is now having to cope with a new home and sharing her space. Bear in mind that she has probably been under stimulated for some time so some of this could be sheer exuberance and the fact that she is feeling better in herself.

 

Squirting water at a dog is really not on. You need to find out exactly what the problem is. Seek the advice of a professional behaviourist.

 

Hi ccit,

 

Yes the very one and the same!

 

She really is coming out of her shell, i really wouldnt say nervous or anxious though as she's always happy and playing and loves cuddles... plus she knows me! even before she came to my home i would walk her regularly and she already knew my other two before she moved in so it's not like we are strangers to her...

 

I think, as i've just put above, i think she was allowed to bark and was never taught to stop... or Shhhh as my other two are accustomed to.

 

---------- Post added 01-03-2016 at 14:18 ----------

 

Can i just make one thing clear so for those of you who are saying i should 'get rid'!!

 

I have no inclination of re-homing her, there is a reason she is with me and why she isnt with someone else.. She is very happy living with my JRT and Springer, they are all given lots of exercise and stimulation, before she came to live with me she was being left for up to 14hrs a day on her own! re-homing isnt even an option for me.. i didnt bring her home just to throw my hands up at the first hurdle! She's staying put....

 

I asked for advice on how to stop her from barking, not how to re-home her..

Edited March 1, 2016 by Chelle-82

[Guest]

I'm watching your thread as i have the same sort of problem. I have a dog that comes to me and my 4 dogs for holidays. She is part of the family and is at home at mine but she is the same, barks all the time. I hope you find a solution so i can try it with her.

[Chelle-82 10]

I have managed to pin point one of the issues! Barking at the TV...

 

I have been watching her and waiting for her to do it and see what triggers her off and it appears to be birds! so any advert with birds tweeting or singing and she's off!!

 

so this has made me wonder if this is why she barks when we are out and about? We go walking through the woods every morning so obviously there'll be lots of birds... But what can i possibly do about birds!! I can hardly ask them to stop singing

[Guest]

Make her wear ear wear ear muffs lol. You could try getting a recording of birds singing and play it a lot, quietly at first for a bit then increase sound and length of time. As i said i have the same problem with the one i look after, just clutching at straws really.

[SALLY18 10]

I have two Cairns. They are very head strong and will push the boundaries all day long. We have had our boy from being 9 weeks old so trained him from being a puppy our girl we bought at 8 months she was left for long periods of the day alone. When we got her for the first week I thought we wouldn't be able to do anything with her.

 

However consistency and training paid off and she is a well behaved little dog most of the time.

 

They both bark but will respond to being told no.

 

It could be anxiety or it could be habit as to why she is barking if she has been left alone for up to 14 hours a day perhaps she would bark at a noise and because no one was with her she just carried on then getting more and more anxious.

 

I probably haven't offered much advice but as one Cairn owner to another just wanted to say they are not untrainable. ?

[medusa 16]

If she's barking at birds on the TV record lots of footage of birds that stimulates her, then expose her to the TV when it's off and reward her for being calm, then put up a still image that would make her bark if it was moving, and then again reward her for being calm, then show it with no sound on, repeat reward etc. before getting to a moving image with sound on.

 

If she's living with you then you can do individual work with her apart from your other dogs, even if for half an hour a day.

 

Then move on to teaching her to speak on command, including a stop command, then if she gets that you can move on to using the stop command by itself.