| We have never allowed our dogs to bark continuously. I don't know how they are when we're not home, but our neighbors say that they rarely hear them. Durring the day they are all outside, either front or back yards or in kennel runs. We have three of our own, two we show/handle for other people, and at any given time we could have several rescues, as we do rescue work and fostering (all rottweilers, btw.) I do allow an alarm bark or two, but as soon as I investigate, I deside if it warrents a bark and correct accordingly, or not. We often get rescues in that are terrible barkers, thank goodness I live in the country where there is no noise ordinances, but quite quickly, they learn the rules. The trick is consistancy. I have one rottie female we handle in conf. ring, who is allowed to be on furniture, jump up on the windows, up on people, bark constantly, just generally no rules at all in her own home, but when she comes to our house, she figures out real fast that in this house there are rules. It generally takes only one "no bark" or one "off" the furniture and she remembers the rules. The rescues quite often take a little more time, but any dog can learn with patient, consitant rules enforced with love and understanding. You don't have to be mean, just firm in your conviction. Funny thing is, now that we have started our male in Schutzhund, we have to teach him to bark. LOL Just my oppinion, but I think that barking is a conditioned/learned response similar to when the baby cries in the crib. "I make a noise, you, the parent/owner, responds." Positive or negative, you are responding in some way. If you are looking for a specific behavior/response from you dog, the dog needs to learn that it is better to do what you want than to not. Just my oppinion...  |