barking problem has arisen

[Ocean]

After her first QUIET week with us, during which I had decided that Ocean was a non-barking Rottie, she seems to have done an about-face. Beginning yesterday, she started barking when she hears another dog barking, a person's voice that she can't see, and various other unidentified sounds.

This is all right for the most part; dogs all bark sometime, right? But she is barking at night in her crate at the noises she hears outside - I finally had to go shut the windows in the kitchen where the crate is and put on the A/C so she couldn't hear outside noise! She went right to sleep after that.

This morning I let her out at 6:00, and she immediately started barking at EVERYTHING. I can't have her doing this, if I had a neighbor who let a large loud dog out at 6:00 am, I would be waiting with a shotgun!!! (Just kidding, but I would be pretty angry with them.)

I want to nip this problem in the bud before it becomes a permanant bad habit. How can I let her know that this is unacceptable, and how do I teach her what things are okay to bark at?

[RottiMomCT]

When she is barking at inappropriate times, you tell her "OCEAN-NO BARK!" in a voice like you really mean it, and break her train of thought. When she looks at you, praise her and tell her "Good girl! Good No Bark!" and offer a very small treat. IUf she barks again, repeat the command. If you have to, use a squirt bottle of water and give her a shot in the rump when she's barking as you give the 'No bark!" command. Eventually, she'll learn that the bottle inyour hand means she better stop barking or she'll get a wet rump! Ben loves the water, but knows that waterbottle means he's doing something he's not supposed to be doing...I only have to pick it up and he stops what he's doing. Then he gets praised (no cookies, just love!).

You will probably have to do it several times, and she'll figure out when it is OK to bark and when it isn't. If she is barking at outside noises at night, turn on a radio or other 'noise making' thing to drown out outside noises. I have a 'white noise' machine that is actually the sound of a waterfall that I turn on at night, and when I leave the house and Ben is alone. He has learned that when I turn on that machine, it's time to be lazy and sleep the day/night away ;) . It also drowns out the outside/upstairs noises (and hubby's snoring at night!).

It'll take some time to un-train this but you'll see that it is worth it! Good luck, and be patient!

[Nina&Bill]

What Anne said :) , although we use "quiet!" instead of "no bark". Amber used to bark up a storm when we first got her...she was quite the nuisance barker and it drove me crazy, especially since my last, sainted rottie Smidgen would never bark unless there was a darn good reason.

It will take awhile but Ocean (great name, BTW) will catch on as long as you're consistent. Try not to let her see the spray bottle so that she can't hide & avoid it if you go that route & be sure to praise her when she does stop barking ("Good quiet!") so she'll know that she's doing something right.

And her change in behaviour is just to let you know that she's getting past the whole being unsure of her new surroundings & settling in phase. She may start testing you...Amber sure did. Get her into classes as soon as you feel comfortable. It'll make it easier to establish who's top dog (that would be you;) ) if you work on doing so right from the beginning.

Good luck!

Nina

[SABELLESMOM]

You have great information already. I only wanted to add since this is only her second week, she's still uncertain of her role in your home. With a little faith, a lot patience, dilligence, and consistency and you should have the problem licked, in time.

Rewarding the correct behavior is essential when I'm working with my own dog. She gets confused as to what it is she did wrong. A light seems to "go on" once she understands what the correct behavior is.

GOOD LUCK! And keep working with her.:D :D :D Most Rotties like to please!

[camphappy]

Hi, I'm also working on some barking problems with my 5 mo. old Shaq.

I like to train to bark on command. I did this with my last dog and it worked great. I use the name "Jake" as the bark command. A friend of mine told me to try this years ago. When I want my dog to bark (such as when a stranger comes to my door or approaches me some place) I can say "Jake". The stranger thinks I'm saying my dog's name and my dog starts barking. The stranger then knows I have a dog (if he couldn't already see it).

When I don't want my dog to bark I simply say "no Jake" and then follow the ideas already given by the other posters.

It works for us. :)

Gretchen

[Ocean]

This had GOT to stop!!!

Now she is barking at EVERYTHING that makes a sound, birds, squirrels, voices, car motors, other dogs miles away. From the moment I let her out (6:00 am) she is blaring away like a siren. I can't correct her much because I leave for work at 6:45. I fear she is making noise all day while I am gone and I don't know what to do about it. She barks at night in her crate too, unless I shut the windows and put the air conditioner on to drown out the outside noise.

This is becoming a real problem - she is wonderful in every other way, but the barking thing - I don't know what to do about it. Help!!!

[chivas]

Just an idea, I have never used one, dont know if they work or not. But maybe a citronella collar? Im sure someone else knows more then I do about this.
Kim

[Sharon Marples]

Besides the citronella collars (which I know work for some dogs, but have never worked for mine), you can also purchase a "no-bark" collar that will give an light electronic shock when she barks. They learn pretty quick that it's not fun to bark when they are wearing these.

You DO need to nip this in the bud before your neighbors start complaining.

Good luck!

[Nina&Bill]

Before going to the "no bark" collar, have you been pretty dilligent with the spray bottle/no bark effort? I mean spray that rump every time she starts to bark? And I'm just curious but is she crated during the day, loose in the house, outside?

She may find all of these new sights & sounds new & disturbing (Amber used to bark at birds, it was like she had never seen them before & maybe she hadn't) and it might take some time before she makes the connection that bark=wet butt.

Is she in classes yet? If she has started training you can always try some distraction/homework in order to keep her focused & not thinking about barking. Believe me, I know how crazy mornings are, I'm probably suggesting the impossible ;).

Good luck, I understand what you're going through . It took about 3 months for Amber to stop barking at everything in sight.

Nina

[Ocean]

Hi Nina&Bill,

Ocean is outside while I am at work; she has a special yard with her house, pool, Kongs, etc. and seems quite content. She doesn't seem to bark in her yard, maybe she does't feel she has to protect us when she's in there? She is crated at night and always has a few nerve-wracking minutes of WOOFing before she settles down (that's when I turn on the A/C fn and shut th windows for white noise).

As for the spray bottle, I filled it and put it by the back door, but she doesn't seem to care when I shoot her. She has, however, learned NO BARK and if I tell her that with upraised finger, she shuts up right away. She barks at birds too, strange voices (which is good, we think), but mostly at the faintly heard barks of other dogs in the neighborhood. I hate to think that I am stifling her "conversations" but she is going to make us nuts with the noise!

She has definitely simmered down a lot in the past two days, since she learned NO BARK and what it means. Heck, she learned to heel in about 4 minutes flat, so I hope she is a fast learner! We have not started classes yet, I wanted her to get settled with us and feel secure before I begin that; I have only had her 11 days.

[tilerspop]

The no bark collar is a good idea if you're not around or the yard is such that you can't reach the offending critter. We used one for Shadow that emmitted a high pitched sound dogs don't like when she barked. It took about 2 days for the barking to get down to almost nothing. Once that happened it was easy to show her what was acceptable. After a couple of months she didn't have to wear the collar anymore. If I recall correctly the cost was less than $30.00 and I've used it for several dogs and lent it out.

[Rockwilda]

my girl scheizer used to bark alot whenever i put her outside( she has free run to go wherever but is not allowed into the horse pasture or [past the dirt road :P ) she used to bark at horses moths flies everything......all i did was when she barked around me i just said QUIET in a very stern voice and sprayed her if need be she now has free run in my non fenced "yard" and in the house and she doesnt abark unless strangers are at myhouse then she just gets real fuzzy and growls until i introduce her ..(jehovahs wittnesses and what not ) ... it is very easy to let a dog know what is acceptable and what isnt ... i think the most people who are having problems just do not have the time for there dogs :| ..and this is very unfortunate