barking at the TV

[Soulworx]

Hi,
Bailey is just under 9 months now so is at that age were he's starting to become a bit more terrirorial. This i dont mind, because he's happy to welcome any of our family and friends, and i like the fact that he lets us know when there are strange people about the house.

Its just that any strange noise on the TV now sets him off. Its usually if a dog barks on the telly, he hasn't quite got the idea that nothing on the TV is threatening

He is in no way dog aggressive, we have no problems in that area. And its understandable that the sudden sound of a strange dog in our living room would get him going. Im just wondering what is the best way to discourage this? ive read before that any verbal command could act like a reinforcement, like an answering bark, so at the minute we just calmly say " no, its ok"...


I suppose ive just always assumed that he could tell the difference between noises on the TV and real life... maybe not?

how do we teach him that the tv isnt gonna hurt him

[Burnsway]

Originally Posted by Soulworx

how do we teach him that the tv isnt gonna hurt him

Knock it off!!!!!! Go lay down!!!!!! Works like a charm here....

Psyche gets excited when its Animal Planet and they are working the dog in tracking or something of that nature. She pops up on her hind legs and use to bark.....now she just woofs a bit and I tell her to chill and go lay down........

We have to work a little harder when its a cat.......

[Soulworx]

Originally Posted by Burnsway

Knock it off!!!!!! Go lay down!!!!!! Works like a charm here....

Psyche gets excited when its Animal Planet and they are working the dog in tracking or something of that nature. She pops up on her hind legs and use to bark.....now she just woofs a bit and I tell her to chill and go lay down........

We have to work a little harder when its a cat.......

lol sounds like a plan!! Im a bit offended that our bailey is so interested by animal planet so much, and is so bored with all the human channels What's he tryin to say!!

[mmilard]

Originally Posted by Soulworx

lol sounds like a plan!! Im a bit offended that our bailey is so interested by animal planet so much, and is so bored with all the human channels What's he tryin to say!!

Winnie and I always watch Animal Planet's That's my Baby show. At least your pup does not go up to the tv and lick the darned thing! Everytime the pups on the tv start to whine, Winnie will go right up to the tv and lick where the pups are, and get shocked..but she still licks the pups. Like she thinks they are hers! Wonder what she's trying to tell me there! LOL

[dmoniz]

Oh man, everytime there is a doorbell or a knock on the tv it is a mad house at our house. I usually tell them it's on tv and to go lay down.

[SABELLESMOM]

The girls are great. The only time they even pay attention to TV is classical music (? think breeder played it?) or Opera ( I play the stuff, just not often enough for them to have an attatchment to it, which is why I think the breeder maybe...) and dogs barking.

The Cocker...answers every damned doorbell!! Such a ninny

I think "Knock it off!! Go lay down!!" would work.

[maggiecav]

Too funny! We have surround sound so Maggie goes to the speaker in the back of the room instead of the TV set half of the time and wildly sniffs it between barks trying to figure out where the noise is coming from. She also freaks out when she hears monkeys screeching on TV. If a person is crying on TV, she goes up and licks the screen to comfort them. :-)

We've tried "quiet down" and it seems to work pretty well.

[alex221]

My only advice is...nip this in the bud NOW. I've had this problem with Alex all his life...tried many different things to make it stop, and it never did. To this day, he could be sleeping on his bed, and if any kind of animal comes on the TV, OR any kind of violence..like wrestling, he will charge the TV barking. At almost 8 years old now, I can only blame myself for not being consistent enough to make this behaviour stop. And now, the only thing that works is changing the channel.

Good Luck!!!

[Judi W]

" ive read before that any verbal command could act like a reinforcement, like an answering bark, so at the minute we just calmly say " no, its ok"..."

Dump that idea. It is silly and why would you tell him it's ok to be barking at the TV? That's the part he hears when you say that, he skips right over the "no" and hears "it's ok" Not like it is something new in his life. Follow Melissa's clues and tell him to knock it off. This applies all round. If he's doing something he shouldn't let him know. A soft voice with its ok sounds to him like you are approving of what he is doing. You'll get more of it not less.

Or, you could change the channel.

[omaia]

Maia is 6 1/2 she religiously watches tv she knows any commercial that has an animal in it and will come running to watch it and talk to the tv I have gates in front of every tv in the house She loves the dog shows the best.
Yes it can be a nusiance but it is one way we bond. She seems to even track what is happening in movies particularly the mysteries Yes I have had to change the channel at times so be it. sit back and enjoy the side entertainment Maia's antics are often more enjoyable than the show.

[Laura]

Chance would charge the TV when I watched Animal Planet, she got a firm leave it and was put on a down. Now I watch her posture and before she starts I put her on a down.

[Denise L.]

If a dog barks on TV Cyrus runs to the front windows and barks. If a doorbell rings on TV he runs to the door.

He totally ignores the actual TV.

[wms1]

Sable follows the animals running across the TV and then looks into the shelf unit beside the TV, expecting to see the animal that she chased across the TV.
The other funny thing is some "theme songs" on the TV sets her off...
Pavlof was right!

Nip it in the bud early... we laughed and thought it was funny when she was young... now she's 7 and does this like clockwork...

[RottiMomCT]

Originally Posted by mmilard

At least your pup does not go up to the tv and lick the darned thing! Everytime the pups on the tv start to whine, Winnie will go right up to the tv and lick where the pups are, and get shocked..but she still licks the pups. Like she thinks they are hers! Wonder what she's trying to tell me there! LOL

Ben does that here - will walk right up to the TV and watch the dogs....as they move, his gaze follows....sometimes he whines. He'll bark at dogs on TV too.

We've learned to be quick when watching TV though...if Baron hears a cat - especially an angry one yowling, he's up like a shot and barking/jumping and acting loony!

One quick "'KNOCK IT OFF" to either (or both) of them and they stop. They'll still watch TV but they're quiet about it...