Excessive Barking

[pvoc3000]

Hi All,

I tried posting this question at the end of another thread about barking, but the thread had "expired". So sorry about a duplicate post.

I have a 4 1/2 month old female rottie, Cinder, who is awesome in all ways except for one - she barks at every tiny noise outside my house. Cars driving by, people walking, talking, etc. I know that rotties are supposed to be generally calm and take a "wait and see" approach to things, and Cinder is most definitely not that way.

One approach I've read is to grab her muzzle and say "shhh!" whenever she barks, which I do and it does get her to stop. I don't have to grab her muzzle anymore, just going "shhh!" is enough to get her to stop, sort of. She'll then sit there and "hmph" a little almost as if its some sort of involuntary thing like a hiccup!

I also put her in a down-stay position, but she'll still do the "hmph" thing, obviously still alarmed at whatever it is thats alarming her.

I can more or less get her to stop, but I would love to keep her from ever starting in the first place. Is there a technique I can use to teach her that there's nothing to be worried about outside? That those sounds are normal and nothing to be alarmed by?

[AngelBunny]

Where did you get Cinder?

I ask because our oldest Rottie bitch barks alot, too.

That's because Tula is the product of a mill, a private rescue when she was 6 mo old. Her first family bought her from a pet store.

Tula is everything you don't want in your Rottie. Terrible conformation, weak nerves, high strung. Barks at the drop of a hat. She always has. Tula barks because she's scared and wants to ward off things.

This, despite extensive socialization, training, and management on our part.

She's 8-9 yo.

Is Cinder in class? Do you take her out at every opportunity to new places?

[pvoc3000]

Hi AngelBunny,

I got Cinder from a very reputable breeder - she's not from a mill or a rescue. She's a beautiful, exceptionally well behaved and tempered dog - with the exception of this one area that I can't seem to manage.

She's my second rottie, the first one I took to classes and learned how to train and be the leader. Cinder I taught myself and she is 100 times more well behaved and a better companion that my first rottie ever was. (I hate to admit it, but its true!).

She is with me almost all the time. I take her to work with me when I work outside my home, I take her on 2 hour long hikes a day, I take her to the dog park once a week, etc. She gets plenty of exercise and socialization. She is great with people, kids, other animals. Its just noises that seem to alarm her. Things she can't see, maybe. I dunno.

[AngelBunny]

Hmmmmm...ya got me. Maybe other RDNs have insight.

Sounds as tho you're doing what you should be doing--socialization, taking her out and about, came from a good breeder.

Have you asked the breeder for suggestions?

Think about taking Cinder to class. I'm sure she's a wonderful dog and you've done a nice job training her. However, consider the fact that people who have had Rotties for years still take their dogs to class. You can always learn something new.

[moondog]

I also have a very well bred dog that barks frequently at noises she hears but can't see. My feeling with my dog is that she loves any opportunity to be a "big shot" and in charge, and she loves to hear herself bark, LOL.

If she gives a deep bark, I know that there really IS something outside the window and that she can see it - that's when I use my "Leave it!" followed by "Get a Toy!" commands.

If she gives a high-pitched alarm bark, I know she's hearing "something" she can't see (most of the time I have no idea what because I can't see it, either ) and I will get up, look out the window and say "No big deal, Chili, but thanks for telling me......now that's enough. Come over here and lay down."

It's taken a while to teach her, but she's pretty much got these things down now. On days when she hasn't gotten her fill of exercise, she will tend to bark more than on days we've done our proper work.

[jlhnokc]

I think some dogs are just more vocal than others and if you do not want the excessive barking, then redirect like MoonDog said and continue working on it. Jaycee barks when she hears/see things outside. I always get up to check and when it's something I want her to alarm me of, I then praise her. If she's barking at something silly I tell her leave it. I don't want her to Stop barking alltogether, but I'm trying to teach her what I want her to bark at. Someone in the back yard, YES BARK! every bird or squirrell...NO...

[Lola B Marie]

I have a barker here too.We did all the right things with her but she was imported from Hungary so who knows what happened to her there. Any way, she barks at the same things every day. We have a huge livingroom window that she looks out of. She barks at all other dogs passing, joggers dressed in dark colors, the mail man, garbage men, and ups delivery. She does not bark at children or food deliveries. She cries and whimpers when she sees cats and animals in the tree. If the shades are pulled down, it really does not matter, she hears a noise, determines what it is and if it is one of the above triggers, she barks her brains out. She will be 3 in feb.

[LUVMYROTTNBOY]

I have not had that problem with my dogs at such a young age. Zeiss started “barking” at noises around 1-1.5yrs old. I found it funny though that when he would bark, if I told him to “Sit” he stopped barking because “Sit” to him means butt on floor mouth shut. Its sooo funny to watch this esp if he is really barking and he is told to sit, he looks at me with those eyes “but why mom?”

Seriously though, maybe what you need is a training class for her. The dogs in class, strange surroundings etc, embarrassment if you forget to practice, is just what a young pup/puppy owner needs. Even an experienced dog owner can always learn something new.