minimizing barking......ideas?

[kathryn]

Okay everyone, I need some ideas on how to minimize Shiner's barking.  He's very vocal especially when one of the girls has something he wants which is basically anything they have.  He will use the yippy puppy bark to annoy them enough to drop it so he can have it.  Then he happily plays with it until they pick up something else.  I finally broke him of it in the house but he will still lay next to them and whine and basically make a pest of himself.  But he is doing this outside not to mention he will stand right next to Kaila and bark in her face (big dog bark because he's getting his big dog voice  ) until she chases him.  He now has Cinder doing this neat trick also so that they double team Kaila and bark their fool heads off.  So anyway, I got the HOA newspaper the other day and it lists 54 calls in a month to the police about barking dogs.  So I figure if I don't get this stopped soon that I will end up with the police showing up and noise complaints.  Any ideas on how to control this because I really hate to stop a dog from barking since I want them to bark at appropriate times and I really don't mind the play barking... to a point of course.  Sorry this is so long but I am feeling a little out numbered and out matched on this issue.  Thanks for the help.

Kat

[Kermit]

Hehehe... I wish I knew something to tell you here but I don't! We have the exact same problem at our house! Leeloo is a real barker, and she is teaching Connor the fine art of "barking contests"!!! Sometimes I think it is hilarious but other times I am just not in the mood!!

I have been watching Cesar Millan's show just about every day lately, he seems to be able to make a dog stop barking just by saying "SHHH!!!" but I guess my shhh isn't convincing enough!

Good luck! Share the wealth if you find a solution!!!!

[horsepoor21]

I unfortunetly had to use a bark collar two years ago with Moose . He was barking in our house and the neighbor's could still here him ( we were at work) and I had the police show up more times than I can count . Anyhow , That was two years ago , we moved from that town after living there for just a month or so , if Moose starts barking too much all I have to do is get the bark collar out and he quiets down . I've been shocked by it ( No ,I didn't put it around my neck LOL ) and it's not bad . Not near as bad as what Allie gets when she tries to dig under our fence ( we had to put a strand of electric fence up to stop this ) . So anyways , bark collars aren't that bad . We have the kind with the warning beeps first , and the shock gets worse if they keep making noise ..... But like I said , we've not used it in two years , and it still works . LOL

[horsepoor21]

Yeah , I wouldn't use one on a dog that size either 

[Gypsy Jazmine]

I just use the "settle" command & assure them it is o.k....This however...lol. ..does not always work & I don't know if it will work if he is barking to initiate play...I do resort to the squirt bottle when I can ge to them sometimes too...& then I pray for the time to come when Pippin & Sheba mature more & start to bark more appropriatly.. .Sam was awful & now @ a little over 2 yrs. he is much quieter & really only barks when there is a darn good reason...Oh..l ol..unless someone leaves through or comes through the front door...That is THE DEVIL everytime!
Also, if they will not settle when in the yard I just round their butts up & make them come in.

[Gypsy Jazmine]

When mine get into barking contests, I use my loudest, gruffest voice and yell,

"IS THAT REALLY NECESSARY?!  I THINK NOT!" 

They then look at me as though I've completely lost my mind and then go back to whatever they were doing but without all the noise.  Works like a charm.   

Oh that is fabulous & just crazy enough to work too!...lol!...I'm going to try it my 1st chance which should be within the next 5 minutes.

[Nicole]

When mine get into barking contests, I use my loudest, gruffest voice and yell,

"IS THAT REALLY NECESSARY?!  I THINK NOT!" 

They then look at me as though I've completely lost my mind and then go back to whatever they were doing but without all the noise.  Works like a charm.   

HAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAH! Leave it to Dr. Lane to actually propose a question to her dogs...its the Socratic method.

[brandon]

Lemon juice was pretty much the last resort.. but by golly it works.
Just spray a squirt in her mouth and no more barking, It really made a difference in her bratty loud attitude.

[kathryn]

Sorry I'm late responding back to my own thread.

I've tried the loud obnoxious voice and that may work depending on the day for about 10seconds if I'm lucky.  I usually bring them in when they get too bad but they still have so much energy that they need to burn off at that point that they have to go back outside.  I use the "Enough" command as the settle command and that works in the house but not in the yard.  I haven't tried the lemon juice and the squirt bottle yet but I might have to except the little snot runs when he thinks he's in trouble.  I can just see me chasing him around the yard with a squirt bottle telling him in my loudest and gruffest voice "If it's really necessary that he bark enough to wake the dead?"    That mental image just made me laugh!  I think I'll try to find a citronella collar for him and see how that works out.  Thanks for all the ideas and I'm going to try them all out again and maybe in tandem with some of the others that I haven't tried yet.  Any other ideas?     

[Kiahpyr]

For outside get a supersoaker. That way you can spray them without getting off of the deck. I know sometimes mine get crazy and don't hear me even when I yell. 

[bigdogs@5501]

OK, here's a thought. If he is running because he knows that he is in the wrong, can you get one of those extra long leashes and put on him, sit on your back deck and when he starts that crazy barking, pull on the leash and reprimand him? Maybe even walk over to him, not giving him any slack on the leash and then spray the lemon water? Maybe it will only take a couple of times and then he will understand that what he is doing is not acceptable? I realize that the HOA's can be a real problem, so hopefully you will have this solved before they start harassing you.

[Gypsy Jazmine]

For outside get a supersoaker. That way you can spray them without getting off of the deck. I know sometimes mine get crazy and don't hear me even when I yell. 

Yeah,& it's fun too April...Admit it!!!

[MagicM3]

bark bark bark!! I haven't had a problem with barking at least outside for a long time(knock on wood)

I guess it kinda depends on what they are barking about,usually it's when they are at the fense or running up and down the fense,and I'm not saying that my guys/gal don't bark.

But if that is the case and even if they bark at the door.I will get up go to where they are barking,saying stuff like what? whats over there? what is it? and once I reached that area even if I don't see anything for them to be barking at, I say (GOOD BOY)or GIRL and then I'll say lets go and redirect them to something else.

I must admitt that when I have had visiting dogs,and did this they looked at me like I was nuts.but it always seemed to work in a fairly short peroid of time.

I have a barking problem now that I haven't encountered before with our Collie Falkor. and I haven't solved it yet,maybe someone on this thread would have an idea.

Falkor is a talker,many Collies are but he barks instead of making the usual talking groans and grumbles that I refer to as talking.Especi ally when it comes to David our Son who still lives with us at 32,(developmentall y delayed) This new pup now six months from the begining at 8 weeks,would and does bark every time he sees David.

Now don't get me wrong,he is very happy excited and wiggling and waging his tail happy to see him.He doesn't do this to anyone else just David.

I have watched to see if there is anything other than the sight of David that starts this behaviour and there isn't.

I have watched him hear David getting up and his tail starts and he waits and as soon as he sees him begins his solicitious barking.

There have been a few times that I have convinced David and timed it right for him to pet Falkor before he begins to bark,and talk to him before the barking starts.and it has worked on those few occasions but timing is the problem here especially for David.

It truly is like he must have his undivided attention and won't take no for an answer.

David is special to him but I can't understand this way of his and have pretty much decided they are just going to have to figure it out for eachother.

Falkor's idea of talking is definetly barking,outside he rarely barks and usually only if the other dogs are barking at something outside the fense.Or the door and I want them to to that.

Here's to us both finding a solution to the noisey fur kids we have.

Tricia and the fur kids

[kathryn]

Thanks for all the help.  I am looking for the citronella barking collar and I may also have to resort to the super soaker.  I just don't want to inhibit all the barking just the annoying puppy whiny bark when he wants whatever toy someone else has and the barkofest when he wants Kaila to chase him.  Appropriate barking I don't mind and am still working on Kaila and Cinder to stop after we have looked for what is bothering them.  I'll let you know how much progress we make. 

MagicM3: I hope both of us find workable solutions to the barkers.  I wish I had some ideas that would work for you.