 Help! My dog barks non-stop |
From the Free SitStay Newsletter |
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"My puppy barks at skate boards and joggers, will she outgrow this and is there some way to stop her from doing so immediately; she barks at windshield wipers when they come on and as soon as she sees other dogs; we have had 13 weeks of obedience training; the instructors haven't addressed this subject. - Jacqueline" The best advice I can give without being there to help is, don't let her barking get out of control. It's pretty easy to do. To start, find a toy she likes with a squeaker. Charge the squeak with a really yummy treat, squeak treat, squeak treat, squeak treat...do this three times every time before you go out. Always on a leash when you go out. Stay a good distance from skateboarders or joggers at first. Make a point of going where they are and sit some distance away from them, the other side of the street, a green area, a park. When she sees a skateboarder, joggers or anything that starts the barking, squeak to capture her attention to you and treat, say "quiet" very quietly, "good dog!", give her the toy. If she's very toy motivated, you can do it without the treats. Be consistent, do it every single time, you'll be rewarded with a quieter and more calm dog. Pretty soon, you can just say "quiet, please, thank you." Exercise, exercise, exercise. Walk, walk, walk. I cannot stress enough that dogs have to get enough exercise with you. Not just in the back yard or park running with their buddies but walking on leash with you. Join a club where exercise is the main ingredient: agility, flyball, frisbee. Your dog's growing confidence will help her learn that fast moving objects, things larger than she, and anything else that starts the barking are just a normal part of your life and hers. No need to bark at everything. When you're walking and she starts barking, change direction. You're getting her head in a new place, changing her attention. Pretty quick she won't bark, make sure to praise and treat, "good dog". Train the leave it command for food and everything else. This will help too. When she will leave food, see a jogger, "leave it", "good girl". Praise and treat. I like to teach my dogs to bark on command. That way I can ask them to stop. It's wonderful fun. Clicker training is one of the best methods to get results fast. Use our books and DVDs to learn how. Get our book, Barking The Sound of a Language, search for item code BRTM at www.sitstay.com It will make your job much easier and you will understand your dog more quickly. You don't want to stop her barking altogether, you want her to stop when you say so and not to bark at things that won't hurt her. You're teaching her that joggers and anything moving fast is not a threat and don't need to be barked at.If you can get her to carry a toy every where she goes, that is another great way to keep the barking under control. These are not the only ways to stop barking, they are the ways that I use, and I use them all. I like to use treats, most dogs are food motivated. Toys are good, too. Treats will be weaned away after a while and "quiet, good dog" will take their place. Some breeds bark more than others, you'll want to do some research on your dog's characteristics. Very soon you and she will be out walking with very little attention to the barking monsters. I beg you, please don't watch or use information from the TV show "Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan". People are contacting us to see how to fix their dogs after they've used his methods. Jerking, pulling, snapping the leash, and putting pressure on an already agitated dog will get you a badly behaved dog with a case of nerves. Taking away the dog's natural warning when he's uncomfortable with a situation is the worst thing you can do to a dog. Now it's fear and bite...no warning. If our customer reports are true and I know they are, dog bites are up since the TV show started airing. Boycott and get it off the air. You might save someone a few stitches and maybe a child's and a dog's life. Make "It's Me Or the Dog" your new favorite TV show. Record it if you can, watch it often. She uses positive training, the most effective way to train dogs. Everything from dogs barking to dog jumping to dogs pooping in the house can be remedied quickly. It works and it works fast. I love positive training.
Dog Training Tips |
