bark bark bark - Page 2

robinb · 09-11-2008, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chaz

I've had good success using an airhorn to enforce the "ENOUGH" command.

Cabela's -- Eco-Blast Sport Air Horn

Works on the neighbor's dogs, too.

(also good for telemarketers who can't take "don't call me again" for an answer)

Oh, I may have to invest in that for those horrible telemarketers that keep calling even after going on the do not call list! Thank you Chaz

My dogs are not out that much without me, and I live in the rural, so I don't worry about barking unless it's something like mind-less barking at the horses. I want mine to bark if they see something strange. If barking starts, I go investigate and then tell them enough or bring them in. If the barking is justified then I tell then what a good dog they are.

JagerMonster · 09-11-2008, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by avalonandon

Can I use that on me so I can't hear the barking anymore????

JagerMonster · 09-11-2008, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robinb

Oh, I may have to invest in that for those horrible telemarketers that keep calling even after going on the do not call list! Thank you Chaz

My dogs are not out that much without me, and I live in the rural, so I don't worry about barking unless it's something like mind-less barking at the horses. I want mine to bark if they see something strange. If barking starts, I go investigate and then tell them enough or bring them in. If the barking is justified then I tell then what a good dog they are.

I want Jager to bark to notify, yes, but that is not what he is doing. Plus, he doesn't know "enough"...which is what I am trying to teach him. How did you teach your dogs??

Tess-a-boo · 09-11-2008, 04:51 PM

Not that it's foolproof by any means - especially when a dog is barking their fool head off in the great outdoors - but we started to teach "quiet" by first teaching Tess the "speak" command. Any time she would bark in the house, we'd mark it with a click and/or "good speak". It didn't take long for her to catch on to what that meant.

Then we would get her going on "speak", doing several in a row with treats and then throw in "quiet" and holding our fingers to our lips in the "shhh" sign. She kind of looked at us funny at first, but since she wasn't barking, we'd praise and treat her.

Once you have that down, work as much as you can on the pre-emptive "quiet" inside and outside. If Jaeger sees something and you can tell that it's got his interest, sit him down, give him the "quiet" command and lots of praise/treats/petting when he doesn't bark.

Also, we've gone back to keeping Tess on a long lead whenever she's out in the yard...it's not attached to anything, she just drags it along. No totally free reign because when she does start barking at a squirrel/deer/dog/person/rabbit/ghost/dragon we need to be able to get her quickly under control to correct, settle, and instruct her. Previously, she'd just run away from us as if it were a game and you can't reinforce lessons that way. We have 2/3 of an acre and she is FAST!

I've been there (still am to some extent) and I know it's frustrating and how much you just want to correct the behavior quickly. In the heat of a barking jag - and I still have to remind myself of this, because god knows all you want to do is just yell back - you may end up adding to the problem by adding your bark to the mix. It's going to take time but you need to take the lead with him: you need to be able to control the situation in order to let him know that the things he's fearful of really are ok.

Hope this helps, good luck!