Originally Posted by mayerae23  I noticed that some of you mentioned having issues with your dogs barking, so I wanted to share something that has helped us with Cricket a lot.
Cricket didn't bark much at all when he was a smaller puppy (he would make small "ruffs" occasionally, but never really bark). We thought we were lucky.
But then, one day, the barking started. He'd bark his little head off, and there is no WAY I'm going to be that irritating person in the neighborhood who is disrespectful in the morning by letting their dog raise the dead with barks.
This goes back to that subtle yorkie training we read in the book, and it really does work. When your dog barks, try these two things:
1. Say "thank you!" Yorkies know they can hear better than we can, and they could be trying to alert you of something that doesn't feel right to them. Figure out what it is (the wind, the mailman, the icemaker) and say in a nice tone, "Thank you, Cricket! That's the icemaker. I hear that. Thank you for telling me!" When I first read that in the book, I thought it was so stupid, but it worked the first time! Somehow, they know that you're acknowledging their alert, they feel better because you know what the noise is, and they settle back down.
2. If it's not an issue of acknowledging their alert, then try this. Let's say you're out and the dog sees a squirrel and just can't stop barking at it. Pick him up, face him away from the squirrel, and cover his eyes firmly. They may struggle a little, but it's a good lesson and worth it. Cricket will stop barking, and because he can't see the squirrel, he'll realize that it's more fun to be on the ground and SEE the squirrel than it is to be picked up and not see anything. Again, this sounds silly, but the book said to try it and it worked like a charm.
So again, try either acknowledging them or covering their eyes (taking away the stimulus). Those helped with Cricket!
I think the "hate vs. not-hate" back and forth is interesting. For those of you who have never, ever for a single second hated, bless your hearts. You're probably the kind of people who love their children unconditionally at all times and have perfectly sweet dispositions and, great for you, have the ability to let things just roll off your back and never get to you. Sometimes I wish I could be more like this. But I'm not.
I get frustrated. I love Cricket SO MUCH, but sometimes he's a pill. So if there are other people who feel like, in the moment, they hate their little doggies for pooping and rolling (come on!), then I'll throw in my 2 cents so they don't feel like evil people and so they maybe feel a little more sane.
Because, frustrated though I get, I'm not a bad person. I'm just a real one. |