Thread: barking
View Single Post
Old 09-19-2005, 11:52 AM   #3
Hamoth
YT Addict
 
Hamoth's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 358
Default

Quote:
every night about 4am rosie wakes up barking and running around because she goes out with my hubby and me EVERY night for up to 2 hours of running around chaseing us about and playing with other doggies but she still stays awake and BARKS.
I've edited your post slightly...check it out...

Do I understand that you take the pup out when she barks and run around for two hours? With that kind of response, I'd bark too! I hope I missunderstood that...

I think you meant that you run around every day, right? In any event, Chewy used to do this too. It passed when we ignored it (took a few months). I would sit up, give the dog a calming signal , and try ti ignore it for a night.

Just in case, there are a few things you should do to make sure that the behavior isn't being provoked. What happens at 4:00 am? I doubt the pup has a built in clock...SOMETHING is probably getting her attention. It may be racoons (god help me if a racoon goes by our place) it may be the paper boy running up to your step and thumping a paper at your door (Scary!), or it may be when a neighbor gets up early and is clomping around noisily in the next yard.

We found in Chewy's case that the paper-person was setting him off every morning. We closed the bedroom window and added a fan on low-setting (only if your pup is crated or has Pajamas please, drafts chill them too much). The fan's white-noise drowns out distractions and now he sleeps through the night. Closing windows, dramatically reduces barking.

If you find that you just have a chronic barker, you can initiate training to reduce the tendency (and to respond to "shush" as a command). See the training forum on this site for more information.

In general, this is going to be a case of logical deduction. It may sound self evident, but it's actually a tricky concept to grasp: There are no mysterious reasons for your dog's behavior. If they are doing something, they are doing it for a reason. In the case of night-alarm barking, you should porbably find the source of the alarm, and stop it from bothering her.

One more tip: Depending on the kind of training you do, try to lure her or click her for a treat while she is barking...many a dog will shut up and get cuddly if a hand-full of treats are to be had. If you are doing Clicker Training, ask your coach...If you are doing Lure Training (traditional), hold the treat so that the puppy can see, when you have her attention ask for a sit, then down or a "stay", then treat. Don't reward the barking, but the behavior you distract them into. I would not rely on this short-cut to solve the problem. But it's good if you are worried about being evicted and your landlord is sleeping upstairs!
Hamoth is offline   Reply With Quote
Welcome Guest!
Not Registered?

Join today and remove this ad!