Bark deterrent for Yorkie?
 

I am finally breaking down and asking this question - my yorkie barks at a shadow crossing the room (and it's mine) and worse, she gets my other two larger and louder dogs barking too. It's disruptive (and scary) in the middle of the night or when I'm working (my office is in my home) and on calls. She weighs less than 8 lbs - she's a tiny little girl, but full grown. Are there any devices (bark collars, for example) or really good methods that will work and also with which there is no chance of hurting her? I adore this little girl of mine. But we have to do something as this is really getting on everyone's nerves in this household, even mine!

I would try breaking her by putting a soft muzzle on her every single time she starts barking. Keep that up till she gets the message. ;)

they have this thing call no bark u can get it at walmart or dallor general it works for our dogs and it dont hurt them just hangs on a wall and when they bark it puts off a sound that only they can hear

The only thing that work for mine is teaching her the no bark or quiet command. Everytime she bark I rattle a can with pennies when she quiet down I would praise her and give her a treat for a great "quiet'. They can be great guard dogs when need to.

Does the no bark really work? I have been debating on getting that or not...

Not if she is anything like Rizzo, lol. Even the "Dog Repeller" doesn't work on him, he just cocks his head to the side and runs up to me to sniff the noise making device. Those noise makers do work on Cooper, but not for Rizzo, lucky for me he only barks outside, or if we're playing inside and he gets really excited about what we're playing with, lol. Try to find a cheap "no bark" device and see if it works on your pup first, if not the coins in a can trick usually works. Just make sure you give her a treat as soon as she stops barking or she won't see the reward for stopping her behavior.

I hate to admit it but I used the bark collar. When the collar feels the vibration on her neck from a bark or growl it gives her a static pop. Only had to put it on her twice and now if she starts, I ask if she wants the collar and quiets right down. She goes everywhere with me and had to learn that we don't bark and growl at everyone we see, especially clients at work.

Very timely thread. Buddy has taken to barking and growling. It's not all the time, but certain key times. As mentioned above, happens often when on the phone(wife and I work from home), but also happens at random times when we think he wants attention. We pretty much know it's not a signal to go out, because after a nice walk where he does all his biz, he's still back at it.

I'm trying to point at him and use the word "quiet". It only works to stop him at that moment, but then he's back at it. I must admit, it's getting annoying.

HELP!!!!!

Remy comes to the office with me and spends most of his day on my desk or wandering around the office. I have a chair next to my desk so he can hop from floor to chair to desk and vice versa at will.

We have large windows and there are other dogs that walk by, so he will chase them and bark. He will also bark if someone comes into the office. As a result, I do have to control him when I am on the phone.

This is what has worked for us:

When I have a call, I put his halter and lead on him and I put him up on my desk on his pad. I make him sit, give him a few Yorkie Yummies (the only treat he gets) and once he finishes his treats he lays down. I sit on the end lead so he has some, very limited, freedom to move around the desk top but can not get down. As a result, he knows I am in "control". As a result, no barking or unwanted activity can occur. Harness comes off when I am off my call.

I had tried the pennies in the jar thing, and it worked for a time but I found it personally irritating.

Further, Remy seems to respond to more a harsh "whisper" rather than a "loud" no when I am correcting or scolding. If you loudly reprimand then they are barking, it can be ineffective.

Personally, I would not use a bark collar.

Good luck!

Typo correction in my message above "I sit on the end of the lead so that he is some freedom, but can not get off of the desk"

Essentially this allows me to conduct my call, my hands are free, and I have the piece of mind that he can't misbehave. I also couple this with repeating "important call" Works like a charm. I am hoping that with continued repetition we may at some point be able to just use "important call" as a command and he will stay silent on the desk by himself without the aid of the harness and lead...

IMO a bark collar is just a way of abdicating training...fundamentally you need to get the pup to understand 1) you are in control and 2) what is and is not acceptable behavior. Not just stick a device on them...

Must muzzle "myself" before I regret getting myself banned for saying what I really think of those who would EVEN consider using devices such as these & electric fences...:thumbdown:mad::thumbdown

:fallen:Say it! Just kidding I'll say this collars are NOT safe for Yorkies...even soft pretty ones...collapsing trachea, strangulation, hair irritation...spray collars, noise collars...what!?...a static shock no bark collar-that wasn't on the list of mommy just bought all these great thongs to spoil Yorkie with...Excuse me getting my soft muzzle on at this point too...:thumbdown:mad::thumbdown

I knew I would get slammed for admitting to the collar, but she wore it twice for about 5 minutes each time and we no longer have uncontrollable barking and growling. I tried everything before resorting to this method. Took the battery out the second time she wore it and it still kept her from barking like a nut. I don't spank or yell, tried everything and resorted to this. She can be quite willful and I had to let her know under no uncertain terms that this was not acceptable behavior. She is out in public with me 24/7 and needed to learn manners. She is house trained, sits, comes on command walks well on a lead, stays and will not beg for food. I know most dissagree with the method, but it worked and I tried it on myself first. It feels like a static pop after walking on carpet and got her attention.

:confused: You didn't get slammed...apparently you static popped yourself once though...(IMO honesty is the best policy, I do disagree though to be honest-hope you use a harness for walking).

I am so against these devices. I'm trying to build a relationship with my dogs, not scare them into behaving. I have a barker and we are working very hard on positive reinforcement training. I'd rather see a tail wag when he knows he has done well rather than a painful expression.

Leyla heels perfectly so the collar is ok for her. We worked on that one with lots of treats and kisses for almost 3 weeks before it sunk in. I would never do anything to hurt my girl. She is my whole life. I am a young widow and this little one (lol...almost 8 pounds..not so little) means everything to me. She has been socialized since the day I got her she even helps me grocery shop. She has to have good manners or we wouldn't be able to go into some places. This weekend is our huge Nautical Flea Market and there will be tons of dogs there..all sizes and temperments so she will ride in her stroller to keep her safe from big feet, grabbing hands and other dogs. I had the bad collar for almost 3 months before I finally broke down and used it then felt awful when it worked. Thank goodness she only had to wear it for about 10 minutes and only got popped one time. It broke my heart, but it worked.

I'm no judging you at all. Leyla sounds like a perfect companion.

Please read up on collapsing tracheae...for your own knowledge...there have been several Yters in my short time here who said the same thing and it only took one time...they shared their stories to prevent anyone else's furbaby from going through it...

I used a Herm Sprenger collar on one of my dogs with serious fear aggression issues towards other dogs, under the advice and direction of a trainer...I quickly switched to a soft muzzle after one experience with it...I understand making a mistake and the guilt that comes with it...

Tibbe responds to "No" and a serious look when he barks in the house NOW but he used to bark a - lot. Took some disagreeing with this behavior when he barked at everything before he learned. Now he barks when he hears a suspicious noise and that's the way I like it - a good watch dog who is no longer nervous, barking at everything. He gets praise for barking at suspicious noises.

Just curious about the collars. I can't see that I would ever use one because most dogs I've been around seem to respond fine to regular old-fashioned behavior modification training. But the electric collars: Is all they do is vibrate? Will vibration scare a dog? Do they sting? I would never hurt a dog to train it but always wondered how a vibration hurts a dog. Is it the fact that it is vibrating over the trachea that hurts them? I just think anything much vibrating around on a Yorkie's neck whatever it did would not be good as they are so tiny - even the tea pots are still very small dogs.

Some give a vibration as a warning...then it gives what the companies like to call a "corrective stimulus" or a "vibration" they mean a shock- an electric shock or a static shock-it hurts. I have read about them and talked to my pet store owner and trainer about them previously. Continual push button shock collars-are ridiculous implements of animal abuse!

About the collars the safe ones for no barking:
My aunt had one for her dog I tried it-it hurt!
Her's was a static shock collar-the least painful and safest kind on the market the kind that gave warnings and then two or three shocks, reset itself if barking continued, not allowing continual shocking, starting over after a couple minutes with warnings, then two shocks, reset etc....it hurt, I've had two natural child labors...the shock hurt...

She suggested I use it for my BF's dog who was a serious barker...I said thank you for her advice and didn't follow it...

Hasn't anyone tried the bark-off or the other similar devices...how about a dog whistle you blow it every time they bark and it distracts them...?

I really like your point about a Yorkie being a great watch dog! Mine are allowed about two barks to alert me then I give the shush command.
I trained my dogs to growl in the house to alert me not bark-but they do sometimes bark...a couple times then they are asked to shush and they do...after being trained to do so.

LoL except for the HGTV doorbell...gets them barking every time!:rolleyes:

My friend's American Staff makes people cross the street to get away and my Yorkie makes people cross the street to say hi...if they only knew the Staff will lick them to death only , all 110 pounds of her is pure love...and my 10 pound Yorkie will snap a finger bone like he does a chicken bone...he's the best alerter and guard dog ever!

WHY would someone make a collar that hurts an animal? That makes no sense! You don't need to hurt them to train! I'd heard people on TV and in articles say they hurt but just could not believe it until now.

I love Tibbe barking at suspicious noises as I read that burglars tend not to even try to break into houses with barking dogs. He definitely gets praised for that kind of barking but when I got him, he was pretty wild, scared and barked at everything. He'd wake me at night screaming at everything. I was a wreck till he began to respond to domestication and some training. But Tibbe LOVES learning what you want and doing it. He gets this look in his eye as he cocks his head and sticks out his chest that says, "See? Aren't I smart - I did it! Next!" He really does stick out his chest after doing what you ask him to do. Sits up with his head drawn back and somehow gets that chest out as far forward as possible and he goes it with gusto. He doesn't do that any other time - just after doing what I ask.

I agree with you.......Yorkies just got to bark.......what can I say? Love them anyway.

Because people buy them....and then use them...when talking to the trainer and pet store owners locally they were all actually against them! But they sell them, because people demand them, you wouldn't believe me if I told you their versions of how many people want to return them because they don't work (non-defective ones that function properly but didn't do the training job the person wanted) and the trainer has taken them from people explaining how they are supposed to be used and that they don't actually work-the bark ones are much more effective (I'm being fair here) than the push button ones (some people call that training!) and fence boundary ones according to them.

I started walking my Yorkies twice a day because of barking and other behavior problems. It has worked great. It has really settles them down and they are much more peaceful around the house. I also work out of my home so it is very important that both puppies (almost 5 months old) are quiet and well behaved while I work.

I use a face wrap when my yorkies are barking, it goes around there neck and around there muzzle it works very well for my dogs, I have two very reactive yorkies one that barks at every dog and the other barks at every child, Bike ,Scooter, Jogger, UPS Trucks, School bus, and children playing in the yard. Well I put the face wrap on the dog who barks at bikes. She was about a foot away when a bike went zooming past her not one bark no lunging or anything she just calmly looked at the bike . I was amazed if she did not have the calm wrap on she would of went nuts being that close to a bike. But one thing is my dog's hate wearing it they try to paw it off you have to get them used to it but it did work for me.

also it is not that expensive it is $12.99 on amazon free shipping


Amazon.com: Calming Face Wrap by Anxiety Wrap -...

Ok, this might sound weird but I use a squirt bottle and pop my Satchmo in the butt when he won't listen to "quiet."

Doesn't hurt, surprises him enough to stop the barking and doesn't cost really anything.

I am sure it wouldn't work for all dogs or even for the crazy, frenzied doorbell barking, but it does work if he is reacting to his shadow (or mine) and won't listen to my "quiet" command.

Good luck with your baby!

Neighbor used a squirt bottle to discipline her dog...her dog now attacks the kids every summer when they play with squirt gun...wonder how well she thought that through...hmmmmmm aggression training seems to always lead to a fearful or aggressive dog...:lightbulb:confuse2:

You won't get slammed by me. I have 5 and I've tried EVERYTHING to stop their constant barking, but nothing has worked. So I'm planning on getting the collar too. I'll have to buy more than one I'm sure to get them all to stop at the same time. I just can't take it any longer.

I think a shock collar is a lazy excuse . What happened to training and working with your dog? Not being against him. It is also horrible treatment.

I had the no-bark clicker--didn't work. My girl barks at everything. We have tried the squirt bottle--didn't work. I do threaten to put her in her crate. She knows that word. She will quiet for a bit, but then starts back up. I then will put her in her crate and not release her until she's quiet. I had tried the positive training with treats, but she would ignore the treats and bark (yes, she ignored chicken). When people go to leave, I do try to distract her with treats and looking out the window. I can't show guests out because I'm busy with her, but I don't like the idea of shock collars. Let's face it, we all love our dogs. That's not the question. Bouncing ideas off of one another is helpful, though. I'm glad someone brought up the dog whistle. I forgot I had one. lol I will try that tomorrow.