Bark Control
 

I need tips on how to get my Yorkie to stop barking uncontrollably. I don't mind when she warns me that someone is at the door. But Grace barks to the point where it disrupts everything. Even if someone goes to visit my mother and she hears her bell, she barks as she runs down the stairs and literally jumps over a guard gate into my mother's house. She's incredibly adjile but she's out of control. Then when she confronts our guests, she just sniffs them.

Have you tried the can with pennies trick? You take an empty soda can and drop a few pennies in it. When he barks, shake it. When he stops, praise, praise, praise.

I will try anything. Thanks.

I am wondering just how old she is.
Also just how much soicalization she had... is it excitement that company is here or the what happens once they are inside??
I also wonder at what level of training she is.

Shaking a can will end the barking... maybe but will it stop the jumping over the fences.

JL

She is 5 years old. She socializes with everyone and everything. She's not too good with other dogs because she's a drama queen and throws up if I pay attention if there's another dog in the house. I think she is just very territorial. She does nothing to them when they come in. Just sniffs them and runs to get a toy so they can play with her.

So you agree with the can full of pennies?

I always say no bark when I shake the can also so they learn that command. Now I just say no bark and they quit. Dogs just bark to communicate. It is up to us to teach them when It is appropriate or not appropriate

I like the fact that she barks to warn us that someone is at the door but her bark is literally piercing and out of control. Do I have to use a can or bottle with pennies?

I use a can but I think either would work

If she is throwing up that not drama that anxiety....and it fear.... of dogs.

Humans she just just wants to have fun... which is great but not great if she sailing over gates....

No...I do not use interuptors the penny in can trick as it can scare some dogs ... you stop the action of barking and if you do not put in what you do want to happen you have a dog that will fill the hole with another bad action.
Can is not going to stop her sailing over that gate.

I rather try to catch them doing ans being good and reinforce that.

I think Terry Ryan has a great set up for reworking bad door greating behaviour... right now I am at work and do not have that book handy to check it and my memery is fogy from over work and lack of sleep.
I know the book is called culture clash and is avalible at dog wise.

I be more inclined to work her relax skills... teacher to sit on greatings also work on the nothing in life is free protocal so that she isnot taking things in to her own paws. I wonder to if the protocal for relaxation would also not be a good idea... if you want both let me know I have to be home to pull them off my computor.
I have my trained to bark or grr and I say thank you for telling me and shh now.

JL

What makes it work? Does the sound scare them? I'm all for it, just curious to what the catch is.

It didnt scare mine it just puts them off quard and interupts them. Some people spray with a water bottle to get the same effect

It scares them. you shake the can and they stop, you stop.. some dogs if they see you will then transfer and be scared of the owner. Some dogs will start ducking if they bark or cringe as they know the sound is coming.
Some will stoop barking and go growling which is then concidere aggresion and the dog is put down.
Some go to grr and its then stopped from grr and then the dog needs to comunicate through a bite then we have aggresion and a dog that can then be put down.

Catch is you are using fear to train but nothing is very learned out of fear that sticks or is pleasent.. Fear does not build a relationship.

Catch is it fast and it can work on some dogs some it totally destablizes and then you have a big mess.

Jl

I dont know mine are 4 yrs old and it worked for them and others on here also so I think you will have to take all info on here and decide whats best for your dog. Mine arent afraid of the can though tell you that

Sorry to nit pick but the startle resposne is a fear responce and if you dogs stopped cause you shook the can it was startled and there for fear was used.

It works and it is fast but is it the right way maybe not if your working with dogs that are not going to manage it well... we never know till we do it once or twice ans see the fall out... remeber that fall out may not be a good one and may show up later on in fear to other sounds or fast movment.
When it does not work and you have scared the dog you have to work around that and rebuild trust but it up to you what method you use and it always better then debarking.

JL

Mine dont display any fear of noises and like I said they are 4 yrs old and I dont evedn have to shake the can anymore just say no bark. I dont see it as any different than the no bark collars that put out a signal.( I dont mean shock collars as I would never recommend using one of those)

Another thing I did was teach mine they had to stop a few feet away from the door. I taught them that with treats. That also seemed to help with the frenzy barking plus it kept them from going out the door when I opened it

I pleased your guys have not trouble and your right in that they are simalar except that you do not make the bark collar go off the dog does and the can is in your hand.
Again nit picking but dogs see things differnt thant humans and some of these guys ecpecially the sensitve smart ones heading to be reactive see things in that fine of detail and we never know on line what we have for sensitvity and it always good to say but be careful.

I know you did not mean shock one... them things are evil.

Great teaching your guys the door trick wisely done.

JL

I think it's a matter of consistency with them as well. I remember one time I was watching Dog Whisperer and it was an episode about someone whose Chihuahua had an uncontrollable bark. I fell asleep and woke up to see the credits rolling up the screen. I was so angry because I like trying Ceasar's advice. But now, what I do is that when I hear someone at the door and I see her ears go up, I snap my fingers and she knows not to make any sudden moves. When she attempts again to bark or run to the door I grab her collar gently and say no. She'll cooperate when I'm there. But when no one is there to train her, she's like a mad dog. Poor thing. She has swears she ferocious.

There the hole in the training right there.... when you are there it works and when not oh dear they make it up as they go... and they reinforce the bad stuff or what we deem as bad stuff.

You have to teach what you want instead for when you are there and when you are not and do it hands off cause your not going to be able to do it hands on when you are gone.

Bark collars work as you can teach when there and when not and your hands are off but when you take them off you need to work on what else to do behaviours like go chew a bone.. go lay on the mat.
Desensitze them to sounds going by and dogs going by.

JL

I never thought of a chew bone. This might work with my dog who acts like we don't feed her. Grace does learn through her stomach!!! Great idea. Thanks so much! My husband and I can practice training her by giving her the chew bone when one of us rings the bell to distract her mind. I'll keep you posted in the near future.

I was 6 when we got my first yorkie, Kiwi, so I wasn't in charge of training. My mom did a great job training her, though. Whenever she would bark (and it wasn't at the door to be let out, or when the doorbell rang or if someone knocked or at a cat, etc...) she would first give a warning by saying sternly, 'No Barking!' Then, if the barking continued, she would give her second warning a little more sternly 'NO BARKING!...Where is that mouth?' and if she barked again my mom would go over to Kiwi, and put her thumb and index finger around her snout and firmly (just tight enough to hold her mouth closed when she tried to get out of the hold, but not to hurt her) and would repeat 'No Barking' again. After a few weeks of that Kiwi learned not to bark. On occasion when she did bark at an inappropriate time all we had to say was 'no barking...where's that mouth?' and she stopped right away. She knew. For 16 years after that she was good as gold! :)

I plan to try the same method with my Strawberry if she starts to bark too much. As of now I am not worried. I have not heard anything that I would consider a bark out of her. She growls to let me know when she wants something and a few times at the huge cat outside. Hahaha! It ran away! It is a huge, 30 pound cat and it ran from my 2 pound puppy! Hahaha!