Jar of pennies was a terrible idea
 

My yorkie had started barking for various reasons, sometimes at me when he wanted attention and I was working. I was told by another dog owner to shake a can of pennies when the dog does the thing I wanted him to stop and it would make him stop doing it. Well, I put a small handful of coins in an empty coffee can, and when Harley was barking and jumping I shook it.

He stopped, but he also completely shut down, went to a dark corner of the room and laid on the floor. A while later, when I called him, he wouldn't come. The poor thing was afraid! I feel so stupid for taking that advice. From my experience, the can of pennies is a bad idea. Now I have to rebuild our relationship again.

I am so sorry to hear that and I can imagine your baby being scared of that awful noise. If you have not already done so, you may want to totally put the jar out of his sight.

If my Romeo does something he should not, I simply tell him no and walk away. I give him about 10 minutes before going back to check and I can tell he got the message because he has those "sad, sorrowful, I am sorry, eyes".

Update
 

I brushed him and gave him a couple of treats and he is my friend again. I'm never going to use the can of pennies again!

Yes- the sad eyes! I had to put the can away, the way he was peeping at it sideways was killing me. He is playing with his toys now thank-God. I hope this thread keeps another unexperienced person from scaring their dog.

The can with the pennies in had exactly the same effect on our Harry...:(

I too now just say no in a sharp voice, that normally stops him....

But if he's reached that point of frenzy (we have somebody living in our Close that Harry particularly detests!! :rolleyes:) that he won't stop - I have concealed (now I sound like a magician!! :D) one of his Kong Air squeaker balls and I do one very loud, sharp, as-if-it's-about-to-die squeak on it - and he comes running....detested man forgotten about...woo hoo!!

Good luck! :) Sally + Harry x

Poor baby!! It had NO effect on my group at all...I shook and rattled that can until it was hurting MY ears and the kidss would look at me like, "What is that can about?" and then they started back up again....!

I am sure that is what would happen in my house:D

I used to have a Pom that was a runner. We kept the jar of pennies at the door to shake when ever the door was opened. It worked most of the time.

I have also used a squirt bottle of water. One of my pups would just open his mouth as if to say.."mmmm water:D"

Lucky for me, they are mostly voice controled now.:rolleyes:

Awe poor guy:( I don't think Georgie would like the jar of pennies either. He doesn't even like when we get excited about football games! I gently touch his snout and say no bark everytime he barks. It works but I also give him some freedom to bark since that's the way he communicates with us:D I am sure your furbaby will come around and it's a learning process on what works and what doesn't. Good luck!

It works for some and doesnt work for others you just have to find what works for your dog

I hired a personal trainer for Cooper when he was about a year old. I told her about his barking issue when the doorbell rang so she asked me to ring the doorbell. She then flung an empty water bottle with coins in it very hard towards his direction. Cooper and I both jumped because it was terribly scary for both of us. I was livid. He is now very cautious of either a bottle or can with coins in it. However, I now use it to my advantage without instilling fear in him. I keep a bottle with coins on it on the kitchen counter. All i need to do now is point to it and say "do you want the bottle?" when he misbehaves. He straightens up his act very quickly. I also put it in my pocket when we go on walks. It prevents issues from happening because he knows I have it. Max, too.

I haven't tried that with Tink yet. She, too, drinks from the squirt bottle, lol. I am hesitant though bc she attacked me when I tried to use a clicker in training her. It was so much louder than I had expected... so I don't think the can of pennies will produce the desired effect either.

Tink came from the Humane Society (she was returned there twice) so I suspect she may have some abuse issues and I need to be careful and really think about how different things will affect her. I don't want to do more damage or experience a setback with her.

Agree with the poster that said you need to do what works for your Yorkie. Or some variation and combination thereof. Razzle and Magic wouldwill startle at a can of pennies, and go right back to barking. What is working recently (which will of course stop working in another wk or so) is a dinner Bell! That is for most not too bad things in doggy terms. But the POSTMAN at the door the Dreadfull..Awfull.. POSTMAN, they go nuts and nuts and nuts. Magic levitates off the ground, and does this all along our front window, as the stupid git insists on walking about 2 feet from the front window across our yard to the next house. BTW the postal workers are Not supposed to walk across the yards when they deliver mail.

Unfortunately for that one I have been unsuccessful in training the craziness out of them.


Sharp sibilant "ssss""" sounds have worked. we use the word Good Boy Done Now. If stop bark then Reward.

The two finger quick neck press has worked. Redirect muzzle and block view with your body has worked. Come/Front obedience commands have worked.

As you can see there are lots of things I've tried, but I have to say the Postman is still the winner in the barking triggers.

I hate to brag but my luci is not a barker.Not even when the door bell ring's. When service people come 's she does not bark at them either. She just follow's them around. I am so thankful she has not followed her2 chihuahua's sister's barking habit's. At first we thought she might be deaf but she come's when I call her or she hear's the clicker.The only time she bark's is when one of the other one take's her toy's or treat, just to get my attention. She is a little tattle tale though. Yorkies you have to love them they all have different personality's. I never thought I could love a little fur butt that much. I am so proud of her.:D

I bet you were livid, holy-moly! I read the barking sticky and plan to go with that. His barking when someone is at the door is fine with me, that is part of the good thing about having a dog in my opinion. Every day is a learning experience for both of us!

Molli had that same reaction to a dog whistle. Sadly its the only thing I've found that makes her stop barking. Living in an apartment it's hard when she gets going. We tried water squirts and the pennies, made her bark more but the whistle makes her so sad, she acts like I hit her or something. I just can't do that to her. We are going to obeindience classes soon so maybe that will help.