BARKING! Make it stop!!
 

Since we brought TJ into the family several months ago, Riley has become an obnoxious barker. He barks at everything and everyone. He demands things with his barks. I was thinking long and hard about why he might have started this bad habit, and I think he might be feeling a little bit less-spoiled than when he was the only dog. He doesn't get as much attention as he used to and I think he is using his barking to get this wanted attention. My question is, how do we stop the barking? I talked to my family and we all decided we were going to each take a little time out of our days to spend extra special time with Riley. If that doesn't work right away, what can we do to stop him from barking. We have tried the spray bottle, and it turns out, he likes being sprayed. He sits and barks/demands to be sprayed! :eek: I refuse to use a bark collar because I feel that is inhumane. Any other suggestions on something safe and harmless that will make him stop barking?

I don't have any answers for you but I feel your pain. Both my dogs are barkers but the spray bottle does work for me. You might want to put them in a training class. Another thing Ive heard suggested is a shaking a jar with some change in it.

Stephanie, Im having the same problem with Gucci. The only difference is that she gets all of our atenttion all the time. She barks when she hears a noise outside and when she wants something. I also tried the spray bottle but she barks at it and hides and i soon I put the bottle down she starts barking again. I also need help. Mostly cause I live in an apt bldg and my neiborgh already complained about the barking, she even told me that i should get rid of her, NOT. I will not use a bark collar either, I think is unhumane.I was trying to use the clicker but is not working. I will also appreciate any tips on this.

Chachi and Marie, thanks for the replies. It's nice to know I am not the only one. I think I might try the change in a jar thing.

Oh gosh... I am on the verge of getting Esme a playmate... please don't tell me this is going to create barking issues??!?!?! Right now, Esme only barks when she is on 'watch dog mode,' and she hears a noise outside, or she hears my husband in the driveway. Don't tell me it's going to get bad with two?!?!?!

I tried the change in a coffee can and it does work to a degree. But my always rattling the can drove everyone crazy. lol. Mine still bark at almost everything and everyone.

I don't think it will get bad with two. Just make sure you continue to give Esme lots of attention when you get the new puppy. Esme might get a little bit jealous at first, but I am sure she will be fine. As I said before, just give Esme just as much attention as the new puppy and make sure that no one in your house favors one or the other. When we brought TJ home, I carried him all around the house and bonded with him and I tried to pay attention to Riley too, but it was hard. Luckily, their are MANY other people living in my house so Riley was never lonely or left out. I just think he misses spending the quality time together that we used to. I have to start spending more special time with JUST Riley and let someone else bond with TJ! :D

Deegan like to bark at us when he's feeling neglected too. I tried the spray bottle, but like your pup, he like it too. So I put some pennies in a pop can and sealed it up. And whenever he barks I just shake the can. It startles him and he stops, maybe runs away. But he doens't bark after that.... at least until the next time. But it works is the point. Give it a try.

i have the same problem!!! i've started saying quiet..and i clap really loud and it scares him..so he'll knock it off for awhile!

Have tried it all
 

I have come to the realization this little monkey is going to bark regardless. :eek: Everything makes him bark. He even watches TV and if there is an animal or anything with a ball in it he will go wild. :baseball: We have taken up golf and our TV stays on the golf channel a lot. Most of the time you can not hear for him barking a the balls. It has gotten a little better by putting him in his carrier when he will not hush. Still it is very stressful in the afternoons when I come home. He goes after my feet biting my shoes and barking. If I ignore him to make him stop, he jumps at the back of my leg biting my pants. He demands !!!!!!!! all of my attention. It's not like he is home alone. My husband owns his own business and the work in the afternoons. He spoils him. Not only does he bark - he argues with you. It's like you have to try and talk over him. You sure can not catch him if he thinks you are moving toward him. Any suggestions? :rollingey I thought when all the kids left home we would settle down. I guess I did not research Yorkies enough. We are raising a new child. :lol tears

Brody barks when he wants something - like food that is sitting on a table that he can't reach. Maybe your dog (it always feels weird calling a Yorkie a dog - they are babies!) is barking because he wants YOU or someone else. I liked your idea of playing with him to get more attention.

I think you are right! Riley's barks are his ways of demanding things. He likes to drink water out of a cup with ice (SPOILED) so when he sees a cup on the table, he barks/demands so that someone will get it for him, and what do you know, someone does. I started to tell my family that when he barks, we can't give him what he wants or that will just encourage more barking. We have to start working on that AND we have to spart spending more quality time with just him and give TJ some alone time!

Thanks for all of the replies. I really appreciate it! :D

Try canine pheremones. They look sort of like the air fresheners that plug in the wall. You can get them at Pet Smart. They really helped my late Scruffy (RIP).

My guy barks when he wants something. i started by saying no firmly then squirting him. The squirt startles him enough to make him quit for a second and in that second he quit i would say good dog that's my good boy. Now i just say no and he usually quits, but sometimes he wants to argue. I'll say no so he barks softer. so i say no again a little firmer and he barks a little softer yet and then i say no no bark and reach for the spray bottle and he quits. I always win it makes him so made. But he can always win against dad so he's not too bummed he just goes and takes advantage of the softy.

I'm also working on the "Don't give Brody stuff that he barks at" with my family but NOBODY listens. They say, "But that's what he wants" or "Poor Brody." I'm like - not poor Brody when he is barking at a toy under the couch at 3:00 in the morning or barking at the kitchen table when we are eating dinner. At home, my computer is upstairs and he barks at me for going up there (its too dangerous for him). I won't go downstairs until he quits barking, but that takes a while sometimes.

I don't know, Stephanie. Muffin loved to bark, but that was only when she saw things outdoors. They say that even negative attention to them is better than no attention. I certainly am not the one to ask. I never did attempt to quiet Muffin. She was having fun, but she didn't overdo it - at least, IMO. :p Kacee only barks once in a great while and that is usually at me. She will stare at me and if I ignore her, she will bark to get my attention. I probably won't know until she gets a little older to really know if she's going to be a barker.

Ok im having this problem too! I usually give her a bone or something to distract her....I know not a good idea b/c I'm giving into her behavior. I am so sick of the barking as well! I've tried rolling up paper or a magazine and swatting it down really loud and saying "NO BARK!" and it works but then she'll continue barking soon after again....Grrrr! I dont want to use the spray bottle thing, I dont want her to get all wet. :confused:

Yeah I agree a little more family attention is a good idea! But if that doesn't work in the end, I have seen, but don't know how effective they are, those citrinella spray collars, that when the dogs bark their collar sprays out a little squirt of citrinella spray in front of them. I guess dogs don't like the smell of it and they are supposed to learn that when they bark an unpleasant thing happens. But like I have said, I have not tried it or don't know really how well it works. But it was just an idea!

When Rowdy was about 4 months old (he's 6 months now), he started barking like crazy at us - he'd just bark and bark and bark and woudn't stop. It was driving us crazy!!! I would say "NO" in a very loud and stern voice, but he would just bark back at me everytime I said no - it sounded like a little kid backtalking, I guess it kinda was. I thought about what his mother (dog) might do if he were misbehaving and I decided to pick him up gently by the back of his harness and shake him GENTLY, but quickly enough to startle him (kinda like a mother dog would do - pick the pup up by the scruff of the neck). While I gently shook him, I said "NO BARK" in a very stern, but not necessarily loud voice. It only took shakes on 3 separate occasions and he stopped barking at us. Every time I would do it, he ran and got on my husband's lap and looked back at me with an expression of, "She is crazy so I better stay right here". My husband didn't baby him, but he did let him stay in his lap so he felt safe. Now, I let him bark at noises he hears outside because I do want him to let me know if something is amiss outside, but after a few barks, all I have to do is say "NO BARK" and he will stop. He will let us know if he needs something with a very soft "ruff" and I let him do that too - I dont' want him to think he can't bark at all - after all he is a dog :eek: OH NO! I didn't say D O G, did I??? :D

Ponyup...I just had to tell you, everytime I see one of your posts I just think your little Logan is the cutest thing ever!!!!

Thank you.

Starsky does this for attention, especially when I am eating. The squirt bottle works with a loud no reprimand! Now I just have to show him the squirt bottle. The only problem is I don't always have a squirt bottle around. I guess I need to buy one for all the rooms he is allowed in.

I used to have a problem with Maddie barking a lot...and demanding! I finally tried the coins in a can thing and it worked! Now all I usually have to say is, "Should I get the can?" She will look at me as if to say..."Pleeeeze NO!" She really cowards when I get the can in my hand and I hate that because I've never hurt her and she acts as if I'm going to kill her with that can! I don't have to use it much, thank goodness, because I always feel bad when I do because of how scared she gets. There's times when I let her bark and sometimes if she barks because she wants to play, I just get down and play with her. I love it when she barks quietly and then makes these funny sounds as if she's talking to me. Anyway...try the can...it works!!!

Ever since we got the first dog, we have been doing this:
As soon as one start barking, we say "no" and "quiet". You have to be persistant and do it every time and as soon as they start barking.
This has meant that Kali hardly ever bark and if she does I can tell her "quiet" and she will stop and just growl instead.
The little one is a tougher banana, so now I do this: Every time she barks, I say "no" and "quiet" and go pick her up and hold my hand loosely around her mouth while I say "no".
This helps, but wether she will ever learn not to go off like a lunatic at the postman I don't know - her brain might be too small... :p

I have a barking problem with miko also, he only barks at people outiside and actually, anyone that he doesn't know. he also barks at other dogs, the dog whisperer says you have to confront there anxiety. They bark because they
are scared half of the time. I also live in an apartment and sometimes, if someone comes up as I am walking him, he'll bark and kids are sometimes scared of him! my little Miko , 4lbs! I have to tell them no he's barking because he's scared, but I get so embarrassed. I do reprimand him and pick him up and hold his nozzle and he will eventually stop. Help where's the dog whisperer?

That isn't always the cause. I have 2. I got Chloe when Baxter was 1 1/2. NEITHER of my dogs bark very often. And Baxter gets as jealous as ANY dog I've ever seen.