Never a dull moment with this big boy

[ARCHIE]

Coins in a can was my savior in training Buddy not to bark. I have used
this trick for 4yrs when necessary. There are times when he will
howl when I leave. I hear him from downstairs. It's such an ery sound.
I run back up and take the can out and leave it by the front door telling
him I will shake it if he's not quiet. Then he hides under his blue chair
and all is quiet again. One day last week when I got home we went for
our 25min walk and home again for dinner. He would not eat. He kept
jumping up on me to pick him up. Then he would hide under the bed.
What the heck is wrong with him I thought? I felt his nose, cold and wet.
He was certainly upset. I thought maybe someone banged on the front
door if he were barking but no one has ever said a thing in the 5yrs I have
had him. Just thinking of something to make him this way. About an hour
later I got him to settle down and eat. The rest of the night was uneventful.
I forgot about the incident until the samething happened Tues night. Now
I'm getting upset because something has upset him and I don't know what
it was. He would not eat and only wanted me to hold him. He's no lightweight
either, so hold him I did. I sat on the couch with him talking to him, he was
shaking. I was beside myself with worry. I thought about the day and all
we did in the am before I left, then I thought about the "COINS IN THE CAN"
and how I left it by the front door because he was howling again when I left
on Tues. OMG he's petrified of it all of a sudden and was fearfull all day while
I was gone. How horrible do I feel. So yesterday I did not use it. Listened
to him howl for a few minutes and left for work praying no one would say a thing. When I got home we went for a walk and he ate his dinner with
excitment like always. So I have come to the conclusion that Buddy is
all of a sudden fearful of that can. How awful to think how scared he
was all day while I was gone looking at that can by the door and waiting
for it to jingle. I feel terrible. I can't belive this has just happened all of
a sudden. Sure he runs if I jingle it, that's the purpose but to, out of the
blue be petrified of it is strange to me. Never a dull moment living with
this canine I tell you. As soon as I solve one problem he finds yet another
for me.
Maybe I should go into doggy psychiatry, heavens knows he has trained
me well enough.
Sorry this is long but couldn't shorten it.

[BonBon]

Awww, poor little Buddy. I'm so sad that he was scared - I never would have thought of the can of coins being the reason. Thank goodness you figured it out so fast. I can just picture his sweet self shaking and clinging to momma. Please give him extra lovins from me, ok?

[Sookie]

He is so smart. I'm like you - I would hate doing anything to upset my girls. BTW, I tried the coins in the can thing to stop Matty from barking, but it doesn't work with her. She pays no attention to it whatsoever.

[jmdt]

Aw poor baby!!! I think psychiatry is in order. haha They really make us nuts don't they. I hate when they are scared so pitiful. They just need mommy that's all. They certainly give us a run for the money don't they? I just yelled at Coco. I told him if he doesn't stop the barking I will squirt him with a water gun. Then my daughter said no not my Coco and cuddled him. I can't win.

Glad he's better now. I'm off to the vet with my Pebbles for her yearly. I don't want to leave because I know she is getting at least 1 shot. I have to be there in 15min, and I'm here.

Give Buddy a great big hug from Coco, Pebbles and Trixie

[JoeyP]

Yeah ... they get scared of some silly things

If I put a glass on the floor my Mike will go two feet away and bark at it
until I take it away

[bjh]

Thanks for sharing such an interesting story. It is strange how little things can have such an effect on our babies. I am glad you figured it out.

[Judy in Waco]

Poor Buddy! They can get scared of things suddenly.

Hmm...one question. When you leave the can downstairs by the door...you mean inside your house/apt. right? Not outside the door? You probably mean inside while he's confined to an area upstairs, right?

If you do mean outside your door, could one of your neighbors be shaking it during the day? Random kids messing around or something?

[TLC]

TJ is the same way....

I have a small blue Maxwell House coffee can filled with coins, and YES this is PURE FEAR for him.

I do not even have to shake it anymore, I carefully hold the can and alert his attention to the can, he shuts up and tail between his legs in PURE FEAR. Sometimes I show him the can (when he is barking on the couch out the window) and then I will place the can on the TV or staircase, so he knows it is there....BUT now after reading your story about poor Buddy, maybe I should stop too, as they really, really are scared of it

[ARCHIE]

Originally Posted by Judy in Waco

Poor Buddy! They can get scared of things suddenly.

Hmm...one question. When you leave the can downstairs by the door...you mean inside your house/apt. right? Not outside the door? You probably mean inside while he's confined to an area upstairs, right?

If you do mean outside your door, could one of your neighbors be shaking it during the day? Random kids messing around or something?

I live on the second floor in a condo. I leave the can inside of my front door
so he see's it during the day and dosen't bark unnecessarily. I have done
this for the past 4yrs. Not everyday but some days when he feels like
giving me a hard time. He has full run of our home and does not have
to go any where near the can but looking at it all day must have sent
him over the edge for whatever reason in his mind. I didn't shake it
just threatened to if he howled. Sometimes I have to shake it sometimes
I just show him either way seems to do the trick. He knows it's in
the closet and won't go in there when the door is open but has never,
ever shown this panic behavior before.
Oh well, good things don't last forever I guess.

[ARCHIE]

Originally Posted by TLC

TJ is the same way....

I have a small blue Maxwell House coffee can filled with coins, and YES this is PURE FEAR for him.

I do not even have to shake it anymore, I carefully hold the can and alert his attention to the can, he shuts up and tail between his legs in PURE FEAR. Sometimes I show him the can (when he is barking on the couch out the window) and then I will place the can on the TV or staircase, so he knows it is there....BUT now after reading your story about poor Buddy, maybe I should stop too, as they really, really are scared of it

That sounds like Buddy too. This was my sanity in keeping his barking
under control in the condo when he was a pup. He still whines after
5yrs when I leave for work. Few times he will go into a howl that's when
the can comes out. He'll run under the blue chair in the LR and I sit the
can by the inside of our front door to threaten to shake it to make him be quiet when I leave.
It always worked but he has never reacted like this in the past because of it.
Once last week and then again the day before yesterday. What ever
made him decide to panic over it leaves me blank.
I guess I can't use this anymore! Now what?

[mjharpst]

Oh poor Buddy. When I was living at home I used a spray bottle to comb my girls hair and my parents stayed with her during the day while I was at work. One night I went to do her regular combing and got out the spray bottle and she bolted! My dad had been using it to correct her.

It is crazy when we have to try and figure it out. I had to buy a whole different looking bottle so that Roxie would come near me after that!

[Lou]

Originally Posted by JoeyP

Yeah ... they get scared of some silly things

If I put a glass on the floor my Mike will go two feet away and bark at it
until I take it away

Consider yourself lucky! If I put a glass anywhere that mine can reach it they are diving into it to drink whatever it contains. LOL.

I still hold that whapping a rolled up newspaper on the counter or wall works wonders. The can of coins didn't work for us but all four of mine responded to that awful whapping noise. All I have to do is act like I'm going to grab it and they all shut up and leave the room. Skeeter is a very very light sleeper and wakes up several times a night. He used to wake up and bark but now he just kind of grumbles after a couple of whaps. (And before anyone asks - NO - I have never and will never hit my dogs with anything.)

[ARCHIE]

Originally Posted by Lou

Consider yourself lucky! If I put a glass anywhere that mine can reach it they are diving into it to drink whatever it contains. LOL.

I still hold that whapping a rolled up newspaper on the counter or wall works wonders. The can of coins didn't work for us but all four of mine responded to that awful whapping noise. All I have to do is act like I'm going to grab it and they all shut up and leave the room. Skeeter is a very very light sleeper and wakes up several times a night. He used to wake up and bark but now he just kind of grumbles after a couple of whaps. (And before anyone asks - NO - I have never and will never hit my dogs with anything.)

A tool is all we need to just threaten, you have a rolled up paper I HAD
a can of coins. LOL It worked wonder's but now such fear I can't use
it. I alway knew he didn't like it that's why it worked. I have to really
put my thinking cap on again to figure out how to get out of the house
and keep him quiet too. If I give him peanut butter in his bone he's fine
but I don't think I can give him PB everyday, can I?

[ARCHIE]

Originally Posted by Lou

Consider yourself lucky! If I put a glass anywhere that mine can reach it they are diving into it to drink whatever it contains. LOL.

I still hold that whapping a rolled up newspaper on the counter or wall works wonders. The can of coins didn't work for us but all four of mine responded to that awful whapping noise. All I have to do is act like I'm going to grab it and they all shut up and leave the room. Skeeter is a very very light sleeper and wakes up several times a night. He used to wake up and bark but now he just kind of grumbles after a couple of whaps. (And before anyone asks - NO - I have never and will never hit my dogs with anything.)

LOL I know I can not leave a glass or cup anywhere where he can get
to it. He got diareaha from drinking my coffee and nothing from drinking
my wine one night. Thank heavens. Maybe he had a hang over the
next morning I don't know. If it's within reach he assumes it's his.
Don't they all?

[Judy in Waco]

Originally Posted by ARCHIE

nothing from drinking
my wine one night. Thank heavens. Maybe he had a hang over the
next morning I don't know.

But did he bark the next morning? lol!