Stop the Barking - various techniques
 

Hey everyone! Well, my Gia is still quite the barker. She's a little over a year old and I can't take her in public because the barking is so severe. Walks are impossible if there are any other people, animals, cars, etc., as distractions.

I have tried various techniques: positive praise when she doesn't bark at a distraction, mega treats if she doesn't bark, saying "NO" if she does bark, those high pitched clicker things, making a loud noise with pennies in a can to try to break her focus, and the spray water bottle on her booty... NOTHING breaks her focus.

Do y'all have ANY ideas?! She's such a sweetie, but she is just too barky to take ANYWHERE and it's too hard to try to keep "shhhhh-ing" her. Someone mentioned spraying water in her face. That just seems so cruel, but if it's just water, do you think it's an acceptable training method?

Thank you in advance for ANY ideas and help! :)

Gia sounds like Uni. Uni is now 4 1/2 and it wasn't until about 2 1/2-3 yrs old that she started to calm down. When we'd take her for walks she was so excited that she would bunny hop on her rear legs, screeching and crying like we were hurting her. She would pull so much that she would make her back nails bleed from pulling so much. She was just super excited. I think after taking her to more and more places she started to calm down. It was really embarrassing though.

Nothing would get her attention from being excited, as she was not food motivated. Now that we've gotten her spayed, her appetite has improved ten fold. However when we are out, she still is not interested in food to redirect the focus. The strange thing is, she is really well behaved at home and at work, and she knows a ton of tricks, so she understands commands. It's just when we are out, her crazy switch turns on. Last summer we went to a lot of doggy play days. She got used to socializing with her friends and being out. I think if we kept it up things would have continued to improve.

Your Gia is still very young. Give it some time. How is her behaviour at home? Is she spayed? I believe getting them spayed helps them calm down. I am not one for the water in the face, pennies in a can, electronic device to shut them up. Dogs bark for a reason, and they are trying to tell you something. Figure out what that is, and address it. Like I said, at work or home Uni is great. Everyone comments on how chill she is, HA! If they only knew. It's just I know what she wants there. Now when we are out, I don't really know what she wants! Too many distractions. Good luck!

Gia and Uni sound like two peas in a pod! Gia was always sweet and friendly with strangers and children until AFTER she was spayed. It's like something clicked in her head to make her VERY barky. Thankfully she doesn't bite down.... (yet?) - but she growls and she whips her head around as if she was GOING to bite. (Guess it's for show.)

When she barks she just gets so stressed out that I feel so bad for her and I remove her from the situation eventually. She barks in drive-throughs (even though she knows she'll get a "snack"). She's food motivated when it comes to learning tricks (and she's SUPER smart!) but when she's in the moment of barking, NOTHING distracts her!

She's fantastic at home (unless someone knocks at the door). She's just such a sweet girl, but I don't know what to do to help her understand that there's nothing to be afraid of.

I'm worried that one day she'll just run after something (a person, car, etc.) and get hurt.

If you're having that much of an issue with it I suggest reading some of Cesar Millan's books. He has some great knowledge of why dogs do things. Maybe part of it is how you are interacting with her in public, or your own body language or energy? Not saying "it's your fault". I'm just thinking that maybe your pup needs something more than the regular "quick fix" type ideas.

Ive been having the same problem since I had to crate my almost 16 week old Tibbers (he broke his leg). He seems like he really freaks out at any noise he is not use to even at night so its supper disturbing to my hubby who works 2nd shift I two have tried treats and the shhhhhh! But nothing works :(

You're right. I completely think that this issue is my energy. But I don't know what to do to even begin to change everything. I want to take her on walks, but any time a car or people go by she freaks out with the insane barking and I don't know how to calm her down, and I don't know what I'm supposed to do.

She was super friendly with people until after I spayed her. Not sure why that would have changed anything, but it seems to be the turning point.

If anyone has had simiar situations with their pups, please let me know what you did to implement changes! :)

Thanks so much!

I agree that Cesar Millan's books and Videos are a great tool. All of my dogs stop barking after 2 barks, when I say 'Thank You, Enough - Quiet.' Gracie came to us at 8 mo.s old and was a persistent barker, nipper, and other problems. It took about 2 months of spraying her with water to get her to stop. I also used rolled up socks to toss at her when she wasn't looKing at me when she kept barking in the house. When she barked on the leash I would say thank you, enough (pause) quiet. if she didn't look at me and stop barking I would say Enough - Quiet, loudly and do a sharp U turn and start going the other way. Sometimes I got dizzy from doing like 5 U turns in a row LOL. But it worked. As soon as she was stopped barking, I would say good quiet and pet her softly without excitement. Yes I did spray her in the face and kept doing it, not just one squirt ,until she stopped barking. As soon as she was quiet I said good quiet and pet. I tried not show emotion while doing this training and did not use treats because I wanted her to feel calm. Hope this helps.

You should take her around active things and try to condition her to get use to it. I watch Its or the Dog on Animal Planet. And the obedient trainer would take her in area where its loud, walking people, and people walking their pets. Once your dog barks turn her around and walk the other way. Keep doing it until she gets bored then when she sits' praise her and give her a treat.