Excessive Barking?

[Mueyinter]

Hi guys,
I recently returned from a 3 vacation and it seems i cant leave the house without my poor hound mix barking like crazy. Its come to the point where even if she is left in the house ie kitchen and i am in my bedroom she wont stop barking. My neighbors are complaining and I dunno what to do. Any suggestions?! I don't want to have to put her down!

[red98vett]

Originally Posted by Mueyinter

Hi guys,
I recently returned from a 3 vacation and it seems i cant leave the house without my poor hound mix barking like crazy. Its come to the point where even if she is left in the house ie kitchen and i am in my bedroom she wont stop barking. My neighbors are complaining and I dunno what to do. Any suggestions?! I don't want to have to put her down!

Barking CAN be stopped - I don't have any training to offer advise but you CAN try Petco or a place that offers Dog Classes/Training and see if you can find some help ...I would hate to see any dog put down for barking - there could also be another problem and he's trying to tell you something maybe ? It could be he REALLY missed you like my girls did when I was gone and what I've been doing to help them get over the TRAUMA of me walking out the door is INTENTIONALLY going out the front door....doing something in the car or the garage and then coming back. The more I do this - the better they seem to feel because I'm not going out the door and being gone for hours. It's helping them know that I WILL be right back and they aren't crying so much now...

I hope this helps but please try other alternatives to help him - he can be re-trained !! Good luck and I really hope he stops being so noisy - I have a cocker who barks at silly things - In her case - I just kneel down and tell her to STOP and she listens - but I can sympathise with your dilema

[bettyeanne]

Funny this thread was started today!! Yes, Villette, it can be stopped! Patrick and I took Toto to walk at the park late last evening and there was a lady with two little terriers. One was barking like a maniac and the other wasn't. We stopped to chat and she said the barker was driving her crazy ... the other one had it's "barker" removed! I shared with her how we trained Toto not to bark except when it was OK ... i.e., playing, etc. I am a firm believer that they should be allowed to bark at the appropriate times. I also believe that they should stop when told to. I was very courteous and bit my tongue .... until we got home! I started to tell Pat how I felt about what was done to that poor dog and before I could start my sentence he turned around and said "THAT really pissed me off!" I was shocked! First, because I didn't realize that he too was biting his tongue and second because of his outburst! The poor little thing was "barking" just like the other one but there was nothing coming out of it's little mouth! The lady laughed and said that they still think they are barking, just like before! We just think it's wrong to do that to a dog ... they can be trained not to bark! It's a simple thing to teach them not to bark, or at least it was for Toto. We stopped her in one afternoon! When they do something that you don't like, you simply do something that they don't like! In Toto's case ... she hated hearing you tap on metal ... I simply tapped on the wire part of her crate with a little metal curtain rod and she stopped! It only took maybe a half dozen times and she quit and didn't do it anymore! Now, if she barks when she shouldn't, we simply tell her "No bark". It can be done!

[Mueyinter]

The thing is she's never been like this before. I think it has to do with separation anxiety?

[chachi]

We squirt our dogs with a squirt gun when they bark excessively. They always stop. You can fill a can with change and shake it also.