Help!! - Constant Barking

[DuckCommandress]

I have a great 1 year old, but he loves to sing and bark at night. You all have most likely discussed this before, but I would love to hear of some treatments that have worked.

1. He just isn't and inside dog, so don't tell me to bring him in. His run is concrete with a little house that is nicer than where I stay. He has a warm bed, lighting and all that good stuff.

2. A bark collar works. But now he has a small sore on his neck and I refuse to make my dog suffer over one bitchy neighbor. She said she has moved before due to a barking dog, so hope she will take head and move again. This woman called the cops on me twice and I finally had to go to her house and ask her to call me first.

3. Last night he slept in his kennel in my Suburban (which works), but I just hate to keep doing that.

I guess by asking for suggestions, I am looking for a miracle treatment. I know there isn't much that can be done, but if you have any ideas please let me know.

Many thanks,

DC and "Gauge"

[Greenhead3184]

I think those bark collars will cause sores and it says so on the directions. I would keep using it though and keep some ointment on the spot where the collar has been rubbing him. I found that the collar works the best since I keep her outside when I'm gone for a long time and she tends to bark then. I know a muzzle may be an option too but some dogs can manage to tear it off.

[Fish]

How long have you used the collar?

Does the collar have variable intensity? If so you might try turning it up to the max setting so that when he barks he vocalizes in pain. After a couple of barks he'll figure it out. If he dosen't you may have one of those dogs that can withstand intense stimulation.

I used to be hesitant to smack my dog with the collar but by being too easy on him, or naggy as some call it, I was actually making him worse. Candor said one time that one should "offend the offender". I have never agreed more with any other one piece of training philosophy.

I have seen these collars work really well on mouthy dogs and I would stick it out. One possible solution to prevent sores would be to move the electrodes to different spots each time you put the collar on him. Or you could just leave it alone and let him figure it out. Sounds like you have engaged him in a battle of wills. I would hold to my guns.

[Candor]

DC…this can sometimes be a tough nut to crack. I take it he is just barking to hear his own voice (kind of like Labluver [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] ) …rather than barking at something (like a neighbors dog) ?

I would first try walking the dog in the evening/getting him some exercise…this can help if the dog has just too much energy.

Secondly…is the dog just not used to being alone/without you? If so you need to condition him that he can be happy without you around. If this is the case let me know and I will give you more info on this one.

If you have no clue why he is barking…then consider the following:

Some dogs quickly figure out the barking, ie not to bark, with a bark collar…some are much more stubborn. The trouble you may have is that you don’t want him to catch on that when he doesn’t have the collar on he can get away with it. Sometimes one of the citronella collars works better than the electric ones.

Another alternative might be to put a door on his dog house and treat it like a crate…and crate him at night in his dog house. If you have never crate trained a dog do some reading on it before you go lock him in his house.

I hate to be against you but I have always seen it as the pet owners responsibility to keep their dog from bothering other folks. Be glad your neighbor is complaining rather than poisoning or shooting your dog.

Speaking of shooting…and I know I am going to get lambasted for this but oh well…one of my first hunting dogs (not dad’s or granddad’s but my own), when I was like 12 used to bark incessantly and he had a helluva bark. I had a very low powered BB gun and I would leave the house window cracked open and shoot him in the butt with it whenever he would start howling/barking. It took about 2 weeks of constant shooting (and it never broke the skin) but he quit…and my neighbors started talking to my parents again.

Good luck, be persistent.

[daytripper]

Let me say first I agree with Candor.

Not everyone is a dog lover and it's your responsability to make your dog a responsable citizen.

This may be more time consuming but have you thought about putting a normal training collar on your dog and then stimulating him as soon as he barks. If not then I agree with moving the collar around to different points so as not to cause a sore. Other than that I don't know what you do.

BTW - Candor is that the dog that learned to duck behind the dog house after it barked so you could not shoot it?


Good Luck

DT

[Candor]

heh heh...yes. I don't know that he ever made the connection that I was shooting him but he definitely figured out that he could howl behind his house. Had to change windows and then the shooting became trickier. But eventually got the better of him.

Can’t believe I am discussing shooting my dog on the internet… [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[DuckCommandress]

Originally posted by Candor:

I hate to be against you but I have always seen it as the pet owners responsibility to keep their dog from bothering other folks. Be glad your neighbor is complaining rather than poisoning or shooting your dog.

No, no. I completely agree with you and daytripper on this one. It's just that this woman is by-polar, does not take her meds and is always complaining about something. She targets her complaints to me when my fiance is not home only because she knows I am non-confrontational and will just listen and apologize. Warming the car in the morning to go hunting really gets to her also... She hates everyone except her gifted daughter. If you are male, stay far, far away from them.

As for the dog... He was crate trained as a pup and I have trained others, so the door on his kennel house may be a good option. He was away at school for quite sometime and I feel that may be where he picked up his barking habit.

Thank you all for your help. This is exactly the kind of feedback I needed.

[DuckCommandress]

Originally posted by daytripper:
...have you thought about putting a normal training collar on your dog and then stimulating him as soon as he barks.

This is good advice too. His vet actually recommended this one also.

[Catdaddy]

DC,
This is what I used on a kennel with 8 beagles (in a subdivision). It will cure the problem in 24 hours......and I never had a neighbor complaint in 10 years.


http://mitsi.com/Products/Texmark/Waterjet.htm

[Palmetto Bug]

I don't think your bark collar is set high enough. This is avoidance training. Turn it up and he'll avoid whatever makes the collar sting him.

Candor, I've trained plenty of dogs with a "Daisy dog trainer". I don't use it on my own dogs much anymore since shock collars were invented but I still keep neighbors' dogs trained with it. You usually don't even have to actually hit a dog with it. Just shoot anywhere near him and he'll get the picture. I learned this from my dad. The dogs in our neighborhood could be instantly silenced by simply shaking the BB gun.

I love dogs as much as anyone but I can't tolerate an incessant barker.

Tommy

[curlybackdogs]

here

We use these a lot. They work very well for dogs who bark in dog trailers while training and at night.

I also have used my son's paint ball gun to quiet my dogs. It takes several days but they get the picture. Just forcefully tell him QUIET! and then send several paint balls his way.

[DuckCommandress]

Catdaddy, I've never seen the water jet. I've turned about 5 different dog owners onto it this evening.

For tonight, I have a different bark collar on him until I can do something else. He is pretty quiet - so it is obvious that it works. I'm just planning to take it off in the morn and let him do what he wants all day. According to the local ordinance, he can bark all he wants from 7:30 AM til 10:00 PM. Funny thing is, he does not do it during the day. Maybe things will work out if I just collar him at night... Eventually, I may not even need to turn it on.

Thanks again for the help.

[Frankie Marion]

I have also had good luck using anti-bark spray collars from Multi-vet. They spray cintronella scented spray out at the dogs chin when they bark. They have worked for mine and all of the neighbors dogs. The good thing about it is that it doesen't interfere with any e-collar conditioning you have done. Check at your local hunting store or pet store if you are interested. It has worked great for me. Oh, and the are a lot cheaper than the shock collars. If you cannot find one locally send me a PM and I will send you one. Hope this helps.

[Mergie Master]

As a last resort can't you have the vet surgically "mute" him? Seems like that would be a viable alternative if all else fails.

A friend of mine's lab was a whiner and that was about the most aggrevating thing I've ever been around! The dog was fine in the kennel and most of the time in the blind, but as soon as you started working birds with the call or she saw the birds she'd start this high pitched whining! And she wouldn't stop no matter what you did. Then on every retrieve she whined the whole time,even though she'd get choked when she was swimming with a bird in her mouth! I was tempted to shoot that dog on several occasions. Stupid dog!