# Are we doomed when it comes to barking?



## .13124 (Jun 1, 2012)

Cici is 5 months now, and her barking only gets worse. I've heard about the pennies in a can, but I would be fearful of using it since I read somewhere that it just causes anxiety because they don't forget at whatever they're barking at, they're still thinking about it and not able to bark. 

The worst was during her second day at puppy playschool. All the other pups are mostly quiet, they sometimes bark (SOMETIMES, like taking turns), or growl at eachother once in a while, but Cici was the star of barkers that day. I couldn't even tell if she was taking breaths, it was just constant barking. I tried giving her treats; she didnt want them. I tried giving her a toy, nope. The different trainers kept coming over taking turns, but her barking only stopped while they were with us petting her (she loves attention!). I could tell the trainer was probably getting a little irritated because she couldn't concentrate that well on her lecture, and Cici's bark really pierces through ears, especially in a closed room. Finally the trained had to ask one of the assistants to take Cici outside on a potty break :embarrassed:

I don't know what went wrong. Since she was 9 weeks old she's been around strangers because I would always take her to the stores with me (in my arms always). Did she get used to people always coming up to pet her?
When I take her out to my front yard she barks like crazy to my neighbors and anyone driving by, I have to say "Let's go" and turn back inside.

I've heard people saying to turn the dog towards you, well I don't know how they do it because Cici is a strong little girl, if I hold her body towards me she will turn her head back, and squirm her way out of my hands. When I'm holding her she wiggles so much so I'll let her down on the floor that my chest and arms turn out red from her nails (even though they're trimmed). During that time not even the yummiest treat can distract her, she simply doesn't care about food (and in any other instance she goes CRAZY for cheese or cooked chicken). 

I tried asking the trained what I should do, but she simply said that it's what Maltese do, they're barkers, and to just have people that come over to give her a treat or something. I love Cici's trainer, she uses positive methods and is so kind, but I was not very satisfied with the answer. I know Maltese are barkers, but there must be a way to tone it down...

I try taking her to parks and start off away from people and slowly move closer and give her treats, but she can spot anyone far away and just go crazy. Once she goes crazy I can't find a way to calm her down, sometimes not even walking away works. 

I'm thinking she might be protective of me because when she was 14 weeks old and incident happened where I was in a parking lot with her about to drive off, and two men approach that I had not seen, she starts barking like crazy (the first time she barked at people on the street), I locked the doors just in time before they tried to get in the car. I got scared and i'm sure Cici sensed it. Since then the first thing she does when she sees people is bark and growl. But there's different tones of barking, and at her puppy playschool I believe she barks for attention, because she is calm when the trainer comes over to pet her.
The main thing besides barking is that she lunges at people/dogs, and I'm holding her back with the leash and it turns into a "yo-yo" motion.

This is really long but I wanted to give as much information as I could. Hopefully someone can help us out:smhelp:


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## edelweiss (Apr 23, 2010)

Were you describing my Liesl? You left nothing out & said it so well. I, of course, did not have the car/men incident you had---but otherwise it was perfect. I know Lisi barks for attention---to everyone/anyone. She came this way at 5 months. She even barks at shadows & wind. 
The sad part is, she is influencing my quiet little good boy instead of the other way around. I may have to move to an island.:smilie_tischkante:
May daughter lives in Arroyo Grande, when I come to see her we should get them together to see what they do! :w00t::w00t::innocent:


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## *Missy* (Oct 7, 2011)

edelweiss said:


> Were you describing my Liesl? You left nothing out & said it so well. I, of course, did not have the car/men incident you had---but otherwise it was perfect. I know Lisi barks for attention---to everyone/anyone. She came this way at 5 months. She even barks at shadows & wind.
> The sad part is, she is influencing my quiet little good boy instead of the other way around. I may have to move to an island.:smilie_tischkante:
> May daughter lives in Arroyo Grande, when I come to see her we should get them together to see what they do! :w00t::w00t::innocent:


Maybe they will bark each other quiet haha they will be so amniyed with all the other barking they will realize they should be less "barky" lol. Paislee is like this also but has done so well lately. Maybe she's just getting tired lol but she does listen to the no bark and will usually give one muffled bark under her breath lol. Outside I'm so proud of how well she has done and gets mucho praise when we can go outside and just enjoy ourselves without barking everyone crazy!


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## socalyte (Nov 15, 2010)

I have the same problem with Cozette and Pippa, although it got much worse when Pippa came. Cozette's bark is high-pitched, but Pippa's is just at the right frequency that it literally makes my ears ring if she is at all close to me when she is barking. It really hurts! I've tried giving them treats if they hush, but the minute I stop offering treats, off they go again.


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## StevieB (Feb 2, 2012)

Oh zoiks! I am very lucky my guy is not an incessant barker, but I know there are many malts that are. When we took our obedience class there was a dog that was a barker and the trainer had the owner squirt the dog with a water bottle then treat when he stopped. I've also heard of using canned air and they make little mini cans you can clip to your belt/waistband. There are opposing theories on that I'm sure, but this trainer was all about positive reinforcement. Have you tried anything like that? I can see how the rattling can would make them anxious.


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## bellaratamaltese (May 24, 2006)

Boy this sounds just like Lucy when I first got her and took her to puppy class at Petsmart. Bark bark bark - that's all she did was bark. She even scared the big breed puppies because she was soooooo loud. Like you, the trainer tried everything with me to get her under control to no avail. I could be shoving cheerios in her mouth and she'd still bark with her mouth full. I was honestly considering just pulling her out of the class because it was so stressful - she just got soooo excited.

My trainer finally handed me a squirt bottle to try and in my situation, it was like a miracle cure. I squirted her once and that was all it took. She would spool up to bark and i'd point it at her and she'd close her mouth. I can't' say it will work in your case but it sure did in mine! She can still bark and lunge at other dogs but she is sooooo much better and she is at shows and in the ring with many different dogs. If you think she is barking because she is anxious, a squirt bottle can make things worse but if you think it's just because she is soooo excited, definitely give the bottle a try. Hopefully you'll get great results from it!


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## educ8m (May 19, 2010)

BellaNotte said:


> I tried asking the trained what I should do, but she simply said that it's what Maltese do, they're barkers, and to just have people that come over to give her a treat or something. I love Cici's trainer, she uses positive methods and is so kind, but I was not very satisfied with the answer. I know Maltese are barkers, but there must be a way to tone it down...


Nora, so sorry that your trainers aren't knowledgeable enough to help you. 

First, let me assure you that you are NOT doomed. Both Gracie and Ella were barkers. Gracie turns two next month and now only barks when startled by a sound. She has gotten so good that 90% of the time, she doesn’t bark even when Ella and Cisco go crazy. To get to this point took LOTS of work, but it’s worth it. Ella is a work in progress. We’ve come a long way, but still have a ways to go. I feel your pain and embarrassment about puppy class. Here’s my embarrassing story: For Ella’s first class I enrolled her in the advanced/pre-rally class. After all, I had worked extensively with her at home and she had a solid, sit, down, come, and a great heel position. Best heeling of any dog I’ve ever had. She prances right beside me with her head turned up and eyes looking at me the whole time. Ready, for advanced, right? Oh, no. leave it to our little ones to keep us humble. Ella went in and started barking the minute we hit the door. She wouldn’t listen to any command I gave her—not even “sit” which she mastered within a week of being home with me. The instructor scolded me, “Well the first thing you need is a solid ‘sit’ with her!” I was promptly _demoted _to the beginner class. I went home and cried. Best thing that ever happened. Ella ended up being the star of the beginner class. In fact, she was the only one who passed the Canine Good Citizen test at the end. She is now in a rally class—and she no longer barks (at least during class!)
I did different things with both Gracie and Ella, so I’ll just describe some of the things I tried.
This is based on the training concept that “It’s yer choice.” You are not forcing the dog to do anything. The dog is choosing his/her behavior. They make the choice based on what they find value in doing, so we have to help create value with what we DESIRE. When I went into class, Ella was in a crate. If she barked, I covered the crate with a blanket. If she continued to bark once the crate was covered, I moved the crate to a different room until she stopped. I gave her NO ATTENTION. I didn’t speak to her. Once she was quiet, I removed the cover. If she started barking again, the cover went back on. Once she was quiet and in the same room with the other dogs, I began rewarding her while she was still in the crate AND QUIET. I wanted to create value for being in the crate and being quiet. This will work whether the barking is from anxiety (because they begin to realize they are safe in their crate) or barking for attention (because they get none.) Once she could be quiet in the crate around other dogs, we were ready for her to come out of the crate. If she started barking, she went right back in the crate. This all sounds very time consuming, but it took half a class for Ella to “get it.” 
Now I am working on teaching Ella not to bark at other walkers or dogs while walking in the park. This has been more difficult because I can’t do the crate thing. We are making progress. When someone begins to approach, I have Ella “do” something. Sit, touch my hand, etc. and treat. When she is asked to do a command it interrupts the “oh, oh, there’s someone there” cycle. I really need to put a head halter on her, so I can control her head better. With a head halter on, I can make her look at me. Susan Garrett HIGHLY recommends all puppies be on head halters when beginning training. 
Here’s Susan Garrett’s philosophy: "Susan’s philosophy is to focus on what you “want” from your dog, rather than what you don’t want. Here at “Say Yes,” we live in the land of “do.” In traditional dog training, we were told in order to get a dog to stop doing something, we should tell them "no" - "Don't jump!" or "Don't run away!" Susan’s approach, successfully used by thousands of people world wide, has demonstrated that you will have more long term success with your dog when you use games and reinforcement to convince him that what YOU want him to do is exactly what HE wants to do!"
Here’s the link to here site: http://www.clickerdogs.com/

I also have to admit that when I lose my patience I have resorted to the squirt bottle :brownbag:and it does do the trick. It just doesn't work long term for Ella. I really like Susan Garrett's approach, I"M still the work in progress.
Good Luck. Remember: patience, perseverence, and praise. She's still a baby.


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## .13124 (Jun 1, 2012)

edelweiss said:


> Were you describing my Liesl? You left nothing out & said it so well. I, of course, did not have the car/men incident you had---but otherwise it was perfect. I know Lisi barks for attention---to everyone/anyone. She came this way at 5 months. She even barks at shadows & wind.
> The sad part is, she is influencing my quiet little good boy instead of the other way around. I may have to move to an island.:smilie_tischkante:
> May daughter lives in Arroyo Grande, when I come to see her we should get them together to see what they do! :w00t::w00t::innocent:


OMG haha, we should get them together! They probably have a lot to "talk" about. I really wanted to take Cici to the "Putin on the Dog" even in Arroyo Grande on August 18th, but I'm so worried she'll have a barking fit



StevieB said:


> Oh zoiks! I am very lucky my guy is not an incessant barker, but I know there are many malts that are. When we took our obedience class there was a dog that was a barker and the trainer had the owner squirt the dog with a water bottle then treat when he stopped. I've also heard of using canned air and they make little mini cans you can clip to your belt/waistband. There are opposing theories on that I'm sure, but this trainer was all about positive reinforcement. Have you tried anything like that? I can see how the rattling can would make them anxious.


Oh I envy you for not having a barker . Our trainer and her assistants don't seem to use squirt bottles or anything like that, but maybe I will have to give it a try, because I'm starting to think that them giving her treats and coming over to pet her to calm her down while the trained finished talking, is just making Cici want to bark more, for attention.
And I will have to look into that canned air. I read it previously in another post on here, but don't know much about it yet.



bellaratamaltese said:


> Boy this sounds just like Lucy when I first got her and took her to puppy class at Petsmart. Bark bark bark - that's all she did was bark. She even scared the big breed puppies because she was soooooo loud. Like you, the trainer tried everything with me to get her under control to no avail. I could be shoving cheerios in her mouth and she'd still bark with her mouth full. I was honestly considering just pulling her out of the class because it was so stressful - she just got soooo excited.
> 
> My trainer finally handed me a squirt bottle to try and in my situation, it was like a miracle cure. I squirted her once and that was all it took. She would spool up to bark and i'd point it at her and she'd close her mouth. I can't' say it will work in your case but it sure did in mine! She can still bark and lunge at other dogs but she is sooooo much better and she is at shows and in the ring with many different dogs. If you think she is barking because she is anxious, a squirt bottle can make things worse but if you think it's just because she is soooo excited, definitely give the bottle a try. Hopefully you'll get great results from it!


That's Cici right there. I'll give her a piece of cheese and put it in her mouth, and she'll just bark and let it fall out:blink:.



educ8m said:


> Nora, so sorry that your trainers aren't knowledgeable enough to help you.
> 
> First, let me assure you that you are NOT doomed. Both Gracie and Ella were barkers. Gracie turns two next month and now only barks when startled by a sound. She has gotten so good that 90% of the time, she doesn’t bark even when Ella and Cisco go crazy. To get to this point took LOTS of work, but it’s worth it. Ella is a work in progress. We’ve come a long way, but still have a ways to go. I feel your pain and embarrassment about puppy class. Here’s my embarrassing story: For Ella’s first class I enrolled her in the advanced/pre-rally class. After all, I had worked extensively with her at home and she had a solid, sit, down, come, and a great heel position. Best heeling of any dog I’ve ever had. She prances right beside me with her head turned up and eyes looking at me the whole time. Ready, for advanced, right? Oh, no. leave it to our little ones to keep us humble. Ella went in and started barking the minute we hit the door. She wouldn’t listen to any command I gave her—not even “sit” which she mastered within a week of being home with me. The instructor scolded me, “Well the first thing you need is a solid ‘sit’ with her!” I was promptly _demoted _to the beginner class. I went home and cried. Best thing that ever happened. Ella ended up being the star of the beginner class. In fact, she was the only one who passed the Canine Good Citizen test at the end. She is now in a rally class—and she no longer barks (at least during class!)
> I did different things with both Gracie and Ella, so I’ll just describe some of the things I tried.
> ...


Thanks! It's good to know there is hope. And I feel your embarrassment from your story, when Cici gets like that in public I sometimes do feel like crying. It is a very stressful situation, especially when other dog owners are walking by with their nicely behaved dog, and just staring at us with that "look" like we're bad owners that can't even control a 5lb doggy:blush:. Similarly to your story, before her classes Cici was an expert in "sit" and "down", but on her second day of classes, we had to go demonstrate infront of the class and she would just not sit:mellow:. Then when it was time to practice "down", the instructor would go around to watch. When she came to us, Little Miss Diva decided to make fools of us:blink:. We told the instructor she already knew how, and she asked us to show her. After a minute, she silently just walked away:blush:.

I'm not sure how I would be able to do the crate method in her classes, though. I might have to talk to the trained to work something out of what I could be allowed to use in the class. 

Luckily I ordered a head halter a week ago, so it should be arriving soon . I was a little hesitant to use it because it seems uncomfortable, but hopefully we can make progress during training. And I MIGHT have to resort to giving a spray bottle a chance if all else fails.


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## .13124 (Jun 1, 2012)

Just a thought, does what puppies do before class, have anything to do with their attitude in class? Her first day in class, she did not bark at ALL, she hid under my chair most of the time. And then I think about what we did before class, (her classes are from 6:30pm-8pm) and she didn't really take any naps right before class, and I didn't do any training with her, just mild playing and walking around the house. Then when I think about her second day of class (when she decided to be a rebel), we did about 10-15 mins of training outside (heeling, learning "come", etc.), some playing, and the slept for most of the time up until it was time for class. 

I'm wondering if maybe it's better to play with her before class, get her tired out a bit, no naps within 2hrs before class, and no treats during the day until class, would maybe make her a little more calm during class?

OH! and by the way, I find it funny and interesting that she will be jumping up and down, barking (while the instructor is talking), but then as soon as its "play" time and we unleash the puppies so they can interact, she is completely transformed and turns into shy Cici. Hiding under my chair, running away from the puppies that try to approach her, and being as quiet as a mouse!


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

I like the method of asking for an incompatible behavior and rewarding that. 

That said, I've had puppies in my home of various breeds that were huge barkers. My very toughest method is removing the dog from the situation and confining them. This is called negative punishment - taking something away (any attention) to decrease the occurrence of a behavior (barking). By taking away I would take my dog to an upstairs bedroom and happily crate them up, then leave them for a good 15+ minutes. Consistency is the key here - every time they must be removed. Our of the house they'd be crated and I'd cover the crate (if the weather agreed I'd shut the crate in the car).

Roo was one of my worst barkers as a pup. His sister also was. Roo stops on one verbal warning with the above method. He can bark while he does just about everything, so the incompatible behavior didn't work for him.


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