# Please HELP! I can't get them to stop barking



## hambys97 (Feb 25, 2005)

Okay, I'm desperate. We haven't had trouble before. But we have never lived in a subdivision before. Since our move here to Canton, GA, we are very close to the neighbors. We did go ahead and have a fence built in the backyard so that the pups could be allowed to play outside safely. I was worried about cars and kids. I initially thought that Frosty and Manning would calm down after they got used to the new house. But we have been here since mid-October and if anything it is getting worse.

When the pups see people out the front door, they bark. When someone knocks or rings the doorbell, they bark. While outside in the backyard if they hear ANYTHING, they bark. When people come into the house, they bark. If I go outside (just to the mailbox) and have left them loose in the house, they bark. We are beginning to worry about people complaining to the HOA. But more importantly, we feel like we are about to go nuts!

Manning has gotten so much worse. He has stopped with the annoying bark, and he screams/cries with this horrid high-pitched sound that makes you think he is dying.

I can't take them for walks if there are people outside because if they have their pets with them, the pups go nuts. What has happened to my mild-mannered fluffs? And what can I do to fix this? Any help is greatly appreciated!


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## bell (Jun 4, 2008)

Do you ever watch Ceaser? Or the other women who does dog training on tv? I am teaching my dogs not to bark at anything. I use the word quiet and it works. I know that you are supposed to distract them from the object that is causing them to bark and reward them for not barking and they are supposed to eventually learn not to bark.


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## coco (Sep 20, 2006)

Hi there! I don't know what to tell you, as we don't have that problem. I really just wanted to say hello and hope you are doing better! Good luck with the problem. Maybe someone else can help you with this.


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## Tanner's Mom (May 27, 2005)

I wish I could help but I can't--mine do the same thing. When a car comes down the road, they bark, when the kids on 4-wheelers come around, they bark, when the golf carts have the nerve to drive down their road, they bark and heaven forbid the Springer next door comes outside and quietly sits on the hill and watches them. Tanner is not as bad as the IGs, but he's bad none the less. I have a squirt bottle I use and that does get them to stop, I just wish they wouldn't start! So I will be anxiously awaiting the replies here!


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## Shrimpi's Mommy (Feb 1, 2009)

When we took a puppy class at petsmart ( for my sisters dog), the trainer told us to use a squirt bottle and spray them everytime they barked, becuase it surprised them and they'd stop lol. A poor little barker named cosmo in our class had a collar that acually squirted him in the face everytime he barked. We did see improvment as every week passed lol. 

I acually don't use that method, Chowders a barker, and Shrimp isn't. All I do when he barks is do a little "dog whisper" move on him and SHH him while i use my finger to poke him in the neck lol. It startles him and he quits barking lol. It's kinda funny and really effective. So now he knows when he sees my finger coming to poke him he stops doing whatever naughty thing he was doing. He only barks now at his sister when he's trying to get her to play. Every once in a while though, he'll hear something weird (we live in a apartment so we get neighboor noises) and I just look at him like "you better not do it" kinda look, and he just settles back down lol. 

I make sure I show them that I'm alpha dog, and they are doing awesome. 

You should try taking your baby to the source of whatever they're barking at ( people at front door) have them sit at the door and everytime they bark just SHH them! We had an issue with Shrimp bolting out the door when we go for walks, and so I just sit her there and everytime she gets up to jump on the door I SHH her and poke her with my finger and she'll stop. 

Good luck I hope it helps!


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## froglivers (Jan 13, 2009)

QUOTE (Shrimpi's Mommy @ Mar 16 2009, 09:34 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=746402


> I acually don't use that method, Chowders a barker, and Shrimp isn't. All I do when he barks is do a little "dog whisper" move on him and SHH him while i use my finger to poke him in the neck lol. It startles him and he quits barking lol. It's kinda funny and really effective. So now he knows when he sees my finger coming to poke him he stops doing whatever naughty thing he was doing.[/B]



Aw, that's too funny! Emily has recently discovered (last 2 weeks) that she can bark at EVERYONE and EVERYTHING. So she does. Goes out in the patio, and barks at the dogs walking by on the street. Ugh.

Whispering works sometimes; other times, I wave her Bunny at her. 

Then again, she gets really focused on the barking. Silly. :wub:


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## theboyz (Jan 10, 2007)

We use the GentleSpray collars in the house. Works like magic and is just a little spray of citrus. They will not bark while wearing them. I do not leave them on and just use them when someone is coming to the house.
Safe, gentle and works.


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## hambys97 (Feb 25, 2005)

Thanks everyone for your replies! I have tried the whispering, the "shhhh," loud, startling noises, etc. I can't do the water guns as they run to the front/back door, and I am still very slow getting up and getting anywhere. I have began trying to teach the sit/stay command, which works some but not always. I whistle at them when they are in the back yard, and sometimes Manning will then stop barking. But begin physically limited myself, I am hoping to find a good trainer to help me teach them. I never did any basic training (other than housebreaking), and I think that was a major mistake. If anyone knows of a good trainer that is reasonably priced near Canton, GA (about 40 minutes north of Atlanta), please pass along that info!


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## princessre (Dec 23, 2008)

Our puppy rarely ever barked at home, so I never thought he had a problem. But then we took him to his first obedience class. He was only used to being at home, playdates, or play groups. I guess he could not stand not playing with other dogs while in the same room. It was so embarrassing. He barked nearly nonstop for the whole hour the first session. The trainer taught us to give him 15 second time-outs by picking him up every time he barked and pointing his face against the wall or away from the class, thereby denying him visual access to the room. We did it about 40 times within that hour-long first class. We did not think this time-out method was going to work at all. Somehow one week later, we took him to the same class again. He barked only 2 times in one hour, and only in response to other dogs barking first. Time outs really work!


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## diane&ozzie (Jun 24, 2008)

I had read this a week ago on urbanhound.com, I started working with my two because they bark when they hear noises, it is working out quite well, here is the link

http://ny.urbanhound.com/houndManners/ShowAnswer.asp?QID=449

hope it helps


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