how can I stop my dog from barking at noises he hears (both outside and
inside noises). I have tried to teach the quiet command with treats, tried
using a spray bottle with cold water and even resorted to trying to hold his
mouth closed on a few occasions (when my 4 month old nephew was visiting and
sleeping). What will work? when we he get it? thanks for any help.

Get a tri-tronics bark collar

BWEEEEEEEEEAAAHAHAHHAAAA!!!

Your own shock collar DON'T WORK.

"MauiJNP" wrote in message
...
how can I stop my dog from barking at noises he hears (both outside and
inside noises). I have tried to teach the quiet command with treats,
tried
using a spray bottle with cold water and even resorted to trying to hold
his
mouth closed on a few occasions (when my 4 month old nephew was visiting
and
sleeping). What will work? when we he get it? thanks for any help.

Cell your dog to you in a calm, friendly voice: "Buster? Come here,
sweetie?". Offer him a treat when he shuts up and comes to you. "Good boy!"
Repeat, repeat, repeat *every time* he barks at noises. Do *not* scold or
punish. When you have him coming to you (without barking) every time you
call, you can start doing something in between the barking and the treating,
so that the treat doesnt come directly after he's stopped barking. It's
enough to just keep talking to him for a little while, keeping his attention
so that he doesn't start barking again. "Good boy! Oh, but you *are* a good
boy, aren't you. Oh, yes you are. Want me to scratch your ears? Ah, that's
good, isn't it?" Etc, etc. Doesn't matter what you say, as long as you say
it in the same friendly voice.

The idea is that you teach him that noises aren't bad. Noises are OK.
Nothing negative will happen when he hears those noises. He won't be
corrected, scolded, sprayed, or anything else that's bad. Instead you
"re-program" him to thinking noises are positive (they lead to treats and
positive attention). And by putting some time between the barking and the
treat, you treat him for being silent and paying attention to you.
Eventually you can downgrade the treats and praise, as the dog learns that
noises are no threat. Eventually you can end the treats/praise altogether.

But remember that this will only work if you *don't* give in to the
temptation to correct or punish him. That's especially difficult in the
beginning, when he still barks for a while before coming to you. But if you
persist, you'll succeed.

Rox
(who owns a very territorial dog who has learned not to bark at noises)

how can I stop my dog from barking at noises he hears (both outside and
inside noises). I have tried to teach the quiet command with treats,
tried
using a spray bottle with cold water and even resorted to trying to hold
his
mouth closed on a few occasions (when my 4 month old nephew was visiting
and
sleeping). What will work? when we he get it? thanks for any help.

Cell your dog to you in a calm, friendly voice: "Buster? Come here,
sweetie?". Offer him a treat when he shuts up and comes to you. "Good
boy!"
Repeat, repeat, repeat *every time* he barks at noises. Do *not* scold or
punish. When you have him coming to you (without barking) every time you
call, you can start doing something in between the barking and the
treating,
so that the treat doesnt come directly after he's stopped barking. It's
enough to just keep talking to him for a little while, keeping his
attention
so that he doesn't start barking again. "Good boy! Oh, but you *are* a
good
boy, aren't you. Oh, yes you are. Want me to scratch your ears? Ah, that's
good, isn't it?" Etc, etc. Doesn't matter what you say, as long as you say
it in the same friendly voice.

The idea is that you teach him that noises aren't bad. Noises are OK.
Nothing negative will happen when he hears those noises. He won't be
corrected, scolded, sprayed, or anything else that's bad. Instead you
"re-program" him to thinking noises are positive (they lead to treats and
positive attention). And by putting some time between the barking and the
treat, you treat him for being silent and paying attention to you.
Eventually you can downgrade the treats and praise, as the dog learns that
noises are no threat. Eventually you can end the treats/praise altogether.

But remember that this will only work if you *don't* give in to the
temptation to correct or punish him. That's especially difficult in the
beginning, when he still barks for a while before coming to you. But if
you
persist, you'll succeed.

Rox
(who owns a very territorial dog who has learned not to bark at noises)



thanks, I will try that and let you know how it goes.

"R Meyer" wrote in message
...
| "MauiJNP" wrote in message
| ...
| how can I stop my dog from barking at noises he hears (both outside and
| inside noises). I have tried to teach the quiet command with treats,
| tried
| using a spray bottle with cold water and even resorted to trying to hold
| his
| mouth closed on a few occasions (when my 4 month old nephew was visiting
| and
| sleeping). What will work? when we he get it? thanks for any help.
|
| Cell your dog to you in a calm, friendly voice: "Buster? Come here,
| sweetie?". Offer him a treat when he shuts up and comes to you. "Good
boy!"
| Repeat, repeat, repeat *every time* he barks at noises. Do *not* scold or
| punish. When you have him coming to you (without barking) every time you
| call, you can start doing something in between the barking and the
treating,
| so that the treat doesnt come directly after he's stopped barking. It's
| enough to just keep talking to him for a little while, keeping his
attention
| so that he doesn't start barking again. "Good boy! Oh, but you *are* a
good
| boy, aren't you. Oh, yes you are. Want me to scratch your ears? Ah, that's
| good, isn't it?" Etc, etc. Doesn't matter what you say, as long as you say
| it in the same friendly voice.
|
| The idea is that you teach him that noises aren't bad. Noises are OK.
| Nothing negative will happen when he hears those noises. He won't be
| corrected, scolded, sprayed, or anything else that's bad. Instead you
| "re-program" him to thinking noises are positive (they lead to treats and
| positive attention). And by putting some time between the barking and the
| treat, you treat him for being silent and paying attention to you.
| Eventually you can downgrade the treats and praise, as the dog learns that
| noises are no threat. Eventually you can end the treats/praise altogether.


What do you do if the dog comes but barks at the same time?

"Child" wrote in message
...
What do you do if the dog comes but barks at the same time?

Then you tell him to sit, and you make him look at you (or the treat). The
barking will stop if the treat is more tempting than chasing after
strangers. As soon as his focus shifts from stranger to daddy, daddy gives
him the treat.

Rox

R Meyer said in rec.pets.dogs.behavior:

Then you tell him to sit, and you make him look at you (or
the treat). The barking will stop if the treat is more
tempting than chasing after strangers. As soon as his focus
shifts from stranger to daddy, daddy gives him the treat.

A "down" is more effective. Many dogs have a difficult time
barking from a prone position.

--
--Matt. Rocky's a Dog.

"R Meyer" wrote in message
...
| "Child" wrote in message
| ...
| What do you do if the dog comes but barks at the same time?
|
| Then you tell him to sit, and you make him look at you (or the treat). The
| barking will stop if the treat is more tempting than chasing after
| strangers. As soon as his focus shifts from stranger to daddy, daddy gives
| him the treat.


I don't think dogs barking because barking at strangers is "tempting" - I
think many dogs are hardwired to do it. I have a keeshond, a breed bred to
be entirely non-aggressive but to alarm bark. And alarm bark he does.
Acknowledging that I know there is someone outside works 90% of the time -
"Oh yes, Tok, I see the person out there, its cool.". The other 10% of the
time the stimulus is so ...stimulating that he is pretty out of control -
for example a moose on the front lawn is just really too much for Toklat and
no sort of food will distract him from that moose. I generally ask him to
get in his crate during these times and he HAPPILY runs in the crate - I
think he feels safer in there. I suspect the moose is really quite scary.

I suspect for a dog who is scared of dogs walking by, there could be the
same sort of issue.

on 2005-01-24 at 09:14 wrote:

I suspect for a dog who is scared of dogs walking by, there
could be the same sort of issue.

that sounds reasonable. elliott is a warning barker. if he
hears a strange noise or a stranger comes too close to the
house, he will give one or two barks. as soon as he knows
he's gotten my attention, he stops.

harriet, OTOH, can be a total PITA barker. she doesn't
warning bark like elliott. she mostly barks when she's
outside and a strange person or car approaches. she hackles
and barks and barks and barks, even if i'm outside with her
and the person is obviously Allowed. she'll even bark at
people she knows and likes! when my neighbors get in their
cars to leave, as soon as the doors shut, she starts barking
at them. i assume it's a barrier aggression issue ("you're
out there and i'm in here and that's just not Allowed"), but
who knows what goes on in her little pea brane?

harriet is, um, a little "special."

on a side note: it's funny, but the older he gets, the more i
realize and appreciate how well socialized elliott was as a
puppy. he's a weirdo, don't get me wrong, but all his screws
are tight and in the right place.

--
shelly
http://home.bluemarble.net/~scouvrette
http://cat-sidh.blogspot.com/ (updated dailyish, apparently)