HELP
my 9month old pup has been barking constantly for 3 months now, my nieghbours are complaining no one will visit. im siting here crying writing this, im driven to distraction with it. my sons bought him for xmas for us as our terrier who we had for 14years died an we realy missed him. this pups name is jax, his mum a chowowa   [sorry bout spelling] and his dads a jack russel. hes only small with big pointy ears hes so cute to look at.
even wen people visit he jumps all over them and if i put him out of room he just keeps barking. i bought a anti barking machine that sends a signal to his ears [30pound] but waste of money he barks at that aswell. ive tried spraying water at him he still barks. hubby takes him for long walks but as soon as we get home barkin starts again. im disabled with not much mobility and im on my own with him all day, i leave back door open so he can run in and out, but he barks in garden, barks in house. i love him to bits he can be lovely but cant cope much longer

plz help
sue

He's probably barking because he's bored and it gives him something to do.  Your husband walking him is a good idea, but at 9 months old he needs his mind exercising as well.  You can start perhaps by doing some training in the house and can also do some rewarding for not barking!  First, teach a command for him to bark... bizarrely if you train them to bark and then withdraw the command this can stop them barking... treats and no distractions are a good start point.  Get his attention and when quiet praise - to help with the 'quiet' command.  'speak' command shouldn't be a problem, but try and make him bark rather than letting him bark.

Other things to train (I know you have mobility problems) - the usual sit, down, stand, come, plus directional (turn left, turn right, go straight on) using toys and or treats.  I find if you put a treat in front of nose and take it behind their head in a circular fashion they'll often follow - get them doing it a few times then put a command - left, right.  Get him to find stuff - put a treat under the mug and then he has to find it.  Get him to collect his toys, to seek stuff out, perhaps your husband and son could hide things once he gets the idea... some people have a sand pit filled with buried toys for their dog to find and then play with - change them frequently.  There are a multitude of things to do with your dog to keep him occupied rather than just wanting him to stop barking.  The more mentally tired he is the more relaxed and chilled he'll be.  Think positive (what you can do with him) rather than negative (stopping him barking).

thx for reply penny.
i do play alot with pup geting him to fetch things, and i sit in garden with him trying to get him to do things but he wont do anything i ask, its so hard to get his attension as he dosnt keep still, he loves running to fetch but wont sit or give his paw, and he still is doin his buisness sometimes indoors even tho back door is open but wen i tell him off an put him outside he just barks at me. hes very hyperactive, an i no hes only a pup an playful but hes hard work. i realy dont want to give up on him but dont no wot to do. if someone knocks on door he goes ballistic even if he no's who it is, then he runs out jumpin all over them, so i have to pick him up before opening door and then i end up scratched to bits coz he's trying to get down, ive noticed some friends have stopped visiting.
regards
sue

Try considering putting him on adult food so he's not been made too fizzy by food. Try looking up how to teach a nose touch command and watch me instead of a retrieve as that means he has to be up close and concentrating on you. Some commands where he's moving away from you might give him to many oppurtunities to start barking again or bullying you with it. Should also be easier to teach him. Then try roll over maybe.What about feeding him his meals via a kong or boredom buster cube to make him work for things more.

Try having him on a lead when you answer the door so he can't scratch either you or anyone else. Also he'll be easier to control. Start with a few basics and pick just one thing to work on a week such a the barking whenthe door goes one week, barking at you another. Try changing too much at once and it's too hard to tackle, plus once you start usually other niggles self correct as disciplne takes over.

I think you need to be more persistent with the training - he will sit eventually! I promise you!  You should identify why he messes indoors and rather than tell him off you may need to take him out more and praise when he does it right.  He may be doing it to get attention, or simply because he doesn't understand he shouldn't. With training, get some high value treats or toys to keep his attention.  With people at the door, you need to take charge and make him behave - do you ever watch 'it's me or the dog' she has some good ideas for this.  You will need some helpers, you need to be more firm and insist on good behaviour, building it up.  It sounds like he's very clever and wants to do his own thing - perhaps a dog door to keep him behind and only to be given attention with good behaviour?  You could enroll the friends who don't come anymore to help you out as practice people!  I still say more mental stimulation and more exercise will calm him down - you could look at 'time outs' for him to rest (crates are useful for these!).  Yes, he sounds hard work, but he will be rewarding!   If he doesn't come when he's called, put him on a long line so he has no choice... he has to come back.  He is barking at you because you are speaking like that to him... in his eyes.. so I would stop telling him, and start looking positive and treating and praising him. Sorry this is a bit messy.  Good luck with it Sue. 

What brand of food (and what age, i.e. puppy) is he on?  That can make a huge difference to behaviour in some dogs.

Great advice given otherwise, but just to reiterate - stop telling him off and praise him more!  Telling him off will only stress him out and that can make him bark more (I have a stressy barker, believe me, how you act makes a difference).

hi penny
ive made myself sound like im always telling him off, i dont honest, ive got a lot of patience with him and im constantly playing with him, hes got lota of toys and we get him bones of butcher which he loves.
as for him doing his poops indoors he no's he shouldnt coz if i dont catch him he eats it so i cant see wot hes done. he goes for lots of walks with my hubby n sons they take him to beach a lot so he gets lots of exercise but like ive said nothin wears him out. ive read some comments bout changing his food, but he will only eat ceaser and butches puppy buiscets anything else he just wont touch. hes a gorgeous little thing we love him to bits, but geting him to look at you is so hard he wont keep still. ive just been trying the nose touch you sugested but he runs away, wen i ask for his paw he wants to bite but not hard, as im trying things hes barking at me. wen he jumps all over people i say stop an put him out of room but as soon as i let him in he does it again.
regards
sue

hi happy
im trying the nose touch now, but he runs away or barks at me but il keep trying. i have had him on a lead to open door, but once person is in he will just dive at them and jump all over them, i put him out but he repeats the same thing wen i let him back in, ive tried keepin him on lead wen visitors are here but then he wont stop barking even if i give him treats
regards
sue x

hi nikkita
hes nearly 9 months now, he will only eat ceaser and butches puppy buiscets wont even touch any other food, ive tried lots of different ones mainly puppy food, i will try adult as you suggest maybe a breakthrough if i can get him to eat it
i do praise him wen hes good, i absolutly adore him, im just at my wits end with him at moment, and dread anyone knocking on door, because of the way he carrys on
regards
sue x

hi happy
just ordered a kong and cube, sounds good idea to make him work harder for food.
here's hoping
thx
sue

You need high value treats which are kept for training purposes only,tiny cubes of really mature cheddar work here as they don't need much to get the taste and the smell.

Some foods can make dogs and cats hyper due to the additives etc and Bakers is one and Iams is another,supermarket own brands tend to be made the same.

If you have a Pets at Home near you then go and look at what they have,they have James Wellbeloved which I have tried in the past with good results, we are using Fish4dogs at present and they love it, I think PAH do something similar. Go online and get samples from dog food firms to try out before you buy a large bag. Natures Menu is a moist food in sachets that I use if I need to give moist for any reason.

Hopefully with patience and training he will settle down for you.

hi rhodach
i will try them treats
a lot of replys have mentiontioned changing his food, i think treats aswell now.
a complete change mite just be wots needed by the sound of things.
thx for advice realy appreciate all help
grateful
sue x

as for him doing his poops indoors he no's he shouldnt coz if i dont catch him he eats it so i cant see wot hes done

Sorry, this seems like he's associated you finding the poo with a problem, rather than him actually doing it there :-( another indication of telling off (after the event) rather than praise for going in the right place and ignoring 'accidents', taking out when you see him going in the wrong place.

Foodwise - I agree to change him to something else, a good complete food would be good, even perhaps chappie complete.  It may take a couple of days for him to accept his new food, but he will eventually and a few days without wont do him any harm unless he's very underweight.  As for treats, you may find that making him work for his dinner (filled kong etc) will mean he gets fewer treats and no set dinner time, he just has to work for it all, rather than lots of extra treats.

you could be rite there penny
i do tell him off after the fact, il try not to. i do praise him wen he does it in garden tho, i make a real fuss of him. ive sent for a kong think il introduce new food with that an see how it goes.
youve been very helpful
thx
sue

I don't think he eats his poo because he knows he's done something wrong - some puppies do eat poo others don't.

I agree with most of the advice given here. Have you tried having him on a long line at home? Also when you have visitors I wouldn't put him away. I would keep him on a lead and get your visitors to make themselves as unexciting as possible to him (they shouldn't pay attention to him - as he's small it shouldn't be too difficult. If he jumps up keep the lead short and get your guests to avoid eye contact with the dog and do as if he wasn't there). The best way is probably to NEVER make a fuss of him if you come in the room/ house he's in. This way the excitment levels are lowered.

It sounds as if he will run away from you which make things difficult to control barking so maybe keeping a fine long lead on him would help get back the control and getting him to sit or do something for you instead of barking is the key. Putting him away is now associated with a lot of barking so avoid removing him from the room and instead control him through the lead and get his attention on you. If he likes a particular treat, keep it for the "quiet" command which will make it easier to train him.

Good luck and keep at it - he will get the message! :-)

hi ludvine
i have tried that keeping him on lead, but like ive said he just keeps barking and wont stop, so most of the time i have to put him out of room or cant have a conversation coz of niose. his new thing is getin on window sill an barking at everyone going past, i take him down but its like hes on a spring so hes straight back up there.[ my windows are filthy with him haha]it seems he cant do anything without the barking.
regards
sue

I don't think he eats his poo because he knows he's done something wrong - some puppies do eat poo others don't.


If he eats all his poo I agree with you - if it's just the indoors stuff then it's usually trying to remove the stuff that humans get cross about :-(

hi penny
yes hes crafty, wen he poos indoors ive pretended not to notice then he leaves it alone, as soon as he see's me going to clean it up he runs to it an eats it given the chance. i swear he's laughing at me sometimes he thinks its a game
regards
sue

Eating poop is called copraphagia and can be caused by the dog knowing you don't like the poop so they eat it to hide from you and that it!! He understands you don't like itbut that's all. Back to basics and take him out every 30 mins reward when he gets it right, ignore when wrong unless you catch him in the act then a word or noise for that's wrong but not too strong and straight outside. Or try putting pineapple juice or raw courgette on his food as it makesthe poop taste awful. When you find some say nothing just discreetly clear up, if you make a fuss you could be increasing the value of the poop thereby causing him to eat it faster as its a competition then who gets there first. Think this is exactly what's happened you have a race on your hands, so remove him from the room using a toy maybe.

Persist with him with the touch, if he doesn't like to touch the flat of your hand try using a fist instead. I find quite often when working with clients dogs if they know paw they get confused asthe hand signalis quite similar or maybe he's had some negative experiences with flat hands so he avoids them. Or teach him to touch your foot!! Total novelty factor, its about getting him to switch his attention seeking into good habits. I also throw the treats away in a food scurry to get the basic recall started as well and to get some exercise in.And remember if he doesn't work don't ask him morethan twice for the command,then show him what he could have had and withhold it. Naughty behaviour has consequences and you don't want to train him by nagging him either. Put the rules in and he'll start to see mum means business. You're to be nice and fluffy but not a push over!! No workee no foodee!! Like me no coffee no workee!!; )