My 2 JRT's are at home with my elderly mother from about 9.30am until 3.30am Monday - Friday. When we are at home they rarely bark, but when they are home with her they bark continuously. I am worried about complaints from the neighbours!

As they do not do it while we are there it is difficult to know how to deal with it. Today my mum said that they barked until 11.00am when my 12 year old son was sent home from school unwell. The minute he came in they were quiet!

I think they think my mum is a soft touch really as she adores them and spoils them a bit, and they do tend to 'misbehave' a bit more with her than they do with the rest of us but why the barking?

Any suggestions gratefully received!

Thanks

Karen :)

Hi Karen.

Sometimes my pup will whine when I leave her at home on her own, but is literally desperate for me to leave her if she knows there's a cream cheese filled kong waiting for her in the kitchen. You could therefore try leaving your dogs with such an activity treat toy when you go so that they either doesn't miss you too much or are at least pre-occupied when you leave.

Being quite new to this dog lark I'm sure that someone else will be able to offer a far more tried and trusted method, but it might at least be worth a try.

Stinkypup.

I suspect either your mum reacts to them a lot - maybe soothing, or shouting "shurrup you lot" !!! as either would make dogs bark more. Or, does she maybe shut them away from her when she is busy, or just generally do something different that they are not used to. Does she have small pets or do the dogs dislike a neighbour's dog or .....

I feel the key may be to discover what is happening from the dog's point of view and hoipefully this will help you solve the barking problem. I take it they don't actually bark AT her, just bark generally?

The kong idea is good :)

Lindsay

Hi There

Thank you both for your advice. I will certainly try the Kong idea - thank you!

One thing that I should have mentioned in my first post is that my mum lives in the same house as us (granny flat on the side) but when she is on her own she comes into our part of the house to be with the dogs. She is in and out to us all the time even when we are here so they see a lot of her even when we are in. Therefore change of environment cannot be the problem.

Your idea about her reacting to them is indeed a possibility. On the odd occassion that they have started barking with us, we have told them to stop and they have stopped. However, I think she may shout at them to shut up but without much authority ( she seems to find it hard to sound as if she really 'means' it - funny how she always managed it with me when I was a child! ;) Maybe she would be better just ignoring them when they start barking - I will get her to try that. No, they do not bark at her - just generally bark.

No she doesn't shut them away from her during the day - in fact she devotes all her time to them, playing with them etc until we come home. She totally adores them and really enjoys being with them apart fromthe barking! That is apart from when she has to go out for shopping or to the hairdressers etc. She is never gone more than 1-1 1/2 hours and they are crated for that short time. The strange thing is during this time they do not bark at all. Mum as waited outside after leaving and before coming in and I have even popped home from work once when I new she was at the hairdressers just to listen - not a sound!

But as I said if one of the rest of us are home they do not do it - even when my 9 year old daughter was off sick a bit back they were quiet!

Anyway, thank you again for your suggestions - we will give them a try!

Karen :)

I had another thought whilst out walking with my pup. You could try recording yourself telling your dogs to stop barking so that your Mum could play this to them when you're out!!