Hi All

We have had our new male black and tan Dobermann puppy called "Tag" for just about a month now.  He is a handsome little thing - and he knows it! :0) - and is now 13 weeks old and we have a question about barking - well two questions actually.

First question is what is the best way to tackle/stop undesirable barking ie. at 6am in the morning when he gets exciting or in the evening.  The main problem is that he understands 'no' and we think he just gets frustrated at us when we say 'no'/'get down' etc and just has a go back at us out of frustration.  We try to ignore him but he still barks at us.  He's not aggressive in any way when he does it but it can be non-stop and go on for a while.  He is generally very good though and we have tried squirting him with a water pistol whilst saying a firm 'no' when he does bark which eventually stops him but that seems a quite unfair giving him a soaking every day!  The other method we have used is to change the situation by taking him into another room and distracting him in some way like perhaps with a toy.  The only problem is that this then means he is getting some kind or a reaction from us by barking - hence he is kind of 'winning' in the situation which we don't really want.

Our next dilemah is that we would like to train him to try and 'ask' to go outside to go to the loo by giving a little bark (if poss) as he goes to the back door no trouble at all but just stands there looking at the door handle but doing nothing else and sometimes we have missed him and he's gone on the floor.  Not that that is a problem as he goes on the newspaper that we still leave there but we want to try and phase the paper out and get him to ask to go out.  He asks to come in with no trouble with a little bark - just not the other way round.  We just wondered if there was a technique we could try?

Whilst dealing with the undesired barking we don't want to put him off barking altogether as dogs will be dogs and will always bark bless them and we accept that - but we just want to coax him gently to doing things right in the way that he can understand and also in a way where the dominance thing will be on our side!

Any help will be very much appreciated as we love our little Tag to bits and want to do whats right in the best way for him to learn.

Thanks for your time!

Mandy 

Hi Mandy

I will start with asking to go out - that should be easy in your situation.  Every time he barks ask "do you want to go out?" and take him outside.  Do this every time then he will learn that if he barks he goes outside.

I think it is unlikely that he actually understand what "no" means.  This is a somewhat difficult concept for even humans, you could be walking around the kitchen, turning the tap on and putting kettle under it and I say "no" - which action am I saying "no" for? It does not actually mean anything.

Try to anticipate when he is going to bark - you say you know when it will be - 6 am (is then when the family start to get up, the postman or milkman arrive and disturb him?)  Get up at 5.45 and take him out for a game and a wee, give him breakfast, another brief trip outside and go back to bed for an hour if you need to.  The same at other times, if you see he is starting to get excited anticipate him and do something with him before he starts.

With a dog that does bark it is much easier to teach them "speak" and then "quiet".  Dobermanns are very chatty dogs, especially if they are the only dog in the household and will whinge, whine, bark, moan and make a host of other noises when you are talking to them.

Hi Christine

Thanks very much for your reply, that's really helpful and great new way to think about the situation.  We will definitely try taking him out when he barks and asking "do you want to go out" just before doing so.  (With the 'no' thing, we only thought he might understand it because it was mainly used directly when he went to try and nibble something he shouldn't and we would say a firm 'no' and he would stop.  But then he would start making whingey noises (almost in frustration so it seemed at being made to stop doing something) and then thats when the barking sometimes starts, although its never consistent as to when he starts barking as sometimes its from just sitting in his bed or on the carpet looking at us.  But we will try what you suggest by taking him out and try a bit more anticipation on our part.  

As you mention though they are very "chatty" dogs and Tag is no exception which I find very endearing....!  I'll let you know how we get on in a couple of days.  Thanks again.

Mandy

PS. Another very cute thing he does is when he is getting sleepy and settling down he chews/mouths his soft toy and almost cuddles it with his front paws and does a cat-like claw thing where he alternates each front paw by pawing around the toy as its in his mouth - like it comforts him as he is dropping off.  My other half says that this is probably a trait in his pedigree that he has inherited - have you ever see that action?  

Ohhh Yes!

I lost a bitch earlier that year that was a blanket sucker, she would get it between her front paws, pull soem of the "fluff" up with her teeth to a point and suck, looked as if she was going into a trance.  I have three that carry things around at the moment and one that eats things but none that suck any more.

How lovely to hear of other dobes doing that too!!!  The more I hear about this breed the more I just love them to bits!

HI Mandy

Congratulations on becoming a dobe owner you will soon be addicted my bitches mum sucks blankets and the bitch i had before this one did like kerioak said they seem to go into a trance,My dog carries things about mainly to greet people and he will pick the first thing he sees ,shoes,toys,cushions etc.

Ella.x.

Thanks Ella, I think I am already addicted.  Our little dobe Tag is such good entertainment, we really have had a great time since he entered our lives.  I just love watching him do his "sucking thing" and yes, he also seems to go in a trance and one or two occasions has fallen asleep whilst in the process - so sweet!!  What are your dogs names?

Hi Mandy

Zak is nearly 2 and Ebony is nearly 10 months , they are both black & tan and are so much fun they have become really close and dont like being parted for long . Ebony smiles , which is so funny when you see them do it for the first time ,I was a bit aprehensive at getting a dobe at first it was my hubby that wanted one but im so glad we did.

Ella.x.

Hi again Ella

What lovely names - Zak and Ebony.  I too have heard that dobes "smile" and I think I have seen Tag smiling when we were playing the other day and I was giving him a nice belly rub!  My other half told me that they do smile and I thought that was such a lovely thing for dogs to do.  This breed just keeps on surprising me more and more - I am just so glad to have one little one of my very own.

Mandy

Ive got a blanket sucker and one that carries things to greet you, Zac always sucks the throw on my bed until he falls asleep and Ellie comes to greet you with the first thing that comes to hand, then she paces back and forward until she is acknowledged.
As for barking - Oh the joys of a Gobby Dobe, if its any consolation Zac is two and we are still working on that little problem :D  it is getting slowly better, thank god for understanding neighbours.

I've got a Dane but she also carries things to greet you - whenever anyone comes home, she runs around wildly searching for a toy and then races to the front door and sort of prances proudly up and down, around you, offering you her toy...it's very sweet! And it sure beats her old way of greeting you by jumping up! It's great as she seems to have worked this out herself and redirected her excitement towards her toys.

Hsin-Yi

Hi Mandy

Whatever you do , please don't use the water pistol to stop your dog barking.  Dogs bark, its what they do and although it may not be obvious at the time, it can have awful consequences.  In humans, children who are by nature left-handed, but who are made to write with their right hand have been known to develop all sorts of adverse reactions eg stuttering.  If you stop a dog barking (which is natural to them) by punishment eg squirting them in the face  it can produce such behaviours as tail-chasing, feet chewing, pacing.  It is not a nice way to stop your dog barking.  far better to teach a 'quiet' command or distract them in some way.

Hi Suzieque

Please be assured that I will never, ever use the water thing on him any more - as previously mentioned, I was never happy using it anyway but as a newbie I picked that information up from someone else who posted that they used it, and in my ignorance probably took the wrong approach.  However, I am much happier using more fun methods and positive training for little Tag through playing games and stuff like that as I love my little puppy to bits (barking or no barking!!) and only want what is best for him and his wellbeing.   So I am happy to hear of any other methods people wish to put forward that incorporate good/fun training techniques.  I am all for dogs barking too which I also mentioned before - its what they do (don't get me wrong there - I would worry if he didn't bark) but I would only like to perhaps guide him to doing something else when he is barking at undesirable times.  Hope that gives more reassurance, but I do appreciate your comments about this and perhaps others reading who use that method will also realise that its not desirable either.  Thanks again.

Mandy

Mandy,  th9is method can be very useful for a dog that likes to bark just for the sheer fun of it.  We are not talking here of barking a warning, or because of fear.

The way I use it is first of all to teach the pup what quiet means when you are in physical contact.  If he barks and you wish him to stop, attract his attention and say shush, or quiet in a calm quiet voice.  If necessary close his mouth gently.

Now when I have the dituation that puppy is barking after I have shyshed then it gets a quick squirt in the face, at which it stops barking for an instant, and I command shush, then call and give a treat.

Pup thinks to itself, if I bark after Mum says shush I get squirted, but when I shuysh and she cals me over for a treat.  Puppy will repeat the rewarding experience, and not the slightly unpleasant one (unless it likes the water :D).  Often we inadverttently reward the behaviour we don't want.

My oldest bitch would come in aqnd bark at me, so I would say quiet, she would dance away, I would follow, and hey presto, owners full attention.

I would of course try voice command only, but in a determined barker the barking is it's own reward, and we need to make the barking unrewarding.

I am sorry but what have you against the water pisotl method.  It is unable to harm the dog, only gives it a slightly unpleasant shock, which is often enough to distract it so that you can then get a command in.

I could only see it being harmful if it is used to tease a dog, or if not used in conjunction with training on a very nervous animal.  Owning a breed that is prone to being barky if not discouraged it has proven to be very useful.  It also helps with crafty dogs that think you can't stop them when at a distance.  I fail to see how a little jet of water could cause any harm.

Hiya Brainless, thanks very much for your comments, I think your approach to that situation does makes sense.  I, myself, am not so much "against" the water pistol method but its more that I feel sorry for doing it to little Tag - his little face looked very confused and I felt bad as I enjoy using training methods rather than a little punishment (albeit only a drop of water).  It was also what Suzieque said that made me wonder if it did produce behaviour problems down the line in the dogs life.  Of course I am far from being any expert at all on these things but I am grateful for everyone's help, and as always different methods work for different owners and if something is working for you then that's fine. 

What I have tried over the past couple of days is to try and anticipate a lot more.  If Tag has not been out for the toilet for a while and starts barking I tried what Keriok suggested and asked Tag "do you want to go out" and then took him straight out - whether he went to the loo or not.  Each time he barked after that I took him out again (trying to make him realise if he does bark he would get taken out - which is what I wanted him to do - "ask" to go out).  Then when he eventually been to the loo, any barking after that (when we were sure he definitely didn't need the loo) I tried to anticipate when he was likely to carrying on barking for no particular reason then instead of saying to him "do you want to go out" I just tried to divert the situation and changed the situation he was in i.e. called him to another room and stroked him and when he was settled sitting quietly he got a small treat.  Then when he had been good and quiet for a couple of minutes he got rewarded with one of "our" toys (one of his favourite toys that we know he loves that we produce when he has been extra good), then let him have a play and then when he settled down and slept for a while we put the toy away.  It was a bit of long drawn out procedure but it did stop the barking by diverting his attention.  Sometimes we have also done a bit of training with him when he looks a bit unsettled - sit, stay, down etc and some heel work for treats so by then he has had enough and just wants to sit quietly anyway.  Hopefully if we keep this up we can master him barking to go out but stop the undesired barking at the same time.

Thanks again for all your kind comments they have really given us a lot of things to try out and Tag has been responding really well. Hope I am following all your suggestions in the right way - so far we have got positive results and now Tag is going to the back door and making a small bark so we think he is finally understanding "if I stand here and bark I get let out", which is great!

Any further comments anyone has are always well received and most appreciated. 

Mandy

I think you are right in making sure he doesn't keep barking because a lot of dog "stuff" can become habit - stop the habit forming and you are part way there :)

Lindsay
X

Hi Lindsay

I do agree its best to form good habits from a young age.  What we have also found this week that If Tag persists in barking and we have tried everything else (taken him out/had a game to distract him before he starts playing up) and he is still being a bit noisey then we just leave the room and go upstairs for 5/10 mins and coming back in he his completely settled down and appears to have "forgotten" what he was making a fuss about as its v clear when we leave the room that he is not getting our attention by playing up by barking or anything else.  Then if he is still sitting quietly after a few minutes of us coming back in then he gets a small food treat.

Totally agree, I often use a squirt of water to deter barking and general chaos, my three know as soon as I pick up the bottle that enough is enough and serenity reigns once more. I do not aim for their heads / faces though, a squirt on the back or side does the trick- just enough to get their attention.

I use the water trick too - works a treat.

We have an 18 week old male dobe puppy "Mason" and he cuddles his "teddy bear" with his front paws and puts his head on his teddy sometimes when he goes to sleep.  Also I am sure he cuddles me with his front paws.  They are so affectionate.