I have a 6 month old miniature Schnauzer who is very well behaved and to be honest has been a piece of cake to look after since we got her at 8 wekks.  She's our first dog so I am learning all the time. 

The one problem that we have is that she is excessively barking in the garden.  I can take her out 3 times a day on the lead, to the beach, or the park and she is fine.  Once she's let out in the garden she starts barking straight away.  At the moment it's not too much of a problem as people don't tend to have too many windows and doors open, but once the weather changes the noise might become a bit of a nusciance to the neighbours.

Any advice to how we can stop this?  The only thing I have done is as soon as she barks I go and get her and bring her straight in which is a form of punishment as she loves being out there.  What about the 'spray' collars I have read about.  they seem expensive, are they worth the money??

Many thanks

Sarah

I stopped my gobby Bedlington barking at everything and nothing in the garden by doing exactly what you've done ;)  it has to be immediate tho and consistent ;) otherwise it won't work ;)  some days she'd go out and come straight back in again so many times it was like she was on elastic, but she learned that if she wanted to stay out that she had to be quiet ;)

Could you try keeping her on the lead in the garden (if she's inclined to not listen/run out of reach when loose) & give a quiet/hush command when she barks??? I have always used the same method as you - bark = get inside, it may be that it just needs more time.

I've never used a spray collar.

Sorry I've not been much help have I :( I'm sure somebody else will have some better advice on stopping her barking & about the collars :)

EDIT nobody had posted while I was typing - DILL got there first :)

i also have a problem with my 8mth gsd,as soon as he went into the garden he was barking like mad,so i too got him straight back inside, he doesnt bark so much now,but i still occasionally have to get him straight back in.........im sure i'll conquer the problem soon,itll be easier in summer,cos he wont be out there on his own,so i'll be able to keep him more occupied.

Hi Sarah,
Try a water pistole ? ( cheap kids one from Wools).Have several mini's, that do the same. :-(
You can buy a water spay from garden centers cost you £1!

Just stand very still, do not speak and when she barks aim for the head. :-)
This has worked four times for me and never failed. :-)
Good Luck

> Just stand very still, do not speak and when she barks aim for the head.

lol -  that sounds soooo cruel, it sounds like a hunter waiting in ambush!!! lol

I must admit, when my old dog decides he will not stop barking (because he wants feeding - NOW), showing him a glass of water is enough to stop him (he doesn't like the thought of getting it tipped on him).

Made me laugh.

It does sound cruel, but really it does work. Bonus points you don't have to shout making more noise!!!
Plus now they go to bark, look at the garden spray, that now lives just outside the back door and stop.
It is funny.:-) :-) :-)

Wish I could help but I still have not solved my barking chihuahua who dose the same as yours, water dose not work as he thinks its a game , and bringing him in . He dose not care as he likes to bark so much he would rather be in than quiet lol. I am thinking of a spray collar my self . I did find out that the neighbour has a flag in his garden and that's what my dog is barking out . Daft dog

Chrisy, I wasn't saying the squirting with water is cruel, just the way it read as it was written was really funny :)
I advised my sister the squirt with water ploy, unfortunately her Boxer thinks it's great fun & will stand with her mouth open waiting for more!!!

hi mastifflover,

No problem,

I know what you meant. When I read your post, then read mine back, it does sound so funny and I had a good giggle with my partner, Mini are so funny, so comical, anyway, it gets worse -----
You made use remebering doing the anti- bark patrol last year, we took it in turns. :-)

My eldest has the nickname Huffy! She was the worst as a puppy, now in the garden she doesnt bark, but does huff if she hears another dog barking. Mind you she huffs 1 hour before fead time as well, but it's very quiet!!!

You have to laugh. :-) :-) :-)

I have a breed that likes the sound of it's own voice and had had a barky dog of a different breed.

What has worked most reliably is what you are doing each and every time they bark in the garden they have to come in, so only way they get to stay outside is to be quiet.

If one gives a bark I just have to say Oi and they remember and all is peace.  Sometimes they get a bit frustrated when next doors Russells are barking and howling when someone arrives at their house and will run out and give a couple of barks until I remind them.

My first dog had got into the habit of running up and down the fence line screaming with excitement at the neighbour.

I put up a fence across the garden so that she could no longer do this and she was in easy reach for me to get her indoors, after a few weeks I broke her of the habit, and have never allowed it to develop in my current breed.  I have had 6 of them since and various ones visiting who soon learnt the house rules.

Huffy :) That is soo sweet, she knows she sould't bark so she does it very quietly, bless her :)

> anti- bark patrol

lol

It is such a worry that neighbours will complain about barking dogs. We are quite lucky with our neighbours, there are a lot of dogs around here, and all the people without dogs happily accept the occasional doggy chorus :)
My sister's neighbours have complained to her about her dog barking (the dog will only do a coupe of 'woofs' to say hello to a dog if she spots one), the ironic thing is, the neighbours that complained leave thier dog in the garden barking for hours on end :(

I am always paranoid as me and my dogs are more visible than most.  Mine get taken out every day and there are four or five of them so even if it isn't mien barking people just assume it must be.  the worst culprits are a mongrel round the back that is allowed into her front garden and barks at everything, neighbours Russels (rarely walked), and the poor Chocolate Labrador (never walked) across the road who barks non stop at thew gate to the passage between the lower part of two houses.  How the adjoining neighbours don't go bonkers with that reverberating into their house (they are joined on the first floor) I don't know.

Yet when I had my last litter when they were about 7 weeks I had a complaint to the council that I put pups out at 6 and 7am in all weatehrs, duh you try not letting pups out for toilet (very clean breed), demented seagulls comes to mind.  I explained it was a temporary and unavoidable thing and council were fine about it, but when I think how careful I am over the dogs not being a nuisance it made me very cross.

I am also paranoid.
I had a complaint two summers ago, and again it wasn't my dogs. :-(

I have cats living both sides of me that tornt the dogs, sitting out of reach! I have a westie living behind me, behind a six foot fence that barks every time it goes out, which is quite alot. But there again it barks when in it's own house, yet I get the blame, because people know I have more than one dog. :-(

It's worse because we have had a few theifts in my area. You can't help worrying espicially when there are pups in the house. What can we do to protect our dogs?

You wicked lady - toilet traing puppies in the rain -what were you thinking??   lol

I bet you were very cross at such a stupid complaint. It really does seem that the more responsible the owner, the more likely somebody is to complain about them/blame them for other dogs behavior.

I rekon that the people who consistenly leave thier dogs to bark & bark/ poo all over the street without picking up tend to seem 'rougher', which put's everybody off of complaining for fear of conflict, but the responible owners tend to appear more well manered & approachable & therfore easier to blame. I say appear well manerd, because if somebody gives me unwarented hassle about my dogs behavior I can be very rude.

I also take dog ownership very seriously, I appreciate that not everybody like dogs, or wants to listen to them barking or wants to encounter dog poo etc.., it is verry annoying that the dog owners who don't take it seriousely give the rest of us (& dogs in general) bad reputations.

I have A wired haired Jack Russell Terrier Bitch she would always bark at buses lorries motor bikes.  I still have not stopped her completely but mostly. I have done so simply by making her sit and holding her in that position telling  her to stop barking and by  telling her NO! she soon got the idea  after trying my patience as quick snatch on the  choker chain lead I have her on.She is much better behaved  with that on other than with the collar and lead.  I always walk her with her best mate a Corgi cross  "Dog"who is perhaps a little more willing to co-operate  but is a little vocal when seeing other dogs  but all in all he is a good example for the JRT. Buses Lorries Motorbikes etc.  Never ever faze him  the JRT will still "try it on" from time to time, if she is in that kind of mood! But if I keep working at it then maybe one or two slips later I  get her back on side and using praise technique makes the walk an enjoyable experience
Hope this helps
ps I always make them sit at every single kerb too!