Please help!!!,can anyone suggest something to stop my 10 month old Westie called Archie from barking for attention all the time, we are desperate for a solution as other than this he is a great wee dog. We are considering purchasing a bark control device. Has anyone out there had any joy with one of these?

Please, please before you do anything - wait until Irene or Pam Reidie come along they're the best to ask for advice on this one:) Alternativly if you can't wait for them to see you please go through the posts and when you find one by them click on the name- it will give you an email adress so you can contact them:) Good Luck:)

Stacey x x x

Does he know his basic obedience? If so put a leash on him and everytime he barks for attention make him sit, lay down, sit, laydown and do this a couple of times then drop the leash and walk away. Barks again do it again. I was told to do this with Junior (he's my brat). Now he only barks when someone comes to the door or see's a cat/dog/people out the window, so we are now working on that. Some one will probable be along soon and able to help you more.

Hi Cluaran,

You will hopefully get lots of advice.

I have 2 westies 15 months and 10 months. My older one was the yappy one. She has settled down though. A good thing I think I am reading between the lines here is that Archie is barking when you are there for attention rather than when you are not as the latter is a harder one to stop.

I am no training expert but as an owner my tips are;

When he is barking completely ignore him, walk away and don't make any eye or physical contact till he has been quiet even for a few seconds, when that 2 secends does eventually happen and it will, praise him and reward him. All the family have to do this also.

I always feel like an idiot sometimes turning away and they run around you but I just keep ignoring, it may take a few weeks or just a few days but I really do think this is the best way and in my experience it works. I know the barking will be annoying till he starts understanding but when he stops you will be glad.

If you shout at him or chase him, he is still receiving attention whether negative or not. The point of ignoring him is he receives NO attention UNTIL he has been quiet for a period. Westies are quite smart wee dogs and learn quickly which is the reason he is barking and he has been getting attention this way so you are going to try reversing this.

In addition work on his training , treats work well with westies. Teach him to sit , paws, stay and most importantly to come , they love learning and it make life easier for you in the future.

Hope this helps easy and uncomplicated but hopefully effective.

Let us know how you get on..

Pam

Thank you very much for the advice we will try this out and keep you posted. Fingers crossed this will work for the little white monster!

hi i have been there. i had a little westie alfie who sadly died at 16 mths in a rta. I adored him, but he would bark a lot and i worried about my neighbours as they were complainers. in the night i had to draw the curtains so he couldn't see anything, but he would still climb on the setee to get behind the curtain. then i started moving the setee away from nthe window sill before i went to bed, this stopped the night time barking and he use to bark in the garden and refuse to come in so i got a water pistol that he could'ny see and squirted each time he barked and he didn't like it/ eventually i showed him the water pistol and each time he barked in the garden i would just show him the pistol and he would stop barking and come in. i felt wicked but with the neighbours ive got i would have had to get rid and i couldn.t of sone that. its worth a try