I know there have been a lot of posts on this subject and i have read them but would like some practical advice ie what can i really do to stop my dog barking?  It has got worse as he has got older (he is 6 months old) and i admit it goes right through you and tonight i got my first complaint from a neighbour.  I didn't handle it very well but that's another story - and i do understand that barking can be a pain for other people.  But i am always outside with him in the garden and am right on top of it when he barks...i distract him then give him a treat however my friend who was with me the other night said "you're treating him when he barks" so i wonder if i am getting the timing wrong and actually rewarding him for making the noise?  I now am so scared when he barks that i am stressed with him and i know it's not his fault, he is only doing his doggy thing.

He barks when people knock at the door, or when someone walks past the garden, or if the birds tweet etc etc.  I just took him out for a wee and he barked so i brought him in before he had even gone to the loo as i was worried about stressing out the neighbour again.  Obviously that's not a great situation as he needs to be able to go out for the loo.

Any advice greatly appreciated.

> tonight i got my first complaint from a neighbour.  I didn't handle it very well but that's another story - and i do understand that barking can be a pain for other people.

I know you said this didn't go well so you might not have all the info but was your neighbour specific about the barking?  By that I mean is there a time of day that's causing the problem?  Is it the number of barks?

I too have a barker and sometimes he drives me up the wall!!  I've found that the key to managing him and my own stress levels is to know when he is likely to bark, to understand what he barks at, and what he's trying to say.  If I can anticipate the problem eg Postman, I'll put the dog in the back til after the post has arrived.  Keeping him away from the front windows helps too.

You do have to allow the bark but not the barking.  It's ok for mine to tell me 'someones's coming', 'the horrible pigeon is back', or 'the cows are staring are me again!' - it's just not ok for him to tell me more than three times.

For some problems I need to do something to break his eye contact particularly if the thing he is barking at isn't going away.  The cows can take ages to walk by or the postman has stopped for a chat by the gate.  I usually do it by clapping or banging the surface of something but I have from time to time got the water spray out.  I'm looking for him to make eye contact with me so that I can give a new command not punish or frighten him..

Try asking Teddy to do something else instead.  Call him to you and reward the recall, ask for a sit, send him to bed etc - anything that distracts him.  I say 'thank you' to mine, then 'enough' if he carries on, and then I give him a job to do for which he gets rewarded.  That way he understands I'm rewarding the new activity not the barking. HTH

I have a bitch that panic barks.  Her first few months were in a cul de sac, but unfortunately we have had to move to a busy cross roads.  The barking isn't non- stop, but when she hears a loud bang or sees a scary shadow of a big monster walking past the door with weird glass in it she lets a terrified panic bark out.  (Never from someone walking past a window, she hooks her head over the back of the sofa and happily watches the comings and goings for as long as she can.)  Saying no/ quiet never worked as she was scared.  I had to tell her to do something else, come being the best command.  She does this readily incase she might need protection, and if she comes calmly then she is rewarded.  I find redirection is the best method, but I dont reward with food at all for this as I really dont want her barking.
All I'm looking for in my next house is a solid wood door!

He want think your rewarding him for barking if you ask him to do something for you, then get the treat.
i call my dogs ask them to sit down and that makes them calm then they get the treat. if you want to achieve the best results you must be on top of this at all times in the garden and don't just give one treat then let the dog carry on, always keep his attention until he stays calm or the noise thats making him bark has gone. i always keep a calm voice so not to let mine think i'm wound up.
it took a number of weeks of me keeping on top of this with my last dog but now she can go out and i only get an odd bark, if she does this and there's no reason i now call her in and she stays in till she calms down.
She used to bark when i let her out for the toilet last thing at night so i resorted to taking her out on the lead very calmly and saying my word for her to wee, then praise and straight back in the house, no other talking and put her to bed. they do pick up if you get stressed and i found this a very affective way to keep her calm and if she did bark then i had the control of the lead.
you good also try having him on a long line in the garden and if he barks use this to prompt himto come to you when you call and do the same as above. if he continues then he gets taken back in the house for a few mins or till he calms down.
my dogs bark at the door but i don't mind that, he will learn when and where it's ok for him to bark but only if you persist in the training, there's no quick fix. a lot of people give up after a few days or so but you need to stay calm and carry on. consistency is the key.   

thanks dogsababe and everyone

She called me just after i had stopped him from barking by taking him inside. 

I had been in the garden with my friend and her Westie, having a glass of wine and a chat.  A man started calling up to my other neighbour's window (she's in the first floor flat above me, side entrance) but she wasn't in, only her 90yr old mum, who didn't open the door (hence him calling up).  Teddy was quiet at this point and i thought "result, thought he'd bark at that" and had been ready to distract him etc. 

Then the guy walked past my garden up the path into the neighbour's garden, it's behind mine.  Dogs still quiet.  Then the man started making noise (don't know what he was up to, it's not his garden or property).  That's when the dogs went crazy all of a sudden....i should've seen it coming i know.  My friend grabbed her dog and i grabbed Teddy and got them inside.  They'd probably barked 10 times each by the time we managed to quieten them but it was quite frenzied and excited sounding and LOUD!  Then my other neighbour called straight away to make the complaint and said he's barking too much/too loudly, too late at night.  She said "it's not that kind of neighbourhood to have dogs barking late at night" (9.30pm) and she mentioned he'd barked early that morning too and late the night before.  So i was sarcastic and said "wow, twice in 24hrs, he isn't doing so bad!" This was the wrong thing to say (obviously!) as she went on to say "dogs bark when they're unhappy or not looked after".  This was red rag to a bull to me and i'm afraid i got emotional which is never a good thing in these situations!   I said he's barking because there is a strange man in Pam's garden and he's protecting his territory and i stopped him asap.  I said the dog is cared for very well and i had brought him inside as soon as i could.

My friend went home.  I kept him inside until his last wee, but he barked as soon as i went out so i took the poor little thing in without going to the loo (i know this is wrong, was just so scared he'd bark again). 

The next morning i got a grip of myself, did exactly what you said ie had a treat, kept saying "wee wee" then straight back inside.  I now have a box of treats that make a loud noise and as soon as i see him looking interested/focussed on something i shake it to get his attention and give him a treat when he comes.  I will stop rewarding when he stops barking and focus on anticipating his reactions.  He tends to let rip when he sees a man on his own; or if a dog walks past when we're in a cafe (obviously this isn't so much of a prob as we're outside and there's lots of other noise etc).  I don't have a partner so wondering if he isn't used to men?  I have friends who would come round and that would maybe farmiliarise him a bit?  Anyway, he can also barks at pidgeons, birds (but not always!)  people walking up the side path to their garden and if other dogs in the neighbourhood start barking.  Also when there's a knock at the front door. When i've got the cash i'm going to install a side-gate with bell that means people have to announce themselves before knocking on the door.  That way i have warning and can prepare him for the arrival.

Typically this happens in a week when i have gone back to work (weds-fri) and am just starting him in day care from 9-2.30.  Usually i wouldn't have to do this but things are different in summer hols, back to normal week after next.  I am back 6.30pm and am hoping hoping hoping that he will just kip til i return.  Actually i have never had a problem with him barking when i'm not there (or never received any complaints) so that's usually fine.  My sis goes in to see him sometimes and another dog-walker and they both say he whimpers a bit when they leave but that's about it and even that is lessening.

SO SORRY to waffle on.  This situation has just made me sick with worry but you've helped so much with your advice.  I am absolutely on top of it when he is in the garden and will employ the distraction techniques, along with making him calm and sit before treating after barking.  I was actually thinking they could make me rehome him which would break my heart and those of the children.  He is such a lovely dog.

Dogs are allowed to bark within reason so if he is barking when someone knocks at the door or is shouting at a window as you suggested I wouldnt panic.
I have 3 dogs and would be more concerned if they didnt react by barking in that situation.
Having control is another story being able to tell them to quiet , teaching your boy to respect you  and quiet on your command.

I agree with a lot of the posts distracting him from the situation and seeing what is ahead is a good start with a pup.

A lot of the training methods wont work if you dont get the tone of your voice correct ie: high pitch 'good boy' deep tone 'quiet' .

My hubby and I were watching  sending in the dogs the other night and a police officer with his dog caught a criminal who was running away, the dog caught him etc etc afterward when the dog recieved his reward (his ball) the policeman said to him in a high pitched voice 'did you catch him ...good boy' my hubby and I both laughed as it just sounded amusing to hear this hard nosed policeman sounding all cute!

If your dog is treat orientated have a bowl of nice treats at the door if someone knock make him sit tell him wait / treat be consistent ..

You could try teaching the 'look at me' or 'watch' sit him in front of you hold a big  treat near your eye  saying 'look at me' when he looks at you ..immediately treat.. practice this then over time lower the treat to your waist only when you can say' look at me' he should still look up at your face then treat .
This then can be used on walks ..when you see a dog or person walking towards you 'look at me' treat until you are past .
I train all my dogs this way eventually you can loose the treat just a 'look at me' in the right situation makes life so much easier.

If he is strange to men maybe you should join a training class to socialise him with dogs and humans alike I am sure this would calm him down and not get excited by new situations.

Also look at his food what are you feeding him a high rpotein diet can make some dogs over exited and boisterous.

Roni

I will work on the "look at me" training, i think he'd respond well to that.  I need to watch my voice as i did get stressed the other night and it definitely showed.  Usually i am fine with this but the other night it all went to pot.

I am feeding him Butchers Puppy with Science plan puppy biscuits.  Then sometimes (don't tell me off!) i give him left over tea ie mashed potato/salmon/brocolli mashed up; or spag bol, but not all the time i promise...maybe once a week.  The breeder had him on this wet food but i am happy to change it at your advice?  Also was thinking of getting him neutered as is supposed to calm him down?  I'm not that bothered (plus he has a great relationship with his "girlfriend", an old Furbie!!) but if it may help....?

I dont believe in neutering unless for a specific reason and in one so young I wouldnt but that is obviously your choice, some vets will push it which really annoys me.

The veg is ok but I would forget about the spag bol although I bet it doesnt touch the sides!!

I feed Arden Grange a dry food which I soak, on occasion I do give veg and fresh meat but always less of his own food to compensate.

Sounds like a happy typical 6m old puppy to me but really you need to get the ground rules set now before he thinks he rules the roost. Its so easy to leave them to thier own devises when so young but you really would not be doing him any favours, so carry on as you are plenty of one to one training 10 mins a day is all it takes be consistent try and get him into a training class for socialisation and I am sure you will end up with a very sociable 'obedient' little boy.

Roni~

thanks starryeyes

from now on will focus more on training.  i took him to classes and will definitely re-visit this.  he does get away with murder, ie gets on the sofas/bed etc uninvited.  i've been way too slack with this i know as was driven by house-breaking.  no excuses.  will take on board the food stuff too as was never really happy with Butchers, it just looks so full of rubbish.  Thanks again