I'm really not sure what to do for the best.  I'm out more in the evenings at the moment as I train with my youngster two nights a week and am not back til late.  That leaves two dogs at home, who I know bark when I'm out.  One of them (not the worst barker - I think he mostly just barks when he hears me coming) would love to come in the car; the other one, who is elderly and losing her marbles a bit, has always hated the car and this has got worse recently.  She shakes the whole time and will often poo.  I have tried all the usual things and she is now on medication which helps a bit - she can at least get to work in the car with me without pooing (well most days anyway!) but not enough that she would be calm for that length of time.

My dilemma is, do I leave them at home and annoy the neighbours, or take them with me and have a stressed Kerry?  But then is she stressed anyway if she is barking at home?  Last night I think I heard my neighbours yelling as I drove up - I don't blame them for being irritated, they have their windows open as it is hot and they are in bed before I get home.  I have always got on well with my neighbours and they are generally tolerant of the odd barking session, but my gut instinct is that they have had enough!

What would you do? :(

Take her with you, she is obviously distressed left anyway.

It's difficult isn't it as whilst training you don't want the other dogs disrupting you either, or distracting the youngest, you see I wouldn't be comfortable leaving two dogs in a car whilst busy with another in a field (presuming here, don't know where you are working with the youngest) as I would worry about dog theft and it isn't much fun for two dogs to be stuck in a car for an hour or so......

If there is no-one to just sit with the other dogs whilst out, what about the car journey followed by a quick walk with the 3 together and then putting a stake in the ground attaching the other dogs leads to it that way they are close to you, the oldest isn't left in the car to stress and they are with you in the fresh air watching whilst working with no interference. (I'd also take a blanket for the oldest to sit on too)

This way, the stress is lifted, the neighbours left in peace and your youngest being trained. :-)

First thing for me would be an anti-stress supplement, for which I favour melatonin.  Very effective, doesn't sedate.  Then I'd be doing some training to get them sorted out.

The first thing that would involve is establishing how much and why the younger dog is barking - if it's just boredom then a good long walk before you go and leaving him with a kong to keep him busy; if it's separation anxiety, then you'll need to desensitise him to being left.  The best way to do it if you can is to video him, so you can see exactly what's going on (he won't act the same way if someone else sits in so this needs to be done totally without human company).  Then you can see if he is barking the whole time or just when you get back, too - I thought mine were only doing it then but a few days' recording established that they were actually barking and howling almost constantly :-(

If it is SA, I recommend "Treating Separation Anxiety" by Marlena DeMartini-Price, it's just recently come out.  She's an american behaviourist who only works with SA cases and it's a very thorough book.  I've been working through it with mine (about half have a problem due to recent changes upsetting everyone) and we are very nearly sorted out.  I've got this weekend off so from about lunchtime today I'm having a big push to really build the time up and get it done.

Thanks to you all for your advice.

Nikita, it's the old girl who is really the barking problem and she has always had a degree of separation anxiety; in fact she in general is a very nervous dog and this has got massively worse with old age.  It's definitely a stress thing. My youngster doesn't bark at all, the middle one I think only barks when I'm coming in. :)

Ah ok, sorry!  I got them all confuddled.  I would definitely try the melatonin with her - obviously it doesn't work for every dog, nothing does, but it works for far more than anything else I've tried (which between my rescues, is pretty much everything on the market).

That leaves two dogs at home, who I know bark when I'm out.  One of them (not the worst barker - I think he mostly just barks when he hears me coming) would love to come in the car; the other one, who is elderly and losing her marbles a bit, has always hated the car and this has got worse recently.  She shakes the whole time and will often poo.  I have tried all the usual things and she is now on medication which helps a bit - she can at least get to work in the car with me without pooing (well most days anyway!) but not enough that she would be calm for that length of time.

My dilemma is, do I leave them at home and annoy the neighbours, or take them with me and have a stressed Kerry?  But then is she stressed anyway if she is barking at home?  Last night I think I heard my neighbours yelling as I drove up

I can only say (& mean it) that your post implies that elderly dog has been a constant and loyal companion her whole life, you are aware of the triggers which seem to throw her into emotional chaos, confusion & what we would understand as 'an acute & desperate degree of sadness', quite predictable for any dog with SA in the situation you describe.

She needs your attentions more now than at any time in her life or she seemingly suffer a level of misery we as humans can only observe but not feel. I think you should put the young dogs training on hold and devote yourself to give her as much companionship as she once was able to give you & pick up on the training after shes passed on.
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The possible consequence of upsetting your neighbours isn't worth taking. A call to the council and you could find yourself in all sorts of trouble. I'd either get somebody to sit with them or take them with you. If neither of these are practical then I agree with Hethspaw, she needs your time and devotion more than your young dog needs training.