Hi all

I have a 2/12 yr old lab that shares his kennel with a 7mth black lab. The elder has started with a lot of irrational barking at all hours, i.e 3am this morning!!

I have been useing the word quiet when he has been doing it, but at these silly times by the time i get out of bed and go down to tell him off he has stopped doing it! So it is pointless telling him off for something that he isnt doing at the time!!

Has anyone had similar problems? If so what were your soloutions? Any help would be appreciated as i think my neighbours will soon be coming knocking! :P

Regards

Mark

It's possible that he has heard a fox or something slinking around and is trying to see it off - does it sound like excited/angry barking or the "I'm awake and bored" bark?

Has the older one started this very recently? It's just that, at 2 and a half, if he hasn't done it before, then my view would be to try to sort out why he has started barking.

A sort of camcorder or video set up to see what sets him off would be great - for example maybe something in the environment has changed and is setting him off, neighbours coming home late, could be all sorts of things. Then once you have discovered what causes it, you can possibly get a solution....

There are collars which are effective in stopping barking, such as the aboistop, but in my view it is unfair to use this unless you are sure he isnot unhappy or unsettled :) and they can really scare some dogs, too.

As a last resort, would you consider letting them sleep in the house if it caused neighbour trouble? :)

Best wishes
Lindsay

Are they locked in the kennel? Could the pup be bugging the older one which is causing that one to bark? Maybe get them their own kennels.

ttfn :)

Perhaps you could set up a baby monitor the wrong way around, so you can tell the dog to shutup while you stay in bed. ;) It might also make the dog think you have eyes in the back of your head. :D Not so good if you snore - you might keep the dogs awake! :D :D

A baby monitor won't help you find out the cause though.

Monty's Mum

Hi Mark,

I remember posting a topic like this a couple of months ago, which turned into a supernatural discussion ! However I now know that my dog's barking is caused by cats walking past or having been in the garden and also any type of bird that happens to be in the vicinity. He is also becoming an excellent guard dog as my boyfriend was out until 4am the other morning and Jay and I went to bed and when Neil opened the front door my sweet little BC showed signs of 'Baskerville-ness' :D

Nicola & Jay