Hello,

Thanks on all the advive about my golden biting he is getting much better.
Another qustion for you!
When we take him in the car he goes on the back seat (we are in the process of getting an estate so he can go in the back) all he does the whole journey is bark. What can i do becuse if i sit in the back with him he is quiet. He also barks if i leave him just to go to another room or go to but the rubbish out but stops the moment i get back in do you think he has separation problems as he does spend all day with me at work, but when we have left him with the inlaws and there dog he dosent batter an eye lid.
I have also took him out today for the first walk he dident go to the toilet outside but he does in the garden then he came in and did it on the paper, he also seems to root to the spot i took teats to coax him but this dident really work. Any advice!!

Tracey

It is not separation anxiety but attention seeking and he has learned to get what he wants by making a lot of noise (just like children) :D

You have the reverse of the postman effect.  Dogs bark at the postman because they believe that when they do he goes away, cause and effect.  The dog has no idea that the postman always comes and goes :D  He thinks "here comes someone I better bark a warning" the postman goes away and the dog thinks he was very effective; hence the barking becomes longer and louder as this behaviour is being reinforced every day.  In effect the postman has trained the dog to bark :D

When you come in when the dog is barking, he has no idea that you were coming in anyway and again thinks he has caused you to reappear.

You need to have lots of practice session where you go out of the room for a nano second and only reappear the nano second he is quiet and reward.  No commands, no shouting; gradually you will be able to increase the time; you will probably get an increase in the barking at first but it WILL work if your timing is good.  It is essential that you do not react to the barking by ANY attention at all; do not acknowledge it by look, deed or word.

As for in the car, obviously you will wish to ensure that your dog is adequately restrained so that in the event of an accident he does not hurtle forward and possibly kill the driver or passenger or go through the windscreen.  This can be achieved via a seatbelt or a car cage. If it is the latter covering up the cage like a budgie often works like a treat.  I certainly would NOT reward the barking by going into the backseat with him; again he is learning all the time that barking gets what he wants!

In any case you MUST train your dog to be comfortable alone otherwise you will have an incompetent dog as an adult and maybe incur the wrath of your neighbours and then Environmental Health!