Im having some issues with my westie.

He has recently started barking the house down whenever someone walks past the front door, when the neighbours are opening their front doors, when cars pull up outside etc. You get the picture...

I tell him NO and is quite for a minuite or so, but then starts up again. Sometimes he ignores me completely.

Its only just started up, he usually is very well behaved, a little headstrong and very self aware, but he is usually so obedient.

I would take him to puppy school for training sessions, but Ive just had to spend £1500 on wisdom teeth extractions and having my jaw bone wired up because of a cockup with the extractions causing my jaw to fracture So untill mid next month Im fairly broke.

So with my jaw / teeth issues I am finding it hard to dicipline him properly, I cant speak normally and the painkillers Im on make me feel like rubbish.

Could he just be taking advantage of the situation and being a little naughty, which is what my fiancee thinks, or is he maybe in his mind being protective because Im not well and he senses that?

Im lost.

Thanks

Im sorry I have no advice except to say that you will be in a better position to deal with him when you feel better yourself, sounds like you need some TLC. someone will have advice re the barking soon Im sure, I find removing the dog from the room more effective than any verbal reprimand.. mind you there are lots of westies round here and they all bark at me and my dog! good luck with the jaw, sounds awful.

IT's hard to tell *why* hes doing it without watching him in action (and in turn your responses to him).  Could he be doing it for attention?  He may well sense you aren't feeling the full shilling as well - so you have to try and show him that you may talk funny, but you ARE still functioning (I've had major wisdom tooth surgery too, so I know how rubbish you must be feeling - but it should soon clear).

If he's attention seeking, ideally you should ignore it, BUT if he feels he should be helping to protect you, ignoring isn't going to help.  I'd try and catch him as soon as he kicks off, call him to me, as him to do something he already knows, such as sit, then send him off again (hopefully by this time he will have forgotten what started him off in the first place.......)  AT THE SAME TIME, make sure his needs for attention are being full filled - so make sure somebody plays a game with him, does some training with him (need only be short periods through out the day) and make these periods at your instigation as often as not, so he doesn't learn to pull your strings in other ways.

HTH  Westies are delightful dogs, but they can also be a bit too smart sometimes ;)

The training classes I go to are only £1. for one dog per night, so not all classes are expensive.  My westies do this as well, they can be as quiet as mice then all of a sudden bark, bark, bark, and you dont hear anything, but, theydo.  I tell mine to Shut up !!!! or Quiet, I dont use the word no for barking. When they have been quiet for a while I give a titbit and tell them good boy/girl  being quiet. Looks like he has sussed you are not well and doing this to annoy you, thats westies !!!!! Ah!!! but we still luv them.