Barking dog.

[Ellie and Cooper]

Cooper has just started barking.  I am thinking that he is wanting my attention.  He will walk over and stare and me then start barking like he is telling me something.  Like get up and do what I say.  So I do just that.  Get up and see if I can figure out what he is wanting.  He usually takes me to what he is wanting to do.  Then he started doing it when family members come in.  What do I do to stop this.  I read on here to tell him not to bark and give him a treat when he stops, well that doesnt work he is on my heels every minute that I am home, follows me from room to room.  So if I get up to get him a treat he automatically quits barking and waits for me to give him a treat.  I think he is smarter than I am.

Anyone else have any other ideas, besides duct tape. LOL

 

Haroletta 

[Ginny Nightingale]

Oh boy--a smart little doodle! I have one like this--tries to stare me down or bark to get what she wants--I say IGNORE the barks! (My problem is my DH who gets annoyed with me for letting her bark and so he does what she wants!) She will bark to go out just so she can get a cookie two minutes later when she barks to come back in. I watch the clock and do not let her out every time she wants to and I do not give her a treat whenever she comes in anymore.

I have heard people suggest that you teach them to bark on command and then it is easier to get them to not bark, but I think in this case, the barking is part of a bigger behavior--that of being the one in charge of YOU instead of the other way around. He should get a treat for being quiet! And say "good quiet" when he gets it--and ignore the barks entirely unless you REALLY think he needs to go out. Keep the treats nearby so you do not have to get up--if he quits barking and lies down near you quietly, slip him a treat calmly and say "good quiet" calmly--he will get it.

If all else fails, I do believe in bark collars (not everyone likes them though) --they are either citronella sprays that are on a collar and spray them when they bark too much or a kind with a vibration on the vocal cords. I like the vibrating one but only use it now and then. I have a different doodle who likes to bark at our cats, at passersby, etc, so if it is a nice day outside and there are people taking walks down our road, she gets the collar. If you decide to go with the collar, combine it with the rewards for being quiet and eventually he won't need the collar or the treats anymore. Here is a link to a bark collar. It has to be buckled very tightly to work, but does not hurt the dog--it just feels funny, like an old-fashioned joy buzzer, when he barks too many times. 

http://www.petedge.com/product/intellipet-No-Bark-Dog-Training-Coll...

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

With all "problem" behaviors, you need to start with a good basic obedience training program. It really doesn't work in the long run to address just one behavior, whether it's barking, jumping, etc. What kind of all-around basic training are you doing with Cooper? Do you attend classes, work with a private trainer, have a structured training routine which you practice each day? Training teaches you to communicate with your dog and vice versa. It helps your dog understand what is expected of him and what he can expect from you. "Quick fixes" like bark collars really don't address the underlying issue, which is that Cooper doesn't know how to communicate appropriately with you, or the approopriate ways to get your attention, and you don't know how to tell him or control him.

It also sounds like he may need more exercise. Does he get leash walks each day as well as some time to run?

[Lonnie & Libby Lu]

Haroletta, that is so funny because sometimes my DH and I feel the same way.  They are so smart and so funny.  Libby barks at us like that too and we are working on it.  Her barks are different in volume and harshness. She uses different tones for different wants!  We are holding her mouth shut for just a few seconds and say "no bark" and it is starting to work for us. We have for the most part figured out what she wants during her little bark moments.  She also loves to sit on a chair in our front window, but when someone goes by she starts barking like crazy. So we continue to use the same method and she is soooo much better now.    

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

The barking at people going by is different; that's an alert.

The barking at you is all the same thing; what the dog wants is attention. Play with me, pet me, take me for a walk, pay some attention to me.

When you have a structured routine, the dog knows when he will be walked, when he will be played with, etc., and when he won't, so there is no point in barking. It's the same thing as the dog who constantly brings you a ball to throw for him. If there's always a chance that you will throw the ball, he'll keep trying, because he never knows when he might be successful. That's called intermittent reinforcement, and it's a powerfully addictive thing. Soon he starts dropping the ball in visitors' laps, too. But if you have a daily routine where the dog knows "This is ball playing time", and you never just casually throw the ball at other times, he knows what to expect and doesn't attempt to get you to play at other times because he knows it isn't going to happen.

It's the same thing with barking for attention. In the case of Cooper, who is following his person around and barking for her to "get up", he is looking for attention and something to do. Since he doesn't know when that ball-playing session or walk might happen, he's going to keep trying to get it to happen now. If he's successful one out of 10 times, that reinforces that he controls play, attention, etc., and barking is the way to get it to happen.  A structured training routine and exercise sessions help him to understand when these things happen, and that they will happen at your direction, not his.

[Lonnie & Libby Lu]

You are absolutely right Karen and Libby has established her barks and times towards all those events.  In fact she has different barks for ball playing, walking, playing outside and eating.  It amazes us how she knows the times and if we "forget" she lets us know.  These Doodles are so smart and know exactly what they want and when.  When she barks at people outside we help her distingush between friends and just people walking by.  If our neighbor washes his car outside for thirty mins. or so we let her know he is a "friend" and get her to stop barking.  We appreciate her warning us there are strangers, but we don't want to listen to barking for long periods of time.  She is working on it and so far she is much better.  Even some of the neighborhood kids that walk home from school and she use to bark at like crazy, now she just watches them go by and happy to see them.

So we are making some progress:)

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I think this is absolutely right.  He is barking because it seems to be getting him just what he wants....your attention.  Barking is really working for him....and it gets you to "do stuff" for him too...and sometimes you even get him a treat.  I'm sure in his "Doodle mind" he's thinking that barking is pretty magical.  I also agree that an obedience training program will help this and many other things.  Good luck.

[Stephanie and Jellybean]

We call this "Lassie speak" around my house. We try to ignore it. For the most part, she only does it when her ball is stuck underneath the coffee table. Too big to get under there to retrieve it!