Barking while out

[Tara]

I feel like I'm losing my mind with my 4 1/2 month old doodle's barking.  He will bark at dogs mostly, people occasionally.  But once he's in an alert state--having just barked at a dog--he's may bark at anything.  I have attempted to treat him *before* he barks (and after he sees the dog) with very little success.  I really wanted a dog that I could take out to coffee shops, restaurants and street fairs.  Will this get better with more training?  I'm feeling pretty down and frustrated today.  Here's hoping tomorrow is better!

Advice and/or I've been there's would be great :-)

[Elaine Allen]

well all I can say is I've been there.........or should I say I am there....our labradoodle will bark and get on alert on anything or any noise.......and esp. doesn't like men.......wont stop barking or acting like he is going to bite but never has and actually ends up showing fear of the dog or person but keeps barking.......................................................doesn't listen once he gets started....I've used a plastic bottle of a few pennies and he dislikes that sound so much that he will stop in a shorter period of time however.....so good luck..........ours is about the same age and looks very much alike.....we had a goldendoodle that NEVER barked unless there was actually something to bark at briefly......so he is driving us nuts........sigh

[Tara]

Sorry you're going through the barking too.

My guy isn't being aggressive.  He is more interested, and then frustrated that he can't have access to everything he wants.  If we arrange to 'meet' the dog, then he is friendly (often too friendly in his puppy way) and want to play.

[Eiz, Daisy, and Gunner]

Our Goldendoodle Gunner has been much more of a barker than our Golden Retrievers. But he has gotten much better. We had no neighbors on one side of our house for quite some time and when the new neighbors moved in Gunner would bark at them. Not constant but he would bark. Our lovely (ex) neighbor decided the best way to make him stop was for himself to bark and lunge at him from his side of the fence. This resulted in Gunner not liking him very much and our Golden really didn't like him (but she is not a barker). Gunner would bark more when he did this and was always nervous in that area of our yard.

Now the neighbor just moved out and Gunner has also grown up a little and is 2 years old now. His barking is much less but he will bark at strange people walking down the street (especially if they have a dog). He will stop as soon as I tell him, "no barking" and will come when I call him. Even though he still hasn't reached perfection, he is getting better. He also likes to bark when he is chasing and running with our other dog. But this is only maybe one bark with each length of our yard. He just can't help himself when he is having so much fun.

When your dog is in a situation where you think he might bark, could you have him on a leash and pull it quickly, or shake a can with coins in it and say "no barking"?

One thing I might add is that our dog normally does not bark when we are out places and around other dogs or people. So that might be some encouragement for you. Also your pup is still very young.

With all that being said, I'm sure there are people here that will come up with much more knowledgeable responses than mine :)

[Deb's Yarrow and Schatzi]

Don't be disheartened. He's still very young. The more exposure he gets to more people and dogs, the less reactive he'll become... eventually. One of the first things I taught Yarrow was 'Look at me' to get eye contact as a distraction approached.... then a high value treat for her paying attention to me instead of something like going off on a barking dog behind a fence. Both Victoria Stillwell and Zach George have instructional videos online to teach the 'look at me' command.

[Tara]

This is definitely our goal. I've worked on it in the house and yard with good success. In come distractions and his brain seems to go 'fizzle' and he doesn't pay any attention to me or food. I'll have to keep working on it and remember that he's really just a baby still.

[Cindy and Olive (Ollie)]

I have a real handle on this now so maybe I can help by sharing what I've learned from Doggy Dan, the online dog trainer, much recommended by DK. Firstly, please do not treat him while he is on alert, even before he starts to bark. If his fearful or alert state of mind is rewarded, he will continue that. If you want him to relax then you need to convey to him that you are 1) aware of the "danger" he is alerting you to and 2) able to handle that "danger" for him. To do this, here is the plan. Warning: it may sound silly, but it works!!!
After the first set of barks, say, thank you! Very sweetly to the pup. This acknowledges his service/tells him you have heard him/are aware. Do not look at him or pet him.
After the 2nd set of barks, say, "thank you" again, while you stand up ( yes, you have to get up) in from of him, look toward the "danger" and in relaxed fashion, return to your seat without looking or talking to him further. Total calm.
After third set of barks, isolate him for thirty secs calmly somewhere safe, when you release him all is calm and fine.
Eventually he will stop after your first thank you. I swear, this works like a charm for us!!
Remember that an excited voice and even just eye contact can get them revved up further. Once he realizes and trusts that you will solve this problem for him (all part of leadership too) he will relax and look to you for cues on what to do, instead of continually alerting you. Hope it works for ya! Good luck!!

[Deb's Yarrow and Schatzi]

i assumed this was happening while you were out and about. Now I need clarification. My advice is for when you are out and about with him and 'triggers' pop up.

[Kathryn Clark]

Even though we don't have this particular problem, as soon as you mentioned 'treat him' during the situation red flags went up. We did this when our dog growled and it exacerbated the problem so badly I called the breeder. She told us giving them treats any time around them misbehaving really confuses them and they begin to think they'll be rewarded for bad behavior. The doggy dan solution makes sense above. I think he's doing it to possibly protect you in a weird way and having you step in front and be secure in being alpha and taking charge of the situation would help a lot. Good luck! The good news is you can stop the behavior quickly. We saw a drastic change in just one day when we stopped treating him during the growling moments.

[Tara]

For clarification, this NOT happening at home or in our yard.  For those times I follow the Doggy Dan "Thank you" technique mentioned above; works like a charm!  This is when we are out and he is on leash either walking or at a cafe.  I could be wrong, but I don't think the 'thank you' technique was intended for this situation.  I think I was also unclear about when I would treat--after he notices the other dog, and before he is on alert/reacting.  There is no growling, snapping, etc, just excited barking.

[Tara]

I'm trying to do what's shown in this video with regards to treating...I don't think I'm succeeding though, lol!

kikopup stop barking video

[Cindy and Olive (Ollie)]

That dog in the video (and distraction dogs) are TOO good! :-)

[Tara]

Way too good!