Barking randomly at strangers

[Sally]

Ok so my sweet doodlicious duncan who used to love EVERYBODY has become a little apprehensive of certain people lately. He just turned 2.....For instance today we went to the pet store and the woman on line behind us was carrying a toddler. He turned around and saw her and stepped back a bit and started barking at her. I couldn't get him to "leave it", "sit" or "no bark" which are my usual arsenal of commands to break him from the barking. She was the most non threatening looking woman but perhaps the child up high freaked him out. In any event, how can i let him know "thank you for alerting me to the stranger near me but it's ok and you can stop barking and relax now". It happens at the dog park sometimes when the non-regulars come. It tends to be females and kids which i find so ridiculous.

 

Oye! I want to get a handle on this a.s.a.p.

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

It sounds like Duncan is just not tuning in to you.  Whatever is causing the barking is just way more important than you are at the time.  You need to make yourself irresistable.  This is what worked for me. 

 

When you are going to be in public with Duncan arm your self with some really smelllicous treats.  Cooked chicken, liverwurst, something he does not normally get.  When Duncan starts to bark before you give him any command or say anything to him hold a piece of the treat right in front of his nose, nearly touching it.  When you get his attention, give a command that he really knows and obeys usually. "No bark" if he knows that.  When he really is quiet not just pausing he gets the yummy treat. At first it will take several treats given only if he continues to be quiet and relaxed.  You can eventually space out the treats and then phase them out.

 

For Roo I used "watch me", treat, then "down". I used watch me because that is what he knew well. Then for some reason the only real relaxing I can get from him when he gets going is in a down wait.  For the most part Roo now looks to me when he wants to react to something and I can reward him with only a "good dog".  When that is insufficient I still stop and put him in a "down wait' until he is quiet.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

When you find out the answer, let me know.  Ned and Clancy might even growl - more scary to others even.  I hate this.  I think it is their maturity telling them to protect.

[cheryl & oliver]

Add me in, Oliver and Renny bark at the wind, even if they know the person they will bark if they see them, Unfortunately Renny taught OLiver this wondeful "trick" and I can not break either of them of it...

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

I will be following this too. Vern is afraid of strangers and has a powerful bark, so we are working on this too.

[Julie & Wrigley]

Wrigley is afraid of strangers too. I'm glad to hear there's others like him :) He's overly friendly/loving with us and people he knows though so I know he has it in him to not be afraid.

[Linda and Murphy]

Murphy doesn't like men in cowboy hats...not that we see a lot of them here..but there were quite a few in Texas.

 

And statues. There was a statue of a boy throwing a newspaper. I don't know if he wanted the paper and was tired of waiting or he was terrified. Later, when we encountered the much larger statue of Stevie 'Ray 'Vaughn.   I distracted Murphy as we approached so he didn't notice. When we got up to it Murph was a bit skittish but I put treats at SRV's feet. The treats won.

[shelly]

Oh... STOP IT NOW or you'll be in my shoes!  Tori started doing this about 1 1/2 - 2.... she'll be 3 in March...she's still barking at people - outside and visitors that come in... forget the mailman, delivery guys, etc.... We are working SO hard at breaking this, but I'm not too sure it's working!  I most certainly be watching... our (well, MY - DH not on board yet) will be calling a behaviorist called ZEN Dog... perhaps she'll have insight@

[Kimberly Keenan]

Bindi barks at any dog or person that walks down the block. I watch both Dog Whisper & It's Me or the Dog. I know they handle things very differently but I find them interesting. I am trying to say Bindi Come! & give her a treat, when she starts baking. I also take her out of the window when she barks.

I am also trying to cut back on her barking because we are taking Bindi on vacation with us ti Ocean City, NJ. The place is not pet friendly but they are letting us bring her since we have rented from them for several years. They were not real keen on it at first but we told them I would not leave her again for two weeks. If she couldn't come then we were not going. It was terrible last year when I left her for two weeks, I missed her so much!

[shelly]

I too try and take her away from the window when she barks, but she usually hears them before I even see them.  She lays on my window sill and just watches out the window.. I know I should not allow it, and this will probably cut down her barking a GREAT deal... I took down the gates long ago, and patched up my walls since then, and would hate to put them back up.  AND... she also barks at visitors and my son's friends when they come over.  Funny thing is, she barks when they come, ten settles down, then - if they are on the couch and get up or get up to leave she barks terribly AT them again.... I don't know.... I'm not a good doodle mom when it comes to stopping her barking....

[Lesley, Wellington & Bingley]

 

 Teaching an alternative behaviour is a great place to start with a problem like this. Welly too would do this at certain people, usually men and children but sometimes women too.

 

So I would teach him to stay next to me, with an extra yummy food treat. He got the food treat once we had passed the person.

 

I felt this came out of insecurity. He was trying to ward off a threat. So I also found it useful to lure him to walk to the side of me that was furthest away from the 'threat'. So - I was between that person and him. This has worked so well that he now automatically comes to me and walks next to me on the 'safe' side, without being prompted.

 

You can teach a 'hide' which means - walk behind me, (just take the treat behind your back and reward to teach this). Very useful for situations when the scary thing is coming towards you. Then treat when they have passed you.

 

Another useful one with this is to teach 'go see'. If you know the person and want to let your dood go and say hello tell him 'go see'. At other times make him stay with you when it's someone/thing you don't want him to approach. He will then begin to look to you first before approaching. This puts you in control - and makes him more relaxed, knowing that he doesn't have to make the decision - Mums got it covered!

 

Next you would try and make as many positive interactions with the 'scary things' as possible. Lots of treats - even if you give them when you are just near to someone new (not everyone will want to give your dog a sweety).

 

Hope this helps.

[shelly]

Great ideas!  Thanks!  I will definitely try these!

[Julie & Wrigley]

I have the same issue with my 7, almost 8 month old boy Wrigley. Although he barks more at men than women.