Correct way to stop barking

[Jane, Rooney & Stuart]

Stuart has just turned 9 months and is a little barky.  Not constant but when he sees people walking or biking down the sidewalk that swings out behind the pond behind our house.  The back of our house is all glass so there is no way that I can block his view.  I want him to be a good watch dog but this is over the line.  I have no idea how to address this issue - can someone please lend a hand with some basic instructions?

 

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

I hope that you get some good advice here as I could use a little myself.  We have been working on barking for quite a while now.  When the girls hear a noise (like a car or people) or if they see someone walk by with their dog, they are up on the sofa barking out the front window.  I started by making them go to their pillows anytime they barked and go into a down stay.  It was working pretty well, so I now give them one "no bark" warning when they start and if they stop it is ok.  If not, then they go to their pillows into the down stay.  We have been working on this for quite a while and it has been getting better.  However on Friday I bet I had them on their pillows 40 times.  They just would not stop barking.  Every little noise.  It's been a long time since it was that bad.  Not sure what was going on.  Anyway, I'll be watching to see if anyone has a better idea cause like I said, I could use it as well.

[Adina P]

So you want to be able to stop after it starts...not just keep them from barking in the first  place?

[Jane, Rooney & Stuart]

Had not thought about it in those terms, but yes - I'd like to be able to communicate to him to stop after he is barking.  I don't want to train him to not bark - if someone he doesn't know is coming into our home - then I want him to bark. 

[BRADY GOOSE MOORE (Mini Doodle]

The same thing with barking while on walks is true for Brady.   He has just completed his 8th month and has started barking at random inanimate objects (garbage cans, strollers,  snow shovels, wheel chairs) as well as random people along the way.   I have handled it by telling him "no" and "sit" and waiting until the object has moved on or I will take him up to a garbage can and let him 'check it out' to show him it's nice & o.k.  He is pretty good and rarely barks while out in our back yard while people walk by - probably used to the people walking to the park across the street.   I'd also love to hear of a method to teach him not to do this.   

[Bonnie and Kona]

Brady is the exact opposite of our dogs. They never ever bark while we are out on a walk, even when there are reactive dogs barking at them. In our yard it is the opposite. They will bark at people and dogs through the fence. arrgh. 

[BRADY GOOSE MOORE (Mini Doodle]

Trust me - Brady is no saint!   He DOES some barking while out in the back yard and I feel it's getting alot better.   What I have done has taken alot of effort and patience.   When I hear him bark even once,  I give a stern "quiet" while using my arm/hand doing the quack-quack sign at the same time.   If he barks even once more after the signal, I go out make him sit and repeat the command while wrapping my hand firmly around his mouth.   I've been doing this since he was tiny so that's about 7 months or so and he still does bark sometimes.   My hope is that soon he will see the hand command through the window and obey (my sister's dog does this).   I think the barking on the walk is more of a startled and fear response.

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Something we learned in training (similar to what you are doing with Brady) was "touch it".  It started for us with a baby stroller.  Our trainer told us to go up to the object that seems to have them befuddled and touch it while saying "touch it" and encourage the dog to come up and touch with their nose.  This has worked for us for everything from the baby stroller to a back hoe.   Not in a coddling or babying way, but to just show them that it isn't anything they should be afraid of.

[Amy and Lily]

I have a barking problem too.  Lily will bark at her Springer sister if she wants to play.  I don't mean a couple of barks but many loud obnoxious barks and it makes me want to send her away on a long vacation. 

[Chelsie]

Sam does this to Eli...so annoying. I usually have to stop whatever I am doing to distract him with a game of tug or some training to calm him down! Maybe Lily and Sam can take a long vacation together!

[Jen & Ember]

Gosh, I would love a magic answer for this one! In our puppy class the trainer said she trained her dogs to bark 3 times and if they bark more than that they get a time out. So she told us that she often hears three barks and then a muffled woof as they pick up a stuffed toy. haha. I wish... :) But maybe she has a thought there about having them pick up a toy? I don't know... looking forward to reading more replies on this!

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I really think this is a tough one.  My trainer told me that it's really difficult to teach dogs that it's okay to bark sometimes, but not others....possible, but very hard.  As a result, we made the decision that we would train G&M not to bark at all.  We're still working on it, but they've come a long way.  They used to bark at noises outside or people walking by the front of our house....we're in a condo with lots of "walkers", so this is a frequent occurrence.  Now it's pretty much only when there's someone actually in our yard or at the door.  I "correct" them every time they bark, and when there's someone in the yard or at the door they have to go to their "place".

[Dawn]

I'm interested in this topic too.  Lucy is 4 1/2 months and doesn't bark often....yet.  When you talk about no barking at all...do you mean literally no barking ever?   I thought that was how dogs communicate.  I have so much to learn :)

Dawn