Any suggestions for obnoxious barking?

[Cherri Lynn Kading]

Jacki is 7 months old. Almost every evening she will walk up to either myself or my husband (and now our company) and bark at them for no reason. And then she will get real crazy by running around the room and even jump up on laps. She gets uncontrollable at times. Any suggestions on how to curb this behavior?

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

It sounds like the evening silly, aka Zoomies.  Sounds like she wants to  play.  My dog, and many dogs here get this around 9pm.  Mostly is is puppies--and your dog still is a puppy.  Just like human babies.   The silliness before bedtime situation. 

Exercise helps this. Take her outside and play a round of ball for ten minutes.  She will love it and it will wear him back down.   Enjoy these silly days.

If you do a search on DK with the Keyword-ZOOMIES, you will find a lot of people mention this. Funny... my dog is doing it right now.

Also, Poodles are chatty dogs. A little barking doesn't hurt anything. She is trying to get your attention to play.   If it gets out of hand you can teach the dog the " Shh--no speak" command.

[Anne G.]

I think she is telling you that she wants to play play play. A lot of our doodles, including mine, get super energetic in the evening. I think it is best to get her to expend all the energy in some way, by playing with her and getting her to run, or by a good evening walk. Our pup loves to run back and forth across the yard at full speed. After about 5 - 10  trips she finally settles down. It's funny because she is very lazy and naps throughout most of the day after her morning walk.

[Ginny Nightingale]

Oh, yes--the zoomies--she is telling you that she has energy to burn and she can't understand why you are all just sitting around when you should be chasing her!!!. I would be careful not to respond to the barking directly by playing with her or rewarding her--otherwise the behavior will get even more obnoxious--better to get her to quiet down a bit, then calmly take her out and allow her to run it off or what ever you can do to help her settle for the night.

My dogs will get something to chew like a cow hoof and that takes a bit of their energy down at that hour--then they are all asleep by 10. At this very moment, two are chewing away on their cow hooves at my feet and the other is asleep--she is more of a couch potato.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Yep. A few minutes to run around the yard, rub her belly, then give her a chew.  She will burn some of that off.

She LOVES you. Thinks you are wonderful and wants your attention.  :)

[LucyR]

This is "demand" barking!  She is saying "drop everything you are doing and do what I want!"  The best solution would be to ignore it.  I agree with others who suggest play, but do it BEFORE she starts to bark.   Otherwise she will learn that barking gets exactly what she wants and it will develop into a very bad habit.  You will become her slave.  About jumping in people's laps...she has to learn that is "by invitiation only."  Have her sit in front of you in a "stay."  Then tell her "up up" and reward.  If she jumps up without an invitation, just put her down and say "off" or another word of your choosing. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Is she getting enough exercise during the day? That might help to tire her out so she isn't so energetic and eager to play at night. That, and a nice walk after dinner should help her settle down in the evenings.  

[Bev and WILLY]

The ZOOMIES at our house was around 7pm every evening. Just wild and crazy doods! It does pass other than the occasional lapse back into puppyhood. Yes, make sure to ignore the barking in your face for attention. If you can get up and leave the room without looking at her, you should only have to do it a few times and she will get the message that you leave  when she barks.

[Sally, Ditzy Mitzi & Sgt. Pepper]

Our Sgt. Pepper, (St. Poodle), does this every evening only he will give us his tennis ball if it is around,  after we have finished dinner and sit to watch the evening news.

Guess the news puts him in the mood to play catch with his tennis ball.  We go out to the back yard and have a good

game of catch and fetch and he runs till he wears out.   Maybe if you get a toy to play with Jacki will start bringing it to you as a cue to play the way Pepper does.

[Cherri Lynn Kading]

Zoomies....that is hilarious! Very appropriate! I have not been taking her out in the evening because we live in Texas and it has been 95-105 degrees for several weeks. I do have a long hallway where we play ball. I guess we will have to play longer. Thank you for all the great advice. I feel so much better knowing that others have the same problem.