How to deal with barking?

[Karen]

For a long time I worked in an office with a Sheltie. He was a barker, and not consistently trained by his humans, so the problem persisted. If I was on the phone with someone when he was being particularly barky, I'd say, "Excuse me a second, please" and hush him, then come back to the phone. Or I'd say to the person "Don't mind the noise, that's just the office dog," and 6 times out of ten the person would say "You get to have a dog at the office? You're so lucky," and the other 4 of the ten would say "No problem."

[BOBS DAD]

Here is how I taught Ginger (a Beagle) to speak. Of course Hounds (Beagles and Bloodhounds too) love treats - even a little kibble of their regular food, so use it as an incentive for your commands.

Take a Kibble (one Kibble) in your hand - either left or right, but be consistent at first, and hold some more in your other hand. If your dogs sits, then start here. SIT - when he sits praise him and give him a treat. Now while his is seated, hold a Kibble between your thumb and forfinger (clearly visible) just above his snout but out of reach. He will turn his had upwards and be reaching for it. Slowly pull just out of reach and keep saying, SPEAK. He will lick his chops and maybe lunge at it, but be persistent. Don't let him have it. SIT him back down and start over. SPEAK. He will get so excited and frustrated that he will eventually bark. NOW you've got him. Just keep repeating this process over and over and pretty soon, he will know the routine inside out and will speak upon command. He will even speak when you assume the same hand position without a treat and say SPEAK!!!

[Ginger's Mom]

I have an Eskie, they are known for being barky (and quite honestly there are some Saturdays when Ginger drives me crazy), but generally speaking she is a pretty quiet girl (even my neighbors tell me that ). Here is what worked with both her and my first girl. When she barks, get up and go over to her (assuming she is looking out a window, if she is looking at you, you won't need to get up). Tell her "shhh" the noise should make her tilt her head (if it doesn't make some kind of sucking sound, that should make her alert on the sound). Immediately tell her good girl. Then if you can, make the sound before she barks again when she looks tell her good girl. Do this everytime she barks for a couple of days. After that you should be able to stay seated and tell her "shhh" or whatever sound worked and she will stop barking and run to you for praise. Then after a week or so, she will just "shhh" when you tell her. Until the next squirrel runs in front of the window to make her bark. It will take a while until he/she learns what he/she should or shouldn't bark at, but at least it is a good start. Good Luck, I think Corgis are natural vocalists, too.

(Sorry, I realize that Vallis is a boy, but I was thinking of what I did with my girls when I wrote this that is why it all says "her" and "she".)

[lizbud]

To get some needed relief sooner you could move the computer into
a more private room & then work on the problem barking from another
room.Good luck.

[VTJess03]

We moved from a quiet country setting where anything out of the ordinary needed barking at to a neighborhood, and our dogs were totally freaked out and barked at everything. One of our new neighbors actually came over and (without even introducing himself, grrr! ) told us that the dogs would be a 'problem'. He later came back and said that he realized that he should have waited a few days to let them settle in before he said anything.

My solution was to bring the dogs in every night (we had let them in most nights at the old house, anyway) to sleep. That way we only had to deal with the barking when loud strange noises, etc were happening, and they were not waking the neighbors. They have since settled in and only bark occasionally (at night anyway). During the day, I don't worry about it; they go out in their 'play'pen during the day and that is free time that they can bark and romp and play to their heart's content. There are so many other neighborhood dogs that carry on that I don't worry too much about the neighbors being disturbed unless it's past 9:30 or so at night (if we go out somewhere for dinner, etc. and are late bringing the girls in). So far no other complaints from neighbors.

[Daisy Jo's Mom]

I have read about the water squirting and the coins in the can....I have a puppy pitbull and he stays inside and barks...i think mainly because he wants attention...but he isn't house broke yet either so i keep him crated most of the time and when someone walks in the room and walks out...he whines and barks wanting out but i can't watch him all the time....so i am gonna try the water thing first and see how that works...

this has been very very helpful!!!