Barker??

**primabella** · 08-06-2003, 08:11 AM

I have a question about Mickey, I'm hoping someone can help.

Mickey is 9 months old and has never been a barker. The only time he did bark was if someone was on our property or if there was a startling or unfamiliar noise. During the past few weeks, he started to bark at everything. He'll bark at any dog that passes by, baby carriages, bicycles so on. Once he starts, it takes awhile for him to stop.

I guess I blame myself for not getting him more used to things like bikes and carriages when he was younger, but I don't see why he should be barking over other dogs. They could be crossing the street a block down and he'll still bark. I don't get it.

I partly blame my sister because everytime a dog passed by she would get him excited and say "Look Mickey a dog!!" and maybe he thought it was a good thing to bark. How can I teach him it's not?

I am aware that Shelties are notorious barkers but is it normal for him to just go from ignoring everyone to being the most vocal dog on the block?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks.

**lv4dogs** · 08-06-2003, 09:41 AM

It could be normal for him to just suddenly turn into a barker at his age as he is at the age where he is a teenager and shelties are known to bark a lot. It may be just a phase or it may stick. It could also be partly due to your sister for agging him on & you for not getting him more used to "strange" objects.
Training will not help much unless everyone is willing to help (including your sister) but when he does bark you could sternly say NO & then ignore him, or you could try to pre-occypy him w/ a toy or game or treat before the object comes into view or hearing range (which may be hard to do). Also by getting him out more & used to these objects & situatuions may help. Giving him more excersize may wear him down a bit so he is not "looking" for things to bark at. Good luck

**stacwase** · 08-06-2003, 09:53 AM

Jake's a sheltie, too. We really don't have much of a barking problem with him. I don't know if it's because he's naturally not much of a barker or because of how we've trained him. Whenever he starts barking we remove him from the situation. For example, if he's outside barking, we bring him inside. If he's barking at a visitor we put him in the mud room. I think he barks when he's happy, and he knows that if he barks we'll take him away from whatever it is that's making him happy so he keeps his mouth shut. It couldn't hurt for you to try it.

**ParNone** · 08-06-2003, 10:11 AM

As Oz has matured, he's had a tendency to bark more too.
I have a couple of things I do, depending on the situation.
If he's outside and barking at the fence, I do like stacwase
and make him come inside. As he comes in, I tell him, he
could have stayed outside, if he hadn't been barking.

If he barks at agility while we're waiting our turn or at any
people we pass while walking, I have him "sit", then I
bring my finger up to my lips (my hand will have a treat in it)
and that'll bring his focus from what he's barking at to looking
at me, then I very softly say "shhhh... quiet". Followed by
"good boy" when he's quiet, then the treat. Each time I try
to keep his focus on me longer, before I give him the treat.

I really try not to encourage any barking for the most part,
because of the tendency of the breed. I'm too fearful of it
getting out of hand. About the only time I encourage it is when
I tell him to go find something. I'll ask him where something
is. He'll bark in reply, then I tell him to go get it.

Par...

**primabella** · 08-06-2003, 10:37 AM

Thanks for answering. Yes, there have been a few fights between me and my sister over this. I tell her she got him into a bad habit but she does it anyway. I really got mad so she hasn't done it recently, but still...

luv4dogs - Yeah I feel like I really screwed up there with not getting him familiar with carriages and other stuff. I'm going to try to make him more familiar with him. He used to be terrified of the vacuum and I showed him it was okay by making him smell it and stuff. Would that work with the carriages?

As for the excericise, he is always kept busy. Or we try our best, at least. He'll be playing a game and then catch a glimpse of a dog and bark. We'll try to distract him from it but it doesn't help.

I'm going to try the thing with the treat in your hand Par. it sounds good. I'll also try to get him to be closer to carriages and bikes. I'm such a bad mommy...lol

k thanks for answering.

**cloverfdx** · 08-06-2003, 01:12 PM

Awww mickey sounds like your starting to mature lil man

i cant realy add anymore to this thread, but it is normal for mickey to be more aware of who's coming and going (and walking past) HIS territory and just letting them know that he is there

**binka_nugget** · 08-06-2003, 01:21 PM

I think it's just Mickey becoming a teen. Kai was always a barker but barked even more at that age. Every single dog, bark. Every person, bark. Every bike, bark. He eventually got over it some-what. I mean, now he's still a barker but he doesn't bark at dogs unless they're face to face and playing and he doesn't bark unless something really excites him. Although, he does bark when someone rings the door bell which I don't mind at all because I'm usually down stairs and the door bell can only be heard from upstairs.

I think mick will get over it on his own but helping him out would make it go by faster. Whenever people passed our house, Kai would bark and howl at them. I just went to him and held my hand over his muzzle. I waited until the person was out of sight then I'd reward him. He's still doing it but he's catching on. And for walks, the halti really helped. When he barked, he'd pull towards the object. When he pulls on the halti, his muzzle is closed because of the pulling therefor, no barking.