Frustrated with constant barking at people!

[Valantar]

I used to think it was great when Samson barked at strangers and used his "guard dog instincts", but now I think it is a bit out of control. We can't take a walk around the neighborhood without his hair standing up and his barking when we come across a person. When they acknowledge him, he'll usually start shaking his nub and wiggling. He's never been aggressive, but he sure makes you think he is. I want to start taking him to more public places, but I think he would terrify people. He really upset an older couple last week on our hike when I couldn't keep him quiet.

I've been trying to redirect him with training commands and praising him when he gives me eye contact. Any other suggestions? Anyone else have an extreme barker?

 

[sandy's mom]

Whinning

Now that Napoleon has decided people are okay, he whines when he wants attention, especially when I have company at my house.

When I first got him, he didn't want anything to do with anybody, now he thinks everybody should love on him, constantly. We leash him when someone is at the house but he whines constantly. I have tried to let him be free but he nudges and licks your hands and has even knocked someone down trying to get their attention.

I have tried putting him in a sit stay and let everybody pet him and treat him when comming in the door, he would jump, tried putting him in his crate, he actually turned it over trying to get out. I do not know what to do next.
My parents are comming for a visit in about 3 or 4 weeks and I really need to get him under control before they get to my house.

Any Suggestions??

 

[sandy's mom]

I posted this in the wrong place....sorry!
I meant to start a new thread.

 

[Angie K]

I have a barker. My female does the same thing you describe. She will even do it to kids until they come over and she gets to give them a sniff. What I did was as soon as I saw someone walking towards us or riding a bike I would stop and put her in a sit then go through her other commands with her until the person was pretty much passing us. She was still interested and would usually follow them past with her head and eyes but not bark. She has gotten much better. I think her problem is she is fear, because even when someone new comes into the house she sounds like she is going to kill them. I tell everyone to just totally ignore her and not to make eye contact at all. They do that and within a few minutes (like 2) she is all happy, licking their hands or whatever she can reach for them to pet her. After meeting her that way she never barks at that person again when they come over. Good luck

 

[KellysMom]

Kelly is a barker. When I first got her she barked at all of my neighbors. They couldn't enjoy their yards because she would stand at the fence and bark non-stop. She has gotten to know everyone and now doesn't bark unless they are coming near the fence. There is one exception though, the very nice older man next door. She barks at him like she wants to eat him. Her hair goes up when she sees his door open. We have tried everything I can think of...letting her shif him (she snapped at his hand), shaking a can of pennies when she barks, putting her in a sit/stay (forget it), he even gives her a treat now and then. She'll stop barking long enough to chomp it down then bark some more. I'd also like to hear suggestions to stop this behavior.

 

[crowpete]

Darby is also doing something along those lines. But the problem is not when someone is walking by us, it is when we walk by a house that a dog is outside. Darby loves other dog but of course I do not let her go up to just any dog. So when we walk by the houses and the dogs start to bark Darby can only take it for so long and then she starts barking because she wants to go see them. I try to stop and sit and for her to focus on me but the other dogs do not stop barking so Darby has trouble listening to me. Any suggestions?

 

[rrrmarie]

My dog is a barker as well. I hope someone comes up with suggestions. I am very interested in any advice someone can give.

 

[Doja's Mommy]

Doja used to be really bad doing just the things you all mentioned. The sit stay worked wonders. I make her sit there. and a lot of times I stand right in front of her, and look at her get her attention, though it usually goes right back to whomever it is outside... anyways, I look at her and see what shes gonna do next. Before she can even get a bark out I tell her to hush, in a deep voice, and she just sits there an watches them go by. I tell her, you gotta be a good girl Doja.... if she starts to almost bark, I make her sit back down again until shes quiet, then we continue on our walk. She used to scare the beegeegees out of people.... It takes a while to break the habit. Just be consistent, let her know she ain't goin no where till she behaves. Whenever she is on the leash, I keep it really short so shes right next to my leg, kind of gives more control over her head. When she starts to turn her head to bark and look, I just snap the leash a little tighter, her head get straight again, and we keep on walking.

Let us know how it goes, Good Luck and remember, PRAISE PRAISE PRAISE TREAT TREAT TREAT