Lots of barking w/attitude

[Stellababy]

My girl Stella is 17 weeks old. She has started barking a lot, but the worst part is that she has started doing it after we give her a command that she doesn't like such as "No" when she starts licking our dishwasher or cabinets or tell her to get off the couch. It doesn't seem to be mean, but it is definitely in response to what we say. I have been leaving the room when she barks but it hasn't stopped her from doing it the next time. I've also tried treats to get her to stop, but I think that reinforced the barking. One of our neighbors (a long-time dog owner) said that she is being aggressive and we have to show dominance, but I don't want to overreact. Does anyone have a suggestion on how to fix this or know if this is her way of "mouthing off" like a kid?

Thanks for the help!

 

[sandy's mom]

She is still a baby.
Remember, her attention span is very short and she is learning how to do all these new things and it is exciting... especially the barking...it is loud and gets everybody's attention...

Just be consistent and try not to say no too much, she will start thinking her name is no... You can try to remove her from the situation or ignore what she is doing, when she realizes you don't care, she will eventually give up. But, you must do exactly the same thing every time.

And remember, have lots and lots of patience!!

Good Luck!!!
Keep us posted!

 

[Mesquite]

How funny these dogs can be. One morning my husband tried to get our puppy Jake to go out (I'd already taken him out so he didn't need to go, but my husband didn't know that). Jake stood in the hall and barked at my husband who didn't know what to make of it. I think Jake was trying to tell him "I've already been out and I want my breakfast!"

 

[KatCH]

Millie does that a lot too. It's a different bark than her aggressive "i'm tough" bark, but she definitely talks back when we tell her to do something she doesn't want to do while she is playing. We joke that she is in a teenage phase and is just talking back. Like we will tell her to sit and for the most part she will follow through with the command, but doesn't go quietly.

She is almost a year old and has been doing it since she was a puppy.

 

[kayboxer]

My two year old boy Buster does the exact same thing. I just laugh at him, because he tries to "talk back" but in the end, I give the command and he does it. Just make sure he knows who is boss and practicing NILF helps reinforce that.

 

[Mesquite]

Jake (4 months) gave me a whole lot of sass this morning when it was time to go in the crate. I was trying to entice him with a chicken biscuit and apparently that really ticked him off - bark, bark, bark - run away. Finally got him in the crate and he got his biscuit.

 

[NateBazooka]

Kevin did that a bunch when he was younger. It was pretty funny, really, especially looking back on it. He's still a really young guy at 7 months, but by now he totally gets that I am in charge, and doesn't really "challenge" me very much. He might be a bit stubborn, but if I tell him "drop it!" or "leave it", he will without barking at me....

I guess I'm getting sidetracked. It's just funny now, remembering a little Kevin half as big as he is now, seeing me point to his crate and going "BARK BARK BARK!!!!" and running away, or seeing little baby Kevin hear me say "sit!", and, staring at me, slowly opening his mouth and going "Woof!!!", like he was saying "No, YOU sit.".

Don't worry about it. Keep up with the nilif stuff, don't let him push you around, but enjoy your little pup.

 

[ehayes21]

One of our neighbors (a long-time dog owner) said that she is being aggressive and we have to show dominance, but I don't want to overreact. Does anyone have a suggestion on how to fix this or know if this is her way of "mouthing off" like a kid?

Thanks for the help!

Welcome to boxerhood.
Long time dog owner or not, your neighbor is stuck in the dark ages. Please don't buy into to the "dominance" crap. Your puppy is being a puppy. And telling her "no" isn't going to do any good. The problem with "no" is that you aren't teaching the dog what she should be doing instead. As sandy's mom stated her attention span is very short and you are going to be more successful redirecting her attention than stopping a certain behavior. So when she starts licking the dishwasher, instead of telling her no, get her interested in a toy or game. If you want to get her off of the couch, then make it fun for her...as in get some treats out and show her how rewarding it is for her to get off the couch when you ask. See it's really pretty easy. If you get this down, you might almost be ready for the boxerteens...

 

[larrygs]

A great post by ehayes21. LOL, So very true!

 

[Stellababy]

Thanks everyone for the advice and encouragement. As an update, Stella is getting much better about the barking. Distractions from the bad behaviors have really helped. She doesn't lick the dishwasher nearly as much. (I actually had a streak-free dishwasher for over a week!) Her barking has narrowed down to when she wants more attention. I am happy with that and as soon as we grab a toy for her to fetch she stops. She has really grown up a lot in the last month and follows commands so much better without the backtalk. Thanks again!