@Ski-Patroller I wonder if Cooper's recent high pitched barking has been related to her coming into season, particularly as it is her first season. Might be worth just monitoring if it now improves or not.
I am reading Turid Rugaas book on Barking. She says that if your dog barks at the doorbell etc. to stand inbetween your dog and the door/gate with your back to him with the palm of your hand showing the dog and it tells him thank you but I am dealing with this. Just wondered what anyone thinks about this approach? x
Yes, that's almost what I do. There are two doors - if they bark due to a random noise outside I go to the first door, open it a crack, look down the hall and say "nobody there". As soon as I do this they both settle back down. If it is the doorbell I do the same, but say "I've got it" and they then wait quietly while I deal with it - unless it's a visitor then mayhem ensues. I have filled bones ready in the freezer for such times. .
Our first Lab "Ginger" had Laryngeal Paralysis when she was about 14, and one of the consequences of the surgery was loosing her bark. We always felt sorry for her in the last two years when she couldn't bark, only kind of "huff" Still it was better than the alternative. She became diabetic at the age of 12, and still made it to 16. She never went blind, and was very active until after 15.
It did not start with her coming into season. I'm pretty sure it is "I'm bored, I want to play" I don't have a problem with dogs that bark when some one with a dog walks by or some one comes up to the door, as long as they don't do it continuously. We have been lucky so far, that none of our dogs bark much, and never continuously. Unlike some of our neighbors dogs, they don't usually bark at other dogs they can see or smell. A couple of our friends have Sammys that will bark a lot if they are outside and there is a dog on the other side of the fence. Cooper's play bark is annoying, mostly because it hurts my wife's ears, and she tends to keep it up for a little while. She also will do it sometimes when she is playing with Tilly.
I just thought I would update this thread. Since saying "thank you" to Charlie when anyone passes the bottom of our drive he is barking less and comes straight in, most of the time for a treat. Also if the doorbell rings he will be quiet much quicker if he comes to the door with me which is fine because he is a people dog and everyone is welcome to come in to our house , luckily very early on I trained no "door dashing" Today the Southern Electricity men came to check the poles in our garden, they were outside the utility window where Charlie could see them, he barked at them but I called him to his mat and he didn't bark again whilst they continued their work I think we are getting there! x
