I know how strange right a dog actually barking... lol. Well my soon to be 2 year old lab likes to just sit in front of me when I sit to watch TV and bark. All his needs are met and still just barks, loudly. I give him loads of attention. This can be a huge nuisance when visitors visit as well. Any advice? I've asked his vet and she said to "distract him". he's quite the attention seeker...
Hi @Amy K Ball Welcome to the site. If you mean you give attention, when he barks, then that's the cause of the barking. You have been positively reinforcing his barking by paying attention to it. If you completely ignore it, then in time the barking will extinguish. Don't even give him eye contact. Expect a bout of extinction burst, in which the barking gets worse. That's a good sign. It means your inattention is working. Put the tv on headphones to block out the noise. Chocolates for the neighbours. Oh, one last thing. Ignore the vet, knows absolutely zilch about dog training.Vets are experts on medical problems, not behavioural issues.
Oh dear, your vet has helped you to train your dog to bark. Any time you respond to a barking dog, you are reinforcing the barking. If your dog is barking for your attention and you give it to him (in any way, even to tell him to be quiet), you are reinforcing the barking. Instead, you are just going to have to ignore it. And, because you have reinforced it a lot, you are going to need to ignore it for a very long time before it stops. Probably best to pick a TV show you don't actually want to watch... or put the headphones in....
So I understand about not reinforcing a barking dog that wants attention but what if the dog is barking like a fool at the window. How do you stop that without giving attention?
Your dog is barking as a reaction to some perceived threat. I would teach your dog the LAT protocol. Make sure that barking is not part of the behaviour you reinforce in that protocol. Then use the cue look and when the dog quietly turns to you pointing out someone is approaching your home positively reinforce. Other handlers simplify the desired behaviour The dog looks at the owner rather than the behaviour being put on a verbal cue. Once again only reinforce the dog when she is quietly looking at you. You may have to elicit the help of neighbours as part of your training. You need to get in repetitions in which you control the distance of the passerby from the dog.
Right, like Michael says, there is no 'one answer' to barking because - like all behaviours - you first need to determine why it is happening, before you can decide how to respond. If a dog is barking for attention, or jumping up for attention, or pawing you for attention - or doing anything you don't like, for attention - then you don't give them....YOUR ATTENTION(!). Because that's what they want and you are only reinforcing them, if you respond. On the other hand, if a dog is barking (or lunging on leash or doing something you don't like) due to fear, then you need to address that emotion, and 'fix' the emotion, to remove the reason for the dog doing that behaviour. If you don't respond, in THAT situation, then the dog just gets to 'practise' feeling that way about the thing and it gets further associated with fear as an emotional response. So, you'd need to intervene ASAP and distract the dog with something in the first instance - throwing food is always a good one - to interrupt the barking. But most importantly you then need to find out what the dog is barking at, and what the circumstances are, around that, and work out what you will do, in future to avoid it. Whatever you put in place needs to work even when you are not around - so doing Look At That might be great whilst you are there and whilst the thing at the window is there constantly and IF you can move far enough away inside, that the dog can play the game and remain under threshold. But when you are away, what happens when the thing appears at the window? You might need to close curtains or blinds to try to prevent that situation. You can also purchase sticky 'blurred' plastic or even static blackout blinds so the dog can't see outside. If the thing is something fleetingly appearing at the window, again it is hard to play Look At That with - because it will be gone before you can even get your clicker out. In that situation, figuring out how to block the dog from seeing out the window, is likely the best option (blinds, curtains, black-out static paper (cheapest option) etc etc.... A dog needs to feel safe in their home, and not to think that their job is to be on constant alert in X place (indoors or outside) to guard the house - that is very stressful.
Kyko does this now the dark nights are here, he is in fact barking at his reflection. We think it's because the 'other dog' won't play. He was very confused when I sat up and looked through the window, was looking at the window then at me as if to say how did mama get here & there
Okay. Thank you so much. It's just our little Shih Tzu who does the barking. She feels it's her duty to rid the yard of cats and squirrels. I will try the things you suggested.
Hi @Jade You might be interested in the following artcle. https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/canine-corner/201107/does-my-dog-recognize-himself-in-mirror I had a Lab who was startled the first time she saw her reflection in a mirror. Second time? Not interested.
Agree with Jo that one needs to work out why the dog barks in order to treat the symptoms. If it is fear, and you can work out what is causing the fear but the object is fleeting, such as someone on a bicycle racing by, then you can set up a version of Bar Open Bar Closed game. Employ children or grandchildren to help you to perform the game.
