Mabel's always been super friendly not fazed by anything until a few weeks ago. If we had visitors she started to bark short repetitive barks, tail wagging but low. Approaching the person then backing away. She seemed really nervous. Then we discovered purely by luck that my so called dog loving friend had tried to kick her when she thought OH and myself were out of sight. (She was a good friend, she's not now). I seem to have eliminated this with C&T I've had no problems at home for 2 weeks now. Last week she did the same kind of thing to some men in high vis jackets when we walked in the fields. This afternoon we walked out of our house towards the brook and green I could here some girls giggling and screaming they were out of sight and she seemed a little spooked so I walked away from them until she could finally see them. They were lovely children wanted to say hello but kept some distance she took one look at them gave a massive bark, I ignored it and carried walking onto the green and across the brook where by I let her off the lead. The children had gone home so I followed our normal afternoon routine off lead, little training, play in the brook with floating toy, run round the green sniffing that sort of thing. Suddenly Mabel starts her barking at a lady 80ish meters away, (this lady is standing next to some hugh hedges and a couple of wheelie bins the wind is blowing with lots of strange movement across the path, she does look odd almost like she's hiding from someone) I call Mabel she completely ignores me and carries on barking and running to this lady even running across the road right up to this lady who we actually know. I can't apologise enough I'm so embarrassed. The lady's fine and is chatting away to Mabel, totally relaxed. I ignore Mabel's behaviour and slip her lead on, she says hello to the lady then has a sniff and sits on the grass while we have a chat. Almost like a different dog. I'm going to have a chat with my trainer about but I have to wait until Sunday so any ideas would be really helpful. She did occasionally bark at children, double buggies and scooters but over the summer with clicker training I've completely desensitised her, it's just a completely different type of barking and she genuinely spooked and I really can't see why. Mabel's 10 months at the end of this month could it be her age, apart from this she's been brilliant at training on Sunday my trainer couldn't praise me and my girl enough after a gap of 10 weeks. I'm so happy with her progress after 11 weeks on lead exercise. She's one fabulous puppy who I love to bits. I'm really at a loss as to why she should be spooked.
Chepi did the same thing, out of the blue. I don't understand dog bark but I have observed different situations: some where I want to play with you; some good morning world, I am up so don't think about coming into my garden; some have been you look odd so I am protecting my mum. This has been off and on for several months but I think it's getting less frequent now (coming up to 17 months old). I anticipate situations now. I let her meet people who ring the doorbell. I stand with her in the garden or call her inside when Sunday evening bin migration starts and I have learnt that she barks to say hello to dogs in the park. It's such a complex thing that I would enjoy a short course on it. Sorry I am not much help.
thanks Jane, I'd enjoy a short course on different types of bark. I think we are both on the same wave length I treat Mabel exactly the same in the garden and when people arrive at home as you do with Chepi.
