Barking

Ella isn't really a barker . She doesn't bark when the neighbour's dog barks at the fence and she doesn't bark when other dogs at our dog club start barking. Very occasionally she'll bark while play bowing as the tries to get someone to play with her but I'd say this would be about once a month.

The only time she barks is when someone unexpected comes to the door. If someone I know shows up, I can say (in my happy high pitched voice) "daddy's home" or "pizza guy's here" etc. and she'll trot happily to the door. If I don't notice someone arrive, she'll do a couple of quick barks when she sees them or they knock at the door. I've always been quite happy with this as I've felt that she's quiet when I tell her it's ok but I also don't mind that she does a bark when I don't know someone is there (others may not believe this is ok, I understand there would be different views) .

However, recently she's started getting a little more over the top with the bark and she's added a bit of growling too. Also, she's barked at guests coming into the house, even when I've told her it's ok. I don't really like this so ice started trying to work on the barking issue.

On Friday we ordered Thai takeaway to be delivered so I took the opportunity to work on the barking. As I saw the delivery guy enter the street I called Ella to the hallway (I thought it would be better that she could see the person at the door), had her sit and treated her for calm. OH answered the door and I continued to treat for calm while Ella sat there and didn't bark. She didn't seem upset or agitated (this was all unrestrained and I couldn't see any obvious stress signals) so I counted it as a positive .

After that essay.. . My question is whether I'm overreacting, is it a reasonable plan of action, is there anything I'm doing wrong or have missed?

 

We're having a similar problem with Stanley. He's pretty much silent from a few huffs and puffs except if someone comes to the door.

It's only been a recent thing and I couldn't understand where it came from until I picked him up from doggy day care and when I knocked on the door all of the dogs started barking so it's obviously from there.

It doesn't bother me too much when we're in but if we're not in I don't want him sat barking for ages.

I was going to get OH to go outside and ring the doorbell and reward quiet etc but is it a pointless exercise if everytime he goes there it's just going to be reinforced?

 

Yes, your strategy is good.

My dogs bark if they hear a car door (oooooo, exciting it might be visitors). So I 'check' and say 'nobody there' and they accept that straight away. Parcels etc I just let them bark as it's only a half a minute or so before I come back in with the parcel.

 

I really hate barking. I don't mean an occasional woof in play or whatever, but I hate barking around the house and garden. And I hate frustration barking.

I think removing all expectation that something is going to happen - good or bad - is pretty key to both excitement and frustration barking.

My dogs just do not get to answer the door. If the doorbell rings, they go into another room while I answer the door. Never any compromise on this, it's the rule from day one, and neither of them react now when the doorbell goes. Apart from Charlie will run to the back of the hall which is where he gets his 'doorbell' treat. They also don't get to greet delivery men, the plumber, my cleaner, and so on. They get to greet friends and family but only after they have come in, got their coats off etc. and we are all settled.

 

Mine rush into the utility room which they have been taught to do when someone comes, but I haven't been able to stop the older one barking. Any tips?

 

Ah, well - no. My dogs just don't bark. Betsy will bark, much more readily than Charlie, but not at the doorbell. Dunno. Why does your dog bark do you think if nothing happens but he goes to the utility room when someone comes?

 

Drift has been a nervous dog, much better now due to things I have learned through the forum. He is what I call the 'watchdog' and is alert to every sound. He is barking at what he imagines to be the intruder. With visitors he knows, he barks with excitement and is delighted to see them, calms and quietens very quickly these days.

 

Ah, well - that's something other than frustration or excitement then. I'm not so good with that, it seems very different to me.

 

I prefer that our dogs bark when someone comes to the door. Tilly (and Ginger before her) sound like big aggressive dogs when someone come up to the house. Cooper mostly just sits so she may not be much of a burglar alarm in the future. Once the door is opened they are fine, and greet everyone, but I have had a number of solicitors, salesmen etc that were standing way back from the door when I opened it. Nothing wrong with that.

Other than that, none of our dogs have been excessive barkers. Tilly will stand by the door and bark when she wants me to open it. (Mostly she wants me to let Cooper out and let her stay in.) Cooper will occasionally bark at our neighbors small pit, but their dog barks much more than Coop. Cooper will sit up on the bank and just watch Kristal run around and bark. Coop will also occasionally bark at our other neighbors Cat, but if I ask her to come it she will stop and come in the house.

 

I wouldn't mind having a barking dog, just as a Jehovah's Witness deterrent lol.

Seriously, though, good on you for trying to get it sorted. Judging by the amount of dogs which bark at me on my walks, most owners just don't care about barking.

 

I don't like barking, but I'm quite happy if they alert bark at our place in Spain, to let people know that there's someone here - the house has been empty for ten years so people got used to stomping around the place. What I don't want is them barking when we're in Andorra. Which is pretty tough! They are naturally quite barky dogs, so I just work on a "quiet" cue. I really must put some more work into training them not to bark in Andorra, though. It shouldn't be a big deal to manage it, it's just on the list

 

Harley goes through stages with barking. Generally she only barks when she hears someone coming down the path. We have worked really hard on it over the years. The past 5 days she has barked at any little noise from outside. I'm not sure if the fireworks have set her on edge. It is really frustrating now. Usually if I go and look and say 'nobody there' she will settle, but that doesn't seem to do it this week! I used Adaptil last night as the fireworks were going off constantly........she crashed and ignored most of them! I'm going to spray more adaptil today and tonight and hope this will help calm her.

 

Our first 2 labs didn't bark, even not when there was a breaking into our house and I was asleep upstairs. I think our first lab showed them where they could find our belongings.....

With Finn it is a different story. He barks outside on our walks when seeing other dogs. We went training with him, same story...he was the one who constantly barked. Even the trainer couldn't help us, nor a behaviorist.

He barks when someone is at the door.
When I am not at home he doesn't bark at all, according to our neighbors. I hope that one day he get it, that barking is not the way...I continue to work on it...