Toki will be 12 weeks this thursday and so far i think she has been taking everything in her stride quite well! Toilet training going well, a few commands done and currently working on recall. But she has recently started barking when she sees us going to get her food. At 7 in the morning i'm quite conscious about my neighbours but also dont like her doing it at all. Does anyone have any tips on how to stop this happening every feed time?
As soon as she barks, stop what you're doing, stand still, cross your arms and look away from her. She'll soon learn that barking gets her nowhere. Shadow can do it sometimes if he's really frustrated - I make them sit outside the kitchen when I'm preparing food (either ours or theirs) and if it's something that smells really good, he can give a bark. I just do what I said and he soon shuts up
I have tired that kind of approach, I have stopped making it and go sit down and ignore her but she tends to stand in front of me and bark even more! She definitely has some attitude when it comes to her food! It only started under a week ago so I'm sure the more I do it the more she'll get on to the fact barking doesn't get her anything!! Thanks!
She is just trying even harder (by barking) to make you get her the food. You just have to be strong, and wait her out!
Yes, you need to be patient. I also wouldn't go and sit down. Just stop in place, turn your back and cross your arms. As soon as she stops barking, pick up the stuff and start again. It does work, you just have to be strong. Buy your neighbours a bottle of wine in the meantime and explain you're training her not to do it.
When she barks even more it's called an extinction burst and she does it as a frenzied attempt to get you to give up before she does and crazy as it sounds it means you're getting there. Hang in there and I hope she gives up soon. I also ask my dogs to sit on their mat before they get to eat, when they were little they just had to park their bums. Then their food was a big reward. It gave them something to do other than shout at me
Yes - little ones often go loopy in various ways for food. I stop preparing until they are silent. Also, at first I hold her collar while she sits and waits. Then I expect her to sit and wait for a second or two (or the food gets lifted before she gets to it) Eventually she has to sit for 15-20 seconds and wait for the whistle, wherever I am in the room and whatever I do. This is achieved in about 4 weeks. It's worked well for all 3 pups
Bella used to do that too when she was tiny, I tried ignoring and she still did it so I started just weighing her breakfast food out at night time...so problem solved .......................and these days she just wags her tail and sits nicely whilst I get her breakfast
