Hello, First time posting. We really need advice. We have a 7 month old working-type lab. He is usually a dream during the day - really quick to learn, happy, chilled, although the lead walking has taken a lot of work and we have already been through a fear period where he was scared to go through doors or down certain streets. He has always been an attention seeker and very vocal, which I have never really had with my previous dogs (a collie and a lab). We have worked really hard on rewarding quiet behaviour, mat training etc and this has improved a lot during the day. However, every evening between about 6.30 and 8.30 we have at least an hour of barking and now even biting. We have tried leaving the room and returning/praising when he is quiet and responding to 'sit' but as soon as we are in the room again he starts again, especially if we sit down. We also tried it the other way and taken him out of the room, only letting him return when he displays calm behaviour, but sure enough, he starts again. When he was smaller, we used to put him in his crate when he was overtired, but he could keep it up for over an hour and the neighbour has complained (very angrily). The problem is he jumps at us and bites as well as barking. We can tell in his face he is overtired. When he does settle though, that's it for the whole night (except for a last wee at 10.30). Then a lovely day with him, then the same again the next night. I am beside myself - he has really hurt me tonight. The evening routine is: Teatime (in his puzzle trays) A walk (toilet) Dim lights A 'long lasting' chew or snuffle mat - this takes about 2 minutes then it's done with The barking starts at any point during this routine or just after. We tried a later walk but that just made it worse! Please help! Thanks, Karen
Hello, Thank you. Yes we Do this. I have tried especially hard with it since your suggestion. It doesn’t work if he has already started barking and if he hasn’t, it helps for a while but if he gets fed up or if you decide it’s time to stop then the barking and biting starts. We have been practicing mat training, lie down, wait, find it, look at me, but trying to keep the energy right down. He is such a quick learner but I guess that means he also learns bad habits quickly too. Any suggestions welcome. It feels like he is so tired. He only really does it at night. It feels like he doesn’t know how to settle / switch off and he gets a wild look in his eyes. He can bark for a good couple of hours, lunging at me and grabbing me as well. He will do it if you put him to bed also. I feel like he needs to bark it out maybe but then the neighbour comes round. I feel like I might have to move but that might not help. I feel like I have watched every video, got advice from 2 dog trainers, read loads online and still failed. It’s getting me down to be honest as I don’t know if this is how it will always be. It’s different to anything I have experienced in the past with my dogs.
Has anyone else experienced this? I feel like I must not be giving him what he needs, by previous lab never barked. He seems to bark constantly. The vet says he's bored but the dog trainer says he's over stimulated. I have been doing everything they have told me to do from food, walks, training, thundershirt, adaptil collar, mental exercises. If anything the barking just gets worse and worse over time and I am getting so distressed now that I am sure that's just making it worse. The vet has suggested early neutering. Has anyone been through this? Is it normal? Thanks
Have you considered residential training? It would need to be in the house rather than kennel. Or could you ask your trainer to come to the house to advise?
Is he crated? My pup is now 1 but refuses to nap or is disturbed easily is she falls asleep outside her crate, so is overtired and we say “riled up” a couple times a day and gets very vocal. She has enforced nap times in her crate, fully covered. She sleeps for longer in there. Any barking is either a break in her crate or a nap - has helped a lot with her attention barking. The other thing I’ve started is formal scent work with her (just at home following the course I did with my older dog) - she is fast at it and loving it. A 15 min session in the evening wipes her out and she’s tired out and settling more in the evenings and she’s now sleeping instead of barking. It’s important to know if the barking is directed at you, or if he’s hearing/seeing things outside your house that’s causing the barking. It was a mixture for us.
I hope he starts to settle soon. My 4 month old gets overtired and still has trouble settling at night. He also would get very nippy and bite me and seem like he was a human toddler who was having a breakdown. He'd fight sleep. My husband would play fetch or walk him but it didn't put him over the edge. We found different things worked some days. Always make sure he went out to pee/poop We have a pen around the kennel and that gives him more room. My husband's shirt is in kennel and a heartbeat puppy (not really working for him) He has frozen treats and a lick mat (lick mat has been helpful) and certain music on at night helps. His pen is in living room and my husband stays and says to calm down, lay down etc every few minutes and doesn't leave room. It might help some to do that but with my pup, he got more anxious. It has gotten much better over the last week with barking but I know it can happen again. Let us know how things are going.
Hi Karen, I know this is an old thread but just wondering if this got any better? Our 1yr working line lab does this and it also seems to be when he’s not rested well during the day and is overtired. He barks and growls at us if we disturb him, even just sitting down will do it or walking into the same room. He’s crated over night and sleeps well though sometimes barks soon after being crated for the night. Will try some of the suggestions here.
