He's never been a very barky dog. He's just coming up for six months and the fireworks have helped him to find his bark. He's coped with them pretty well but now that he's found his bark, he's using it more often. So, today the window cleaner was round and Ziggy started barking. We popped his lead on and took him into the garden to introduce him nicely to the window cleaner and all was fine. Then, when we went back indoors he started barking again and wouldn't stop. Similarly, my neighbour was painting his fence and needed to stand on our wall. Ziggy was barking at him, despite me going out and letting Ziggy know that the neighbour isn't a threat, but a friend and that all was ok. I like it when he barks to let me know that someone is around, or that the doorbell has rung, or that there is a stranger int he garden, or that something unusual has happened but how do I then get him to know that it's ok and he can stop barking - it doesn't need to go on for an hour!!
My puppy Red is 10 months and she has just found her bark in the last few weeks. Our older Lab doesn’t bark - think we have heard her less than a dozen times in ten years so it’s strange hearing a bark in this house. Red barks when she hears an unexpected noise or sees something she’s not expecting. It started with her reflection in the patio doors or if one of us is in the garden. Now it’s any movement or noise outside and she will do a bark. We are trying to ‘nip this in the bud’ so it doesn’t escalate. I have explained what we do on the Firework thread today. Basically, since she’s been little, I have done loads of Look at That (LAT) or Listen to That particularly out on walks. I applied it over the last few days when the fireworks were going off. Last night there were minimal barks and she was looking at me when she heard a noise. After a bit she was just looking at me and not barking at all. I was pleased about this as the fireworks were prolonged and very close last night. Don’t know whether this helps.
