Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Our dobe Maya has always had a problem with barking at people walking by our house, or our neighbors when she is outside. At first it started out as one or two barks, but since she has turned 1 year old a month ago, she has progressed to barking until she physically removed from the spot. She has started barking and howling and will not listen to any commands when she is in that mode. However, lately when we try to move her, she runs off the couch or around the backyard and continues to bark. I think she see this as a game of chase, and I don't want to encourage that either. We have tried many different training techniques that were given to us in training classes to make her barking stop. We have tried spraying her with water, making her lie down, keeping her off the furniture, putting her in her crate when she barks for a "time out", keeping her on her leash in the house and using a prong collar to correct her (which I don't like doing). Putting her in her crate worked for a few weeks, but then she started howling when she was put in there and that makes it very hard to let her out without reinforcing the howling. Recently, a friend who breeds and trains German Shorthair Pointers with shock collars suggested trying that method. Does this hurt the dog or will it be harmful to the training we have already done with her? If she is not barking, she listens to commands well (tnanks to lots of obedience classes) and we never have this problem if we are taking her for a walk and she is on a leash. Since this problem became really bad about the time she turned 1 year old, I wondered if she was just going through a phase where she is pushing the limits. Also, I'm pregnant with my first child and due in 2 weeks and my husband and I have wondered if she is responding to the increased stress that we have right now as we wait for the baby to be born. Any thoughts on shock collars or suggestions for stopping this behavior would be greatly appreciated. We really want to get this taken care before the baby is born and if we don't want her to associate anything bad, like shocks, with the baby. Sorry this post got so long, but I'm at the end of my rope with this behavior.

>>Our dobe Maya has always had a problem with barking at people walking by our house, or our neighbors when she is outside. At first it started out as one or two barks, but since she has turned 1 year old a month ago, she has progressed to barking until she physically removed from the spot. She has started barking and howling and will not listen to any commands when she is in that mode. However, lately when we try to move her, she runs off the couch or around the backyard and continues to bark. I think she see this as a game of chase, and I don't want to encourage that either. We have tried many different training techniques that were given to us in training classes to make her barking stop. We have tried spraying her with water, making her lie down, keeping her off the furniture, putting her in her crate when she barks for a "time out", keeping her on her leash in the house and using a prong collar to correct her (which I don't like doing). Putting her in her crate worked for a few weeks, but then she started howling when she was put in there and that makes it very hard to let her out without reinforcing the howling. Recently, a friend who breeds and trains German Shorthair Pointers with shock collars suggested trying that method. Does this hurt the dog or will it be harmful to the training we have already done with her? If she is not barking, she listens to commands well (tnanks to lots of obedience classes) and we never have this problem if we are taking her for a walk and she is on a leash. Since this problem became really bad about the time she turned 1 year old, I wondered if she was just going through a phase where she is pushing the limits. Also, I'm pregnant with my first child and due in 2 weeks and my husband and I have wondered if she is responding to the increased stress that we have right now as we wait for the baby to be born. Any thoughts on shock collars or suggestions for stopping this behavior would be greatly appreciated. We really want to get this taken care before the baby is born and if we don't want her to associate anything bad, like shocks, with the baby. Sorry this post got so long, but I'm at the end of my rope with this behavior.

>>>>>>>>>>>

I don't recommend shock collars, especially on dogs who will be around young children. The article titled "Barking" at the link below my signature should help in a safe way.
-----
Kathy Diamond Davis, author, "Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others," 2nd edition, and the free Canine Behavior Series articles at http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=SRC&S=1&SourceID=47

Hi. I have a miniature pinscher and she has the same problem. I tried the collar with her but it does not work at all. As a matter of fact, many people told me that it would work but it doesnt. It was told by the people at petsmart that it does not hurt the dog. But, there is one thing i do not like about them, they go off even if the dog is not barking. For instance, I clap my hand really loud and the collar makes that beeping noise.

>>Hi. I have a miniature pinscher and she has the same problem. I tried the collar with her but it does not work at all. As a matter of fact, many people told me that it would work but it doesnt. It was told by the people at petsmart that it does not hurt the dog. But, there is one thing i do not like about them, they go off even if the dog is not barking. For instance, I clap my hand really loud and the collar makes that beeping noise.

>>>>>>>>>>>

The method in the Barking article at the link below my signature works for all dogs, when you're there to work with the dog. If you are going to try a bark collar for when you are not there, citronella is best. It's more expensive than shock bark collars, but safer in multiple ways, and just as effective. In fact, it will be a heck of a lot more effective than a shock collar that in most cases, without side effects such as making a dog fearful or aggressive.
-----
Kathy Diamond Davis, author, "Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others," 2nd edition, and the free Canine Behavior Series articles at http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=SRC&S=1&SourceID=47