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Suffering from constantly barking dogs, that the neighbours can't control, here are a few tips for silence.
The neighbours Great Dane, a beautiful dog, has a barking problem. He barks at nothing, for no reason, an irritation to all in the neighbourhood. What can one do? There are legal steps available to the disturbed, but is this the way to build good relationships? I didn't think so.
When the owners are at home, the dog is quite, it barks at passing dogs and pedestrians, but this is a protective instinct. Dogs trained to behave in such a protective way, but when they leave for work the dog will bark at nothing. Made be it is loneliness, or calling for his owners. This continued for anything from an hour to two hours, something required doing, but what?
A search on the Internet offered up a realistic looking bird house fitted with a silent whistle reputed to silent the dog. Every time the dog barks a silent whistle emitted, the dog hearing it, stops barking the instructions informed me. The price exorbitant at R 900.00, about $ 130.00, what if this purchased, only encouraged the dog? As it was this dog would pucker up its lips as if about to kiss something, and offer a low-pitched hoot like that of a teenager having lost his first love. This sound being worst than the barking I was not about to take a chance on irritating things further. So that option discarded.
Whilst researching for ideas, I read of clicker training, also I had book marked a few articles written by expert authors about this type. We looked for a clicker, none available, so decided to roll up a news paper and hit the leg whilst talking to the dog. The result of this, pain experienced by me and the dog appeared to enjoy the attention. Raising my voice with authority had a fair result, even to silence, but the minute my back turned and I entered the house, he'd start again.
My son-in-law, who has a well-trained Labrador decided to try water training, the hose pipe attached to a nearby faucet and a sprayer attached to the other end, and he was ready. The dog decided to now stop barking before any training could take place. A short respite was soon followed by a deluge of deep barks, out he flew and hidden behind a wall waited for the dog to bark again. When it happened he sprang up and sprayed, the water pressure fairly good was insufficient for the water to reach the dog.
The result though was the desired one, the dog stopped barking, not because he got wet, but he became fascinated with the jet of water directed at him. When he stopped the water followed suit, and when he resumed the water jet reactivated. This went on for a while and I think the dog was intelligent enough to realise that we wanted to give him a message. He is now a quiet dog, barking when he should and not at nothing.
He is actually a wonderful, loveable dog that is fairly obedient, that just gets lonely when left at home alone.
Well worked solution Rob, have a squeezie bottle filled with water ready to squirt my two labs when they play up. To be fair its not that often as we worked hard to train them properly from pups. The lonely aspect is something of a mystery as we got a second pup to keep Tess company thinking she was lonely, Lucy settled in well and they are great friends but when we leave Tess still shows signs of anxiety all be it not as bad as before.
Mark the only problem is when we go away and come back the dog has learnt all its bad habits once more, so if seems not to be a permanent solution...
You got lucky, the dog stopped barking. Probably not due to your attempts to silence him. But the result was the same. There are many products out there that profess to stop barking. The one training that really works (believe it or not) is teaching the dog to bark. Actually, used with clicker training, you are putting the bark on command. And, you are also providing another command. Stop barking. So when this is done correctly, you can get the behavior to start and stop on cue. Handy for the annoying kid or to stop the barking. This does take a concerted effort though. And you need to have a clicker or reasonable facsimile. Clicking with your tongue works pretty well as a substitute if you can get the noise out (some people are genetically indisposed to click with their tongue). I can go on and on. In fact, I probably will. Look for a new article soon.
The dog is not always on his best behaviour and to be honest now in the winter I feel sorry for the dog getting wet, the neighbours have raised the wall a bit which seems to have helped to a certain extant...
I read a book by Jan Fennell (The Dog Listener) that did a wonderful job of explaining how a pack works. We can misguidedly give our dog the belief that it is pack leader and then when we leave the home they are frantic that they are unable to protect us. Every time we leave the dog (even to go to another part of the house) the dog is reassessing the heirachy of the pack on our return (an absent dog may be killed while hunting and never return which may totally change the pack heirachy). It's worth going to the dogs on this. We totally changed our pups behaviour within 48 hours by putting into practice the advice she gave. Unfortunately this doesn't work with neighbour dogs (although you've got that covered here very well Rob). Great article!
That book sounds interesting, I have always been trying to understand how dogs think and their place within the human family. Obviously I have my own ideas but never found anyone to agree with me. (Not being an expert) but I have noticed how certain dogs go mad when you return from a shopping trip, and wondered if they worry that should the food provider not return they are in trouble. Or is that why I greet my wife like that when she returns from the shops?
Apparently the pack goes mad when the leader returns. The leader stands perfectly still with nose in the air and waits for them to calm down and move back to a respectable place. How often do people give their dog the wrong message by being the one to get down low and go silly over the dog on their return. This is not the leaders role! I laughingly liken this to rolling over in front of your dog and peeing. When we return home our dog gets nothing more than a verbal "Hello Houston" until the excitement dies down and we're ready to acknowledge the dog more directly. I also leave without apology or explanation which is the pack leaders right. I too find it all fascinating, Rob, and while I've been told it's cruel I think it's kind to the dog when they know their place in the pack. Our dog is obviously happy and feels safe and content without the responsibility of trying to protect and guide the pack.
Gosh Heather I would love to see an article or two from you expounding these fascinating facts emanating on this page
I agree a lonely dog will call for his pack, and as they are at work he will continue to call or give up. Shame what it is to be a dog!!!
Hey Rob, I like the water trick. We just got a black lab. 12 weeks old I think I'll try the water trick. Thanks Brian
I like your idea. A much better, friendlier way than some I've experienced. One of my neighbors (angrily and ) anonymously wrote all the people near him with dogs about barking- that made it really easy to figure out who he was since everyone but him has a dog. Some of the neighborhood dogs are lonely. Another neighbor, at a previous residence, called us in the evening (before 9 PM) and threatened to call the police because our dog barked at the fireworks at a baseball game. Since we love our dog, we bring ours in when he starts barking, since we're home most of the time, and because he's afraid of fireworks and thunder. Anyway, great article. Good ideas!
As a dog lover myself I have trained my dogs to control their barking, they bark if there is a reason to. A whistle from me is a warning to them and if they continue I go out because there is then a good reason to. The sign on my gate says "Forget the dogs beware of their owner" I normally bark louder than them. Neighbours without dogs are getting protection from their neighbours dogs. Tell them that or to shut up and get their own.
I like your sign! That is great!. Also, good advice for complaining neighbors.
Rob, Good story. I seem to recall that dogs are naturally what they called pack animals. Human owners become a dog's, "Pack" or family. When the whole family disappears, dogs change their behaviors. Like starting to bark. Guess your neighbor dog adopted you as part of his family! Now less need to bark:-) blessings, Cynthia
So true Cynthia, it's getting him to recognise me as not the enemy but part of the family, and then to realise I'm the BOSS that's the difficult thing, but I have now won.
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