lopolla Posted September 16, 2010 Share Posted September 16, 2010 my 7 month white shepherd loves walks, i have started using check chain to have some control over pulling as i have a bad knee however she barks constantly at any sign of a dog, sometimes at people. it's more of an excited or protective bark, and she also jumps a bit when barking depending if there is a dog close by or not. I'm not sure what to do, i dont feel like taking her for walks because i dread the barking. i've tried 'NO' and tried pinching sid eof mouth a little whilst saying NO and also holding her mouth and saying no but im not sure what else to do! she barks sometimes in the backyard when someone comes to the gate or at our neighbour talking to me over the fence when she cant see him, but then it's more like a excitment/talkative bark. I just don't want this to turn into a bad habit, and would like to try and break it asap. I have the pulling more under control now and would like to be able to walk her nicely with less noise! any advice would be much appreciated!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted September 16, 2010 Share Posted September 16, 2010 my 7 month white shepherd loves walks, i have started using check chain to have some control over pulling as i have a bad knee however she barks constantly at any sign of a dog, sometimes at people. it's more of an excited or protective bark, and she also jumps a bit when barking depending if there is a dog close by or not. I'm not sure what to do, i dont feel like taking her for walks because i dread the barking. i've tried 'NO' and tried pinching sid eof mouth a little whilst saying NO and also holding her mouth and saying no but im not sure what else to do! she barks sometimes in the backyard when someone comes to the gate or at our neighbour talking to me over the fence when she cant see him, but then it's more like a excitment/talkative bark. I just don't want this to turn into a bad habit, and would like to try and break it asap. I have the pulling more under control now and would like to be able to walk her nicely with less noise! any advice would be much appreciated!!!!! Get some one on one training with an experienced professional. In the meantime put some distance between you and other dogs, KEEP MOVING and reward any focus on you. Its hard for a dog to be pork chop when its handler is moving confidently away at a reasonable pace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussielover Posted September 16, 2010 Share Posted September 16, 2010 How awful for you! I think more knowledgable people than I will be able to give you some better advice. Do you know why she is barking at other dogs/people, as this can be important when considering how to correct it. I would probably consider getting a professional trainer or behaviourist to assess the problem and give you a bit of a plan to work on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lopolla Posted September 16, 2010 Author Share Posted September 16, 2010 my 7 month white shepherd loves walks, i have started using check chain to have some control over pulling as i have a bad knee however she barks constantly at any sign of a dog, sometimes at people. it's more of an excited or protective bark, and she also jumps a bit when barking depending if there is a dog close by or not. I'm not sure what to do, i dont feel like taking her for walks because i dread the barking. i've tried 'NO' and tried pinching sid eof mouth a little whilst saying NO and also holding her mouth and saying no but im not sure what else to do! she barks sometimes in the backyard when someone comes to the gate or at our neighbour talking to me over the fence when she cant see him, but then it's more like a excitment/talkative bark. I just don't want this to turn into a bad habit, and would like to try and break it asap. I have the pulling more under control now and would like to be able to walk her nicely with less noise! any advice would be much appreciated!!!!! Get some one on one training with an experienced professional. In the meantime put some distance between you and other dogs, KEEP MOVING and reward any focus on you. Its hard for a dog to be pork chop when its handler is moving confidently away at a reasonable pace. im not sure i can really afford one-on-one training, i will have to look into it though. i do try and keep walking no matter what but sometimes its hard as she stops still when shes sighted/sniffed something, and like i said i have a knee problem and can sometimes get the better of me! i take treats and reward her when she is walking nicely and quiet beside me - doesnt last long though haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lopolla Posted September 16, 2010 Author Share Posted September 16, 2010 How awful for you!I think more knowledgable people than I will be able to give you some better advice. Do you know why she is barking at other dogs/people, as this can be important when considering how to correct it. I would probably consider getting a professional trainer or behaviourist to assess the problem and give you a bit of a plan to work on. i don't know why she is barking, i think it is either out of pure excitement or maybe being a bit protective too. she loves interacting with other dogs so this may be that she just wants to go play with them? i really am not sure! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussielover Posted September 16, 2010 Share Posted September 16, 2010 You could try to get her attention on you when you see a person/dog approaching. Do this by teaching the "look" command. Practice at home in a very low distraction environment. say "Puppy (your dogs name), look" and reward her when her eyes look to your face. This needs to be repeated a lot. Practice having her looking at you for longer periods of time as well. It *may* be something she is just going thru at the moment and will grow out of, especially if you just keeping walking forward in a confident manner and completely ignoring her and the distraction. HOwever, it could be something more serious, it is pretty hard to diagnose over the net, so again, would recommend getting a private consultation with a good trainer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancinbcs Posted September 16, 2010 Share Posted September 16, 2010 im not sure i can really afford one-on-one training, i will have to look into it though. i do try and keep walking no matter what but sometimes its hard as she stops still when shes sighted/sniffed something, and like i said i have a knee problem and can sometimes get the better of me! i take treats and reward her when she is walking nicely and quiet beside me - doesnt last long though haha Just sounds like a completely untrained dog to me. At 7 months she is getting big and strong and having not been trained right between 2 and 6 months, she is now becoming a problem. You need the advice of experienced trainers, her breeders, a professional trainer or experienced trainers at your local dog club should all be able to help. I suggest you contact the breeder and visit the local obedience club to ask for help and recommendations for good local trainers. It will probably only take a few sessions with a trainer for you to learn how to train her. I don't think the dog needs a specialist behaviouralist, you just need to learn how to train effectively. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chloeshepherd Posted September 16, 2010 Share Posted September 16, 2010 My 7month old girl has started this too. She has never really liked other dogs though, she can tolerate them at a distance. One thing I've gotten from training is that dogs need a comfortable distance from other dogs. Sometimes it maybe be next to the other dog or 6ft. I try to keep my distance from other dogs with my gsd right now. She loves to play but needs that time to warm up, some dogs just bound right up to her and she freaks out. I try not to let that happen, it's hard to find a area now to walk her without people letting their dogs off leash though. I find best thing is to ignore her bark, keep walking like it's not happening. Be confident. We have a great training session with about 8 dogs, it's 50 dollars for 10 weeks here. Try to find something like that in your area, our trainer spends a lot of extra time after classes if we need advice or help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lopolla Posted September 16, 2010 Author Share Posted September 16, 2010 You could try to get her attention on you when you see a person/dog approaching.Do this by teaching the "look" command. Practice at home in a very low distraction environment. say "Puppy (your dogs name), look" and reward her when her eyes look to your face. This needs to be repeated a lot. Practice having her looking at you for longer periods of time as well. It *may* be something she is just going thru at the moment and will grow out of, especially if you just keeping walking forward in a confident manner and completely ignoring her and the distraction. HOwever, it could be something more serious, it is pretty hard to diagnose over the net, so again, would recommend getting a private consultation with a good trainer. thanks i will try the 'look' command! hopefully its something shes just going through fingers crossed hehe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted September 16, 2010 Share Posted September 16, 2010 where are you in Vic? We can recommend a training school or trainer I would put a check chain on her, correct when she starts getting excited teach her to look to you for reward (calm behaviour) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lopolla Posted September 16, 2010 Author Share Posted September 16, 2010 My 7month old girl has started this too. She has never really liked other dogs though, she can tolerate them at a distance. One thing I've gotten from training is that dogs need a comfortable distance from other dogs. Sometimes it maybe be next to the other dog or 6ft. I try to keep my distance from other dogs with my gsd right now. She loves to play but needs that time to warm up, some dogs just bound right up to her and she freaks out. I try not to let that happen, it's hard to find a area now to walk her without people letting their dogs off leash though. I find best thing is to ignore her bark, keep walking like it's not happening. Be confident.We have a great training session with about 8 dogs, it's 50 dollars for 10 weeks here. Try to find something like that in your area, our trainer spends a lot of extra time after classes if we need advice or help. its mostly dogs that are behind fences she is barking at! hardly come across anyone else walking their dogs! i also take her to the local off lead footy oval sometimes as their are rarely other people there with their dogs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lopolla Posted September 16, 2010 Author Share Posted September 16, 2010 where are you in Vic? We can recommend a training school or trainerI would put a check chain on her, correct when she starts getting excited teach her to look to you for reward (calm behaviour) im in northern suburbs in vic. out near bundoora area, already use a check chain and it has helped with pulling and other stuff, but not the barking! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazawayaya Posted September 16, 2010 Share Posted September 16, 2010 I used to have the exact same problem with my boy (admittidly he is heaps smaller and he had fear aggression issues) walking him or taking him anywhere was a nightmare and I hated it so much and I was so stressed I considered giving him back to the RSPCA lol Anyway what I did was after tons of searching found a training club that was perfect for us- it is aimed at dogs like this. They dont stuff around with treats becuase obviously with some dogs treats just wont work (in my case he didnt give a toss about treats). All it took was a couple of lessons being showed exactly how to use the check chain and 5 minutes with the head trainer and he is a different dog. I cant tell you how happy I am and how much both of our lives have changed for the better. Now all it takes is a 'leave it' when passing other dogs and he leaves them alone. I have a normal dog! Anyway what I am suggesting is you dont need to spend tons for one on one training- just find the right club and get shown how to use the check chain to its best potential- IMO the best training tool ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lopolla Posted September 16, 2010 Author Share Posted September 16, 2010 im not sure i can really afford one-on-one training, i will have to look into it though. i do try and keep walking no matter what but sometimes its hard as she stops still when shes sighted/sniffed something, and like i said i have a knee problem and can sometimes get the better of me! i take treats and reward her when she is walking nicely and quiet beside me - doesnt last long though haha Just sounds like a completely untrained dog to me. At 7 months she is getting big and strong and having not been trained right between 2 and 6 months, she is now becoming a problem. You need the advice of experienced trainers, her breeders, a professional trainer or experienced trainers at your local dog club should all be able to help. I suggest you contact the breeder and visit the local obedience club to ask for help and recommendations for good local trainers. It will probably only take a few sessions with a trainer for you to learn how to train her. I don't think the dog needs a specialist behaviouralist, you just need to learn how to train effectively. she has been trained, obedience club every weekend up until recently when i have had to take more shifts at work the same day as obedience. she is not perfect, neither am i, but i have taken her to obedience quiet regularly. it is not really an option to contact the breeder at this current time and as i said i have been to obedience, however i am looking for another club as i do not like the one i am currently signed up to. thankyou Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lopolla Posted September 16, 2010 Author Share Posted September 16, 2010 I used to have the exact same problem with my boy (admittidly he is heaps smaller and he had fear aggression issues) walking him or taking him anywhere was a nightmare and I hated it so much and I was so stressed I considered giving him back to the RSPCA lol Anyway what I did was after tons of searching found a training club that was perfect for us- it is aimed at dogs like this. They dont stuff around with treats becuase obviously with some dogs treats just wont work (in my case he didnt give a toss about treats). All it took was a couple of lessons being showed exactly how to use the check chain and 5 minutes with the head trainer and he is a different dog. I cant tell you how happy I am and how much both of our lives have changed for the better. Now all it takes is a 'leave it' when passing other dogs and he leaves them alone. I have a normal dog! Anyway what I am suggesting is you dont need to spend tons for one on one training- just find the right club and get shown how to use the check chain to its best potential- IMO the best training tool ever. thanks! that gives me hope lol! i am looking at finding a new club that meets on weeknights as i work pretty much all weekend part time as i am also at uni. the club i am a member of at the moment runs saturdays and i have had to take more shifts on those days and also i am not interested in staying with them anyway as it is not the right place for me and my dog. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussielover Posted September 16, 2010 Share Posted September 16, 2010 How is she behaved at obedience? When i took my pup to obedience I found that the MANY dogs that were non stop barking didn't really make for a nice environment for me or for her. Really, you'd think an obedience school would have better behaved dogs LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted September 16, 2010 Share Posted September 16, 2010 (edited) When i took my pup to obedience I found that the MANY dogs that were non stop barking didn't really make for a nice environment for me or for her.Really, you'd think an obedience school would have better behaved dogs LO whats the point of a school if everyone is already well behaved and knows everything? lopolla sent you a PM Edited September 16, 2010 by Nekhbet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lopolla Posted September 16, 2010 Author Share Posted September 16, 2010 How is she behaved at obedience?When i took my pup to obedience I found that the MANY dogs that were non stop barking didn't really make for a nice environment for me or for her. Really, you'd think an obedience school would have better behaved dogs LOL she barks when first gets out of the car at obedience but not during the classes. she just wants to play with the other dogs and i see her eyeballing them sometimes for a play but i try and move her attention away. she just doesnt really concentrate on me at obedience, she does listen, sits etc and is very food orientated. but she is known for the one with bad recall at obedience, no matter how good she is when its just me and her, it all goes out the window at training when other dogs are around to play haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancinbcs Posted September 16, 2010 Share Posted September 16, 2010 she has been trained, obedience club every weekend up until recently when i have had to take more shifts at work the same day as obedience. she is not perfect, neither am i, but i have taken her to obedience quiet regularly.it is not really an option to contact the breeder at this current time and as i said i have been to obedience, however i am looking for another club as i do not like the one i am currently signed up to. thankyou Absolutely find a new club then, because the current club have not taught you how to deal with a working breed. Barking at dogs or people when out walking is just not something that should be happening with a dog that has been trained correctly in the presence of other dogs. Teaching them to ignore all distractions when working should have been the most important thing they taught you. Find a good club and ask advice from the head trainer, not just whoever is assigned to your class. The barking at people looking over your fence or gait is perfectly normal. Dogs guard their territory and while most learn to accept that we allow people to enter our front door, most dogs with any guarding instinct will not accept anyone approaching the house from the fence or gates. Teaching a good reliable come to heel and drop can help you control her more in these situations but don't reprimand her for protecting you and your property. If a burglar decides to try to get over your fence I'm sure you would want the dog to stop them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazawayaya Posted September 16, 2010 Share Posted September 16, 2010 When i took my pup to obedience I found that the MANY dogs that were non stop barking didn't really make for a nice environment for me or for her.Really, you'd think an obedience school would have better behaved dogs LO whats the point of a school if everyone is already well behaved and knows everything? lopolla sent you a PM Yeah I hate that. At least 3 clubs I contacted wouldn't even accept me and Banjo when I said he barks all through the lesson- becuase they said none of the dogs would learn anything. What a load of bullcrap! Yeah lets start an obedience club but only take well behaved dogs *slaps forehead* Lol it worked out for the best anyway because I have such a great club now that helps ALL dogs when they need it most. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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