Barking Puppy

[Leema]

My puppy is a barker. I have had neighbourhood complaints regarding my adult dogs' barking (mostly unwarranted), but seeing as I have fussy neighbours I want to put a stop to this behaviour ASAP.

The first step to problem barking is always ascertaining why the dog is barking. This is why she barks:

*Because she has a toy (or an stick or a something) and she's barking at it in fun/play

*Because of barrier frustration (there is a dog or person on the other side of a gate or door which she would like)

*Because an adult dog is not playing with her ("play with me!, play with me!, play with me!" barks)

I can't confiscate all toys, because she will find her own 'toys' to bark at. She'll pick up a stick, or a bit of pipe, or a leaf, and do the same thing. I can't find a solution to this problem.

Barking with barrier frustration she has learnt doesn't work with me - she is doing it less and less. It has never worked (she has never had a door open while she's barking) so she has ceased to do it for the most part. What used to be several minutes of barking is now just one or two woofs if I close the door on her. So this is not a big problem, and a problem that is being solved at the moment.

The other dogs reward her barking - they give in to the "play with me!" bark, and if she barks at a barrier between them, they'll go smooch up to her. They are rewarding her barking so I don't know how to combat this problem.

Any suggestions are welcome.

[sas]

I have a puppy that is a frustration barker, I make sure she never relieves her frustration because she barked and she got what she wanted.

If she's not constant then your neighbours don't have a case with the Council and I'd relax a little until you hear something from them or your dog is getting noisy.

In regards to your dogs rewarding her for her barking can you play bamboo/brush/tarp along the barrier or put in a chicken wire barrier infront of the original barrier so they cannot reach her?

Teach her to speak and then be quiet could also be beneficial.

Edited February 27, 2011 by MEH