thorphanger Posted February 27, 2016 Share Posted February 27, 2016 We bought a big water pistol from ebay to try to stop our noisy boy and it works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angel22 Posted February 28, 2016 Share Posted February 28, 2016 Sounds like your dog is not happy. why have an unhappy dog. maybe it wants more space, maybe it does not want to live with 2 other dogs. whatever it is the dog would be better off elsewhere. Yeah, that's right. Instead of training the dog and helping it to become happy and well adjusted, just get rid of it. Job done! This is the reason why so many dogs are ending up in pounds and rescues. Because people just get rid instead of solving the problems and working with the dog. The OP clearly wants to keep the dog and do right by it. Ridiculous comments like yours don't help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angel22 Posted February 28, 2016 Share Posted February 28, 2016 (edited) How much "training" would you need before you stopped hating something What does the dog hate?? The issue is with the dog barking at things. That can be solved with training. If she was rehomed, the dog would still bark at the tv, washing machine, postman etc. She'd just be someone else's problem! Edited February 28, 2016 by angel22 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medusa Posted February 28, 2016 Share Posted February 28, 2016 Surely if the dog is terrified of the TV then you slowly work on what is so scary about a box with moving pictures that is not going to present any risk to the dog, and once you've done that the dog will no longer bark because they are no longer scared of it? I agree that if the dog cannot cope with other dogs then that is the one situation in which I would consider finding a new home for them, if that cannot be provided for them in the current home, but only after all of the training methods have been tried. Dogs are by nature much more gregarious than people give them credit for and can learn to tolerate specific dogs even if they don't want to mix with a wider group. I'd consider rehoming only if it was a physical risk to one of the dogs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angel22 Posted February 28, 2016 Share Posted February 28, 2016 (edited) The OP hasn't said that the dog doesn't like the other dogs so I don't think that is the issue. East livin, You seem to be under the impression that the dog is barking because she's scared. The OP hasn't said that the dog is scared of anything, just that she barks at things. Dogs don't only bark when they're scared. They can bark out of boredom or even just attention seeking. She said the dog barks at the tv, washing machine, post man and even when out on walks or in the garden. She won't find a home without any of those things! If the dog is barking because she's scared, as Medusa says, the dog can be taught to overcome her fear of that particular object and then she won't bark at it. So no, she won't be a quiet but unhappy dog! She'll be a perfectly happy dog having overcome her fear! Edited February 28, 2016 by angel22 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medusa Posted February 28, 2016 Share Posted February 28, 2016 learn to tolerate! not like, or be happy about. just tolerate. all the above posts are about taking an unhappy noisy animal and making an unhappy quiet one instead. No they're not, they're about teaching the dog that she doesn't have anything to fear from the TV (or whatever) and therefore that she has no need to be constantly on guard against them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccit Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 Much of this is conjecture because the OP has not given enough information about the dog. The one thing that is of concern is the comparison between this dog and her own, which she acquired as a puppy and subsequently trained. This comparison is of no use and likely to be harmful. It sounds as if this dog has particular needs which should be addressed. The OP needs to consider whether she can provide this. I know that the OP wants to do her best for this dog, particularly as there is a family connection but sometimes the kindest thing you can do for a dog is to rehome. There is no shame in that if it is done in an honest and open manner. I am quite certain that if she is considering this, a new experienced owner can be found by contacting breed rescue. Probably the original owner would want the dog to be happy and content even if it meant leaving the family. Some dogs prefer to live alone. I know of a bitch of the same breed that was rehomed because because she could not live happily with others, despite being brought up with them. The dog is much more content living the life of a solo dog. She always needed to be top dog and saw others as a threat. She is very vocal too but because she is an only dog the owner can control her easily and it has never been a problem. Squirting water at the poor dog is likely to be counter productive. Owner and dog need someone to determine what is going on and to provide help with the issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelle-82 Posted March 1, 2016 Author Share Posted March 1, 2016 (edited) One of my friends took on a rescue Malinois who wasn't short on confidence but was a serious barker (and they're as noisy as GSDs normally) and she became a really good aim with a water bottle with a sports cap on it and got a jet of water in his mouth every time he barked. It took her literally a couple of days to shut him up and he's been fine and barking only in appropriate circumstances since. This wasn't a little spray of water, it was enough to make him stop to swallow. The important thing to think about here is that all of these techniques are aversive in the way that they work, and if the dog is at all nervous then they all have the potential to do serious damage to the dog's mind and emotions. All aversive techniques should be used only in short bursts to reduce the damage to the dog, and never used with a dog who is barking through fear or anxiety, as they don't address the fear or anxiety and can make the dog become even more fearful or anxious about barking. Have you tried to work out what it is that is causing the barking? Could it be anxiety related? Hi Medusa, She's not a nervous dog, very happy and boistrous... i personally think she's been allowed to bark and bark from being young and not had it corrected... Terriers are gobby so i expect some 'talking' but she's ridiculously chatty! ---------- Post added 01-03-2016 at 14:06 ---------- OP - is this the Cairn Terrier that you posted about a few weeks ago? If so, she is having a lot to cope with and there could be a number of factors, including anxiety. Terriers are easily aroused, very territorial and are known to be barkers. Diet - hopefully it doesn't contain additives/nasties. Exercise - does she get enough? This is an intelligent breed that needs stimulation. IIRC she was the only dog of an elderly person and not in very good condition. She is now having to cope with a new home and sharing her space. Bear in mind that she has probably been under stimulated for some time so some of this could be sheer exuberance and the fact that she is feeling better in herself. Squirting water at a dog is really not on. You need to find out exactly what the problem is. Seek the advice of a professional behaviourist. Hi ccit, Yes the very one and the same! She really is coming out of her shell, i really wouldnt say nervous or anxious though as she's always happy and playing and loves cuddles... plus she knows me! even before she came to my home i would walk her regularly and she already knew my other two before she moved in so it's not like we are strangers to her... I think, as i've just put above, i think she was allowed to bark and was never taught to stop... or Shhhh as my other two are accustomed to. ---------- Post added 01-03-2016 at 14:18 ---------- Can i just make one thing clear so for those of you who are saying i should 'get rid'!! I have no inclination of re-homing her, there is a reason she is with me and why she isnt with someone else.. She is very happy living with my JRT and Springer, they are all given lots of exercise and stimulation, before she came to live with me she was being left for up to 14hrs a day on her own! re-homing isnt even an option for me.. i didnt bring her home just to throw my hands up at the first hurdle! She's staying put.... I asked for advice on how to stop her from barking, not how to re-home her.. Edited March 1, 2016 by Chelle-82 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 I'm watching your thread as i have the same sort of problem. I have a dog that comes to me and my 4 dogs for holidays. She is part of the family and is at home at mine but she is the same, barks all the time. I hope you find a solution so i can try it with her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelle-82 Posted March 1, 2016 Author Share Posted March 1, 2016 I have managed to pin point one of the issues! Barking at the TV... I have been watching her and waiting for her to do it and see what triggers her off and it appears to be birds! so any advert with birds tweeting or singing and she's off!! so this has made me wonder if this is why she barks when we are out and about? We go walking through the woods every morning so obviously there'll be lots of birds... But what can i possibly do about birds!! I can hardly ask them to stop singing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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