Barking Mad

[Suerose]

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Grace, who has just turned 2, has recently developed the habit of barking frantically if she sees other dogs near our house. This is when we are out walking, not when she is in the house - she can't see dogs outside then. I think it may be because there are a couple of GSDs who are often out in their garden right next to the footpath not far from where we live, and they bark a lot as we go past. Perhaps this may have put her on edge in this area? She is fine when we go out for a walk or a run further away. It seems like it is a nervous thing, and she does it even when the other dog isn't paying the slightest bit of attention to her or is maybe fifty yards away.

Any thoughts on how I can break this habit? For the time being I can stop taking her past the GSDs, and I may even complain to the council about them being left out to bark at passers by. I've tried saying 'no' firmly and rewarding her when she pays attention and stops or doesn't do it, but it doesn't really seem to be working. All help gratefully received!

 

[jinnyfizz]

I think you may be right about it being a nervous reaction, but it could also be Grace maturing and "defending" her territory as she sees it.

Mine will bark at any dogs which come past my property and it's a territory thing with them :thumbsup:

My two GSDs are out all the time and are free to bark at any passers-by which is what they are there for - in order to uphold a complaint, the dogs would have to be barking continuously and unnecessarily whether the owner is home or away.

Somebody reported mine for barking a couple of years ago and when I received a phone call from the council I made no apology for them barking at people passing by my gate as they are guarding my property. They don't bark when I am in and only bark if people pass by - not continuously or for no reason.

This was deemed as acceptable and I heard no more about it, so unless the dogs you mention are barking incessantly there is little point in complaining.

The other thing which triggers barking is other dogs barking and setting up a chain reaction ........ suppose it's a bit like smoke signals, only they are audible :lol: Maybe Grace is just joining in???

The only suggestion is can make is to maybe have some tasty treat with you so that you can keep Grace's full attention on you as you are walking. If her mind is on you, she may not notice the other dog and hopefully the habit may then die a natural death Good luck, Sue :luck: ....... hope it sorts out for you :thumbsup:

 

[Suerose]

I didn't mean to imply that I think dogs barking in any circumstances is inappropriate, obviously it has its place and warning off intruders is very valid. But the GSDs I was mentioning are kept in a very small narrow strip of garden in a terrace of houses, and its length runs alongside the pavement of a small local road. There isn't the option of walking on the other side of the street - no pavement there.

A few years ago the owners had to put up high boarding because the dogs were intimidating passers by - an old lady was frightened when one of them came over the low fence - and since then they have been a lot worse. They don't just bark, they are right up against the boards and right in your face. I've never seen them out for a walk with their owners, so I doubt they get proper exercise and stimulation. No wonder they go bonkers whenever someone walks past.

 

[jinnyfizz]

Just catching up with this ......... poor dogs

Fancy being kept cooped up like that - I'm not surprised they're going nuts!!

It sounds a very difficult situation for poor Grace .... I expect she is barking to protect herself from what she sees as a real threat

Has there been any improvement over the last few days, Sue?

 

[Suerose]

There has thanks for asking Jane. I've been risking life and limb by walking down the middle of the road rather than setting the GSDs off barking and Grace does seem to have calmed down towards other dogs. To be fair we haven't encountered that many in the past few days, so she hasn't been tested too much.

And I have also bought one of the little aerosol canisters that Roger Mugford recommends - they give off a loud hiss when you press the button - to deter unwanted barking. It really is a habit I want to nip in the bud, she has been so friendly towards other dogs up to now and I'd like to get back to that. It will also be useful if any other dogs have a go at Grace. So fingers crossed!

 

[lalena]

wonder if the gsds are doing it for attention? when i was 10, i used to walk down an alley near me to go to school, which happened to run along the side of someones garden. the bane of the locals lives, a gsd x rhodesian ridgeback, used to bark and growl, shoving his face through a rotted bit of the gate, really scary to people. one day i had enough, and just yelled at him to shut up. he whimpered, whined and licked my hand when i came close. from then until he died, he was great with me. his own owner couldnt get close because he was scared of sampson, but i could feed him, groom him and just cuddle that poor dog. he even escaped a few times and went and sat at my frontdoor waiting for me. gave my dad one hell of a shock when sampson bolted in and jumped on him while he was sleeping (as was on night shift)

to solve any problem, you have to figure out the underlying cause. is your dog reacting to the gsds, if so, what way? is she trying to bark to them, copying them, or defensively barking at them? does it happen at a specific time? ie could there be a noise shes responding to rather than a person/animal? has she had an encounter with another dog which might have made her wary? doesnt have to be an attack, just a dog that has been hostile in posture or manner. there are a surprising number of 'rude' dogs out there who invade personal space or send out aggressive signals who, with a clueless owner, are given free reign. is she having seasons? some girls get funny at that time. some are snappy and defensive, others mope about and sulk, so could that be having an effect?

as said, distraction is a great way of getting attention away from a bad habit. hope you get to the bottom of it :luck: