Embrassed to Go to Vet!
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Embrassed to Go to Vet!
I love my 3 year old Jack Russell Terrior, but she just barks at strangers way to much and I can never take her attention away to stop her. When I take her to the vet we have to go through the back door. When I take her for walks in the park, she barks at people. She tends to get scared easily also. Is there anything I could do to train her not to bark at people? Thanks!
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Lis & Addy
- Posts: 204
- Joined: Mon Jun 25, 2007 2:27 pm
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DarthAnnieGrace
- Posts: 28
- Joined: Sun Jun 22, 2008 4:52 pm
Try to get his attention of the dogs, and a way to do that is find out what interests him most. Like if he is food oriented or if he focus more with a squeaky toy or ball. our beagle lab mix Daisy is completely food oriented, and our pointer lab mix cannot take her eyes off a ball if she sees one.
Good Luck!
-Annie
Good Luck!
-Annie
I dont know if this will help but here goes...
I have a 2 year old terrier, Penny, gorgeous, well behaved etc, we had her from a pup. About 6 months ago, I took a 5 month old Yorkshire Terrier, Mia, she came from a family who had been abusing her, perhaps more mentally than physically.
When she came to us she was terrified of everything, she did exactly the same barking you describe, on walks, in an empty garden, at people, and our first visit to the vet was nothing short of traumatic, for both she and I !
She also lost control of her bladder, all the time, because she was scared.
What I did when I was out with her and she started was this, if we were walking and she started barking at someone/something, I would block her vision, by standing in front of her, or turning the opposite way. Easy, it worked, and now we walk perfectly. She was scared of traffic and I used the same tactic, I walked traffic side, this seemed to give her more confidence and now she doesnt take any notice of anything.
My vet suggested a way to calm her when she started yapping in enclosed spaces etc. I was sceptical but willing to try anything.
When she started getting yappy, I would put my hand on her, but not pat, stroke etc (this is seen to the dog as a reward and so I was rewarding the bad behaviour). I also spoke to her in a whisper, just a very calm, ssshhh, always keeping my hand on her. When she stopped yapping and was calm, I praised her lots. I have to say, it took some time but it worked like a dream. I notice her confidence growing by the day, but I really feel like the barking was a pure fear issue and was to alert me to her feeling stressed. What I didnt do, was take steps to avoid the situations that were difficult. And my god that was embarrasing sometimes, but perseverance was certainly the key !!!!
Good luck !
I have a 2 year old terrier, Penny, gorgeous, well behaved etc, we had her from a pup. About 6 months ago, I took a 5 month old Yorkshire Terrier, Mia, she came from a family who had been abusing her, perhaps more mentally than physically.
When she came to us she was terrified of everything, she did exactly the same barking you describe, on walks, in an empty garden, at people, and our first visit to the vet was nothing short of traumatic, for both she and I !
She also lost control of her bladder, all the time, because she was scared.
What I did when I was out with her and she started was this, if we were walking and she started barking at someone/something, I would block her vision, by standing in front of her, or turning the opposite way. Easy, it worked, and now we walk perfectly. She was scared of traffic and I used the same tactic, I walked traffic side, this seemed to give her more confidence and now she doesnt take any notice of anything.
My vet suggested a way to calm her when she started yapping in enclosed spaces etc. I was sceptical but willing to try anything.
When she started getting yappy, I would put my hand on her, but not pat, stroke etc (this is seen to the dog as a reward and so I was rewarding the bad behaviour). I also spoke to her in a whisper, just a very calm, ssshhh, always keeping my hand on her. When she stopped yapping and was calm, I praised her lots. I have to say, it took some time but it worked like a dream. I notice her confidence growing by the day, but I really feel like the barking was a pure fear issue and was to alert me to her feeling stressed. What I didnt do, was take steps to avoid the situations that were difficult. And my god that was embarrasing sometimes, but perseverance was certainly the key !!!!
Good luck !
One of the biggest issues dog parents face is self consciousness. Many worry too much about what others are thinking. Sometimes, this is a good thing when dogs constantly bark and disturb our neighbors, parents understand the annoyance and want to help.
However, most often to redirect the issue, we become too focused on what others will see when we make silly noises or even praise a dog once they settle. Some people, not in the know of dogs, may think we are praising the dog for barking at them, when we are not. This line of thinking is running through our heads, consciously or subconsciously in some cases.
Never be embarrassed for your dog's behavior. They are an animal, they can not speak our language in a manner most can understand. So they, like a baby who cries, are just trying to tell us something and in the only way that they can-barking, pouting, pulling, jumping.
Most dog people know this, Vets know this and should understand. You are taking the right approach, trying to find ways to redirect your dog when he feels an emotion. So don't worry about what others may think, just help your dog as you would a child.
However, most often to redirect the issue, we become too focused on what others will see when we make silly noises or even praise a dog once they settle. Some people, not in the know of dogs, may think we are praising the dog for barking at them, when we are not. This line of thinking is running through our heads, consciously or subconsciously in some cases.
Never be embarrassed for your dog's behavior. They are an animal, they can not speak our language in a manner most can understand. So they, like a baby who cries, are just trying to tell us something and in the only way that they can-barking, pouting, pulling, jumping.
Most dog people know this, Vets know this and should understand. You are taking the right approach, trying to find ways to redirect your dog when he feels an emotion. So don't worry about what others may think, just help your dog as you would a child.