my 2 year old black ladrador, goes mad when she sees/hears anyone approaching the house. We have a yard at the front of the house with a fence, and she gets up onto the fence and barks her head off - very annoying! When anyone comes nearer to the fence, she backs down and cowers when they go to stroke her.
When she was younger, she would wet herself.
Why is she like this?
Any ideas to stop her barking would be graetly appreciated.
Thanks xxx
anyone passing the house, my dog barks ~ help x
Moderators: emmabeth, BoardHost
YEAH I DID, IT WAS EXCELLENT, BUT I NEED TO DO SOMETHING TO STOP THIS OUTSIDE, AND I THINK ITS EASIER TO TEACH HER NOT TO BARK INSIDE, ( IN A CONTOLLED SPACE ) BUT SHE DOESNT ACT THE SAME.
ONLY THING I CAN THINK OF IS ...
ME AND MY PARTNER GO OUT AND PRETEND TO BE STRANGERS, WHILST THE OTHER MAKES A LOUD BANG WHEN SHE BARKS ( SIMILAR TO THE FRIDGE ALARM IN LAST NIGHT SHOW ) SO IT WILL DISTRACT HER INSTANTLY.
DO YOU THINK THIS WILL WORK?
ONLY THING I CAN THINK OF IS ...
ME AND MY PARTNER GO OUT AND PRETEND TO BE STRANGERS, WHILST THE OTHER MAKES A LOUD BANG WHEN SHE BARKS ( SIMILAR TO THE FRIDGE ALARM IN LAST NIGHT SHOW ) SO IT WILL DISTRACT HER INSTANTLY.
DO YOU THINK THIS WILL WORK?
Can you not stand outside with her, when a stranger walks past the house can you not show them to her and give her a treat so she associates people coming to the house as a good thing rather than something to get upset about?
Similar to what they were doing outside lastnight by showing the dog the postman and getting him to walk past a few times with them outside?
Similar to what they were doing outside lastnight by showing the dog the postman and getting him to walk past a few times with them outside?
yeah, i will try that,
victoria seemed to distract last nights dog from the postie by tempting food at the time postie walked past, what did she do when dog barked? i dont think it did, as she had full control? my dog seems to go mad, and i end up shouting, and making things worse.
AAAARRRHHHH
thanks for your suggestions xx
victoria seemed to distract last nights dog from the postie by tempting food at the time postie walked past, what did she do when dog barked? i dont think it did, as she had full control? my dog seems to go mad, and i end up shouting, and making things worse.
AAAARRRHHHH
thanks for your suggestions xx
Step back a little and view this from your dog's perspective.
Shouting, banging something loudly? This dog is already anxious enough, don't do anything that might make it worse.
Reward calm behaviour, if you're using a clicker you can click brief pauses in the barking, then give her small pieces of roast chicken or something else that she loves. In other words, teach her what you want her to do instead, and make it worth her while.
Using positive reinforcement in this way, you will also be creating a positive association with these "intruders" who she is anxious about.
Shouting, banging something loudly? This dog is already anxious enough, don't do anything that might make it worse.
Reward calm behaviour, if you're using a clicker you can click brief pauses in the barking, then give her small pieces of roast chicken or something else that she loves. In other words, teach her what you want her to do instead, and make it worth her while.
Using positive reinforcement in this way, you will also be creating a positive association with these "intruders" who she is anxious about.
Regards,
Aidan
http://www.PositivePetzine.com
Aidan
http://www.PositivePetzine.com
Ditto Aidan - your dog sounds like she is fearful of the people coming past, the fact seh cowers and used to wet herself when the approached suggests her barking is an attempt to make those people Go Away.
If you use something unpleasant you could make her worse rather than better, as she may associate the trigger (the people) with the distraction/punishment rather than HER behaviour.
Personally, id stop giving her access to the front yard - claerly, people walking past distresses her and you need to work on making her a aclm and confident dog, which she doesnt appear to be right. You wont succeed in doing that if shes constantly feeling the need to bark at people and being rewarded by those who walk away (she doesnt know they were going to do that anyway) or having people approach her and scare her more confirm the need to bark at them.
The other reason for restricting her access to the front yard is this. If people can lean over the fence to stroke her, then she can reach to bite them. She is already fearful, if she ever learns to bite people and does so whilst in your yard, or if she just FRIGHTENS them, she could be at risk from the dangerous dogs act.
So - stop her going in the front yard to bark at people.
Spend time working on socialising her to strangers, take her for walks, sit on a bench in a quiet place, and reward her whenever strangers walk past her. The reward can be fuss, treats or a toy. If she reacts to strangers do nothing, next time dont take her so close to strangers.
When you have got to the stage where when you see a stranger approaching close, she looks to YOU expecting a treat, then you move it up a gear, be near your house and reward her for not reacting to strangers going past, then outside your yard, then inside it. Make strangers a positive experience, but until she DOES find them a rewarding experience she raelly mustnt be allowed to deal wtih them on her own in the yard.
If you also spend time doing some clicker training with her, as well as your normal walks you can increase the bond and confidence she has in you so she will be less likely to find herself needing to defend herself, thats Y OUR job.
Em
If you use something unpleasant you could make her worse rather than better, as she may associate the trigger (the people) with the distraction/punishment rather than HER behaviour.
Personally, id stop giving her access to the front yard - claerly, people walking past distresses her and you need to work on making her a aclm and confident dog, which she doesnt appear to be right. You wont succeed in doing that if shes constantly feeling the need to bark at people and being rewarded by those who walk away (she doesnt know they were going to do that anyway) or having people approach her and scare her more confirm the need to bark at them.
The other reason for restricting her access to the front yard is this. If people can lean over the fence to stroke her, then she can reach to bite them. She is already fearful, if she ever learns to bite people and does so whilst in your yard, or if she just FRIGHTENS them, she could be at risk from the dangerous dogs act.
So - stop her going in the front yard to bark at people.
Spend time working on socialising her to strangers, take her for walks, sit on a bench in a quiet place, and reward her whenever strangers walk past her. The reward can be fuss, treats or a toy. If she reacts to strangers do nothing, next time dont take her so close to strangers.
When you have got to the stage where when you see a stranger approaching close, she looks to YOU expecting a treat, then you move it up a gear, be near your house and reward her for not reacting to strangers going past, then outside your yard, then inside it. Make strangers a positive experience, but until she DOES find them a rewarding experience she raelly mustnt be allowed to deal wtih them on her own in the yard.
If you also spend time doing some clicker training with her, as well as your normal walks you can increase the bond and confidence she has in you so she will be less likely to find herself needing to defend herself, thats Y OUR job.
Em