EXCESSIVE BARKING

[pluto'slanie]

I don't know if it's typical but Shana is quite the barker. I say that she's announcing herself wherever she goes. When we step out in the hall in the morning - arf arf - when we leave the building - you guessed it and when she sees a person or a dog within 50 feet of her she barks. She's doesn't get into any kind of attack mode she just makes herself known. Thus far no one has complained, but I know I wouldn't be happy if a dog woke me up at 6 am. Any suggestions? Pluto is quiet so it's a new experience for me.

[dutchman]

Hi Lanie,

Sounds rather typical for a dachshund<IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm1.gif" border=0> That said there are two basic methods I've learned to try and curb barking. The first is to place a hand under their chin when they start barking and lift up closing their mouth and tilting their head back while giving your command quiet. I've had little luck using this technique with my dachsie boys. Tanner my real barker will just stand up on his hind legs to get away from my hand and continue barking. The second approach is to use the squirt bottle. The generally recommended squirt bottle technique is to hit them right between the eyes. I have also found for my dachshunds a well aimed shot at the back of the head right near the ear can work. On occasion a well aimed but shot has also worked. I have to use these rear shots to hit Tanner when he is barking at the gate or fence line. If I try to get close enough to get a face shot he will stop barking before I can correct him. The spray bottle can work. There are times when Tanner goes on a barking streak in the yard and all I have to do is let him see the squirt bottle and he will settle down.

Good luck,

Tom and the boys

PS All you need in the squirt bottle is regular water.

[Frzframe]

Mitzi is the same way, when she is in the house we hardly ever hear her but the sec. she steps out on the porch it's into guard the house mode. I've tried to get her to stop with the shut her mouth thing and telling her to quiet but this doesn't work to well. When we are walking and she see's or hears other dogs I can give her the ignore command and she does pretty good.
~Shonda

[Mrs.F]

Hi Lanie,
We used the squirt gun method, but I must confess it was pretty difficult for us. I was tempted to just throw in the towel and let her bark because it took so long for Penny to catch on. It was almost as if she was so excited that she couldn't stop herself! We spend a huge part of the summer in an RV at a campground though, so I really NEEDED Penny to learn not to bark.
It was a real pain in the neck to keep the squirt gun (easier to carry outside than a bottle) with me 24/7 but Penny did finally catch on. "No bark" is the phrase we used along with the squirt and she responds to that verbal command most of the time now. We've not found a way to completely extinguish her barking at strangers, but one or two barks is a lot less annoying than a string of barks.
I too was told to aim for her face, between her eyes as Dutchman noted. I chose to aim for Penny's neck/chest or the top of her head after I accidently shot her right in the eye (a barking, bouncing puppy is a tricky target!)
Good luck!
Heidi