too much barking!

[Heidismom]

Help! Brekke has discovered that she likes the sound of her voice! I have tried all the things I have done with my others - telling them "good girl, quiet now!" after I've checked on things, gently holding the muzzle and saying "quiet, now", after a couple of barks - but with this little girl, I've even resorted to shaking the jarful of pennies, and now with a squirt bottle when she keeps it up after a few warning barks! Any suggestions? Thank you in advance! Julia B. <img border="0" alt="[shock]" title="" src="graemlins/shock.gif" />

[Frzframe]

Mitzi is the same way especially when she's outside. She has to defend her yard you know. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Mad]" src="angry.gif" /> I have tried everything but nothing has helped. Sorry I couldn't help you but I'm in the same boat. <img border="0" alt="[sad]" title="" src="graemlins/sad.gif" />
Shonda

[dutchman]

While rather expensive I understan the citronella collars work very well. A few dogs do learn how to change their bark so that the citronella spray is not activated. No first had experience but my trainer recommends them for some dogs who don't respond to the other methods.

Tom

[MARTHA]

I've heard a lot of good things about the citronella collars too. I have never tried it though. I must admit that I have been known to sleep with a water gun under my pillow. (I have a hard time keeping a squirt bottle around... besides they leak if I put them under my pillow) Sadie just can't help cheering on a cat fight in the middle of the night, or fussing at a varmit walking across her yard...and if a person has the nerve to walk down her street..well... Those are the times when it's very hard to get her to be quiet. Nintey percent of the time just pulling the water gun out would stop her. As a matter of fact, I haven't seen the water gun in months...I just wonder if it is in with Sadie's secret stash of nail clippers...

I have also noticed that as Sadie has gotten older she has calmed down a lot. She is still the original party girl but she does seem to mind a little better and is not as hyper as she was a couple of years ago.

One suggestion about improving the squirt bottle method, if you haven't already tried this... Don't let them see you spray them. That will get their attention on something else and may make them wonder if it wise to have "it" happen again. If they see you do it, they know how far they can push you but someone or something else...
I have also read that people add a little cintronella in the water. Dogs don't like the smell.

One other thing that has helped with Sadie's behavior is geting my son to correct her. His voice has gotten deeper over the last year and when he tells her sternly to "Be Quiet" she usually shuts up and I swear she wags her tail and says "Yes Dear Boy". He does not even have to raise his voice or even be in the same room.

Well that's my 2 cents worth on this subject and I don't think it has even that much of a market value. Good luck.

Martha and the "Girls"

[Frzframe]

I agree with the man's voice too. Mitzi will listen to her granddaddy when he's home. All he has to do is say her name and start like his going to her and she shuts right up. Another thing that Mitzi does that just drives me nuts is that when she is out on the porch sunning herself and I check on her if she sees me she's off like a shot barking at nothing at all. I think she's just showing off for me but man oh man do I hate it. The water gun didn't work on Mitzi she could care less if she's shot with water <img border="0" alt="[huh]" title="" src="graemlins/huh.gif" /> . Oh well I do hope she does calm down when she gets a little older. She'll be 2 in August.
Shonda & Hot Shot Mitzi Moo

[crock]

I've just given up and console myself to the fact they are dachsies. Actually our border collie mix (who thinks she is a dachsie) starts it. At night she goes thru their doggie door (Idon't know how she gets smaller enough to go thru) and into to their own yard and barks. That starts everybody else. It usually only last a minute or so. During the day they bark when someone or something is coming up to the house. So that's not so bad.
Char

[Mrs.F]

My Penny is a real barker, too. Unfortunately, I do NOT have nerves of steel, so we've had to work diligently on barking and yipping! Just when we had a handle on the situation, we brought Maggie home and had to start all over again. I think all dachshunds are 'noisy', but it's a much a bigger issue with Penny than with Maggie, so I think personality also plays a part.

I was never comfortable with the can of pennies (I tried it, but Penny truly seemed frightened rather than just startled). Gently holding her muzzle while saying, "No bark" and then later, when she understood the "No bark" command the squirt gun really got good results for us.

A couple of things that helped us:

(1) Remembering that my dachshunds think they're 'earning their keep' by alerting or protecting us by barking. We always let them get in a bark or two when someone comes to the door, or they hear 'unidentified' noises, etc. We praise them for alerting us and then say, "No bark". They wag their tails proudly and stop barking about 95% of the time. (When one doesn't I put her in a 'sit' and give the No Bark command again.)
(2) I don't know if it's the distraction or what, but Penny and Maggie don't seem to be able to bark and "SIT" at the same time! When teaching the "No bark" command giving them the "sit" command first, really helped them catch on quickly.
(3) We have to be really consistent. If I get busy or too tired to bother holding them to a standard, Penny quickly slips right back into her old pattern, and it takes the squirt bottle and very stern "No bark" to get her back on track. It's so much easier to just stay consistent....

Good luck and don't give up! Life is so much easier and more pleasant with a well manned doggie at your side.... <img border="0" alt="[heart]" title="" src="graemlins/heart.gif" />

Heidi