Constant Barking

[Jazzie's Mom]

My little Jazzie is now 16 months old. The older she gets the worse she is getting. I should also tell you that she is very afraid of people. Any kind of dog she loves, but she is totally afraid of humans. I got her when she was 8 months old. For the first 8 months of her life she was with her mother and only other dachsunds. Anytime anyone comes over to the house, she will start to bark when they come in and continue barking until they leave. When she does stop to take a breather, the minute anyone makes any type of move (it can be as small as moving their arm) she will start to bark again.

It is extremely annoying when you are trying to have company over. She will bark 3 hours straight, if that is how long a "stranger" is in "her" house. I've tried having them give her a treat, that doesn't work. She stops barking long enough to get the treat and eat it, but as soon as she is done, she will start to bark again. This isn't a single bark. It is a constant bark.

I am hesitant to have company over because of her behavior. I tried taking her to training class, but she was afraid of the other people there and wouldn't let the trainer near her. Maybe I should try to find a trainer that would do private lessons.

Does anyone have any suggestions, I am willing to try anything. She is my little angel and I love her dearly. I will do anything if it will help her become more sociable.

Jazzie's Mom

[Patt]

Jazzie's Mom:

Since you have tried obedience training and it didn't work out. How about a pet behaviorist that will come to the home and work with you and Jazzie, worth a try.

Good Luck

Patt

[Mark]

Hi Jazzie's Mom,

Oops . . . I must have missed the line that you have tried obedience training.

In that case, yes . . . I agree with Patt about the pet behaviorist.

[Jazzie's Mom]

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll try anything to get her to be more comfortable around people.

I will be on the phone tomorrow trying to find a pet behaviorist.

Does anybody know of any in Connecticut? Or have any ideas how I can locate one. I've already looked through the phone book. I am going to call her vet & see if she knows of any.

Thanks a million. I don't know what I would do without this great board. I learn more in one night reading different postings than I have reading a million different books.

Jazzie's Mom

[Patt]

I would think your vet would be able to refer you to one. Do you have a vet school in CT or nearby? Maybe your local Humane Society might be able to help. I'll look around the web and see if I can find anything. I did see my p.s.
Patt,

p.s. Go to www.google.com and type in Animal Behaviorist CT
This should give you a start in the right direction.

Hey, I found more..... (11pm CA time)
http://www.inch.com/~dogs/behaviorists.html
http://www.barmikekennel.com/behaviorclinic.htm
the last one is located in Lakeville, CT
On the web page about the middle, it says if your not in their area to call them and they can help you find the right person near you.
This is it for now, Good Night...

[Jazzie's Mom]

Thanks a million Patt. I contacted the CT humane society and spoke with their trainer. She recommended a Dr. Nicholas Dodman at Tufts University in Mass. She said that their are only 16 certified Pet behaviorists in the country and he is suppose to be one of the best. She also recommended a place called Tails-U-Win in CT.

I also contacted the Bar Mike Kennel in Lakeville CT. They are going to send me some literature. I also found a trainer/behaviorist in CT that comes to the home and does one on one personal training.

Who ever I finally use, I want to check them out first to make sure that they use positive reinforcement. I will continue to do my homework and will let you know how I make out.

Thanks everyone for pointing me in the right direction.

Joan & Jazzie

[Patt]

Joan:

I'm happy your were able to use the info I sent. Sounds like you hit "pay dirt" with Dr. Dodman. Good luck and keep us posted.

Patt

[gypsy714]

We are having the same barking issues--but it's when I'm gone at work during the day and Hoagie's in his crate.

I live in a housing co-op (townhomes), and I am on the end of a 3 unit building. I do share one wall with a neighbor, and according to the "hate mail" i've gotten over the past two weeks--Hoagie is driving her nuts with his barking during the day (she works afternoons).

I've tried moving his crate to the farthest-most location in my house away from the shared wall, but that's not working either (the walls are very poorly insulated, apparently).

We have an appointment next week with the vet to discuss behavior consultations.

Someone suggested a "bark collar". Has anyone had any experience with these? How do they work? Are they successful? I've heard there is the kind that gives an electric shock and another kind that sprays something that the dog finds unpleasant....

I'd rather not go the electric shock route--seems rather barbaric to me--but I've got to do something about his barking or face possible eviction.

Any suggestions, advice, non-barking spells, etc. would be wecomed and most appreciated!

:flower:

Liz (Hoagie's Mom)

[dutchman]

First off the other type of collar is the Citronella Anti-Bark collar. It works well for most but not all dogs. If you decide to get one do some web shopping. I think I paid about $95 for mine and list is closer to $150. It works for Tanner and Dexter whent ey are outside but they are also both smart enough to know that as soons as it is off they are safe from the stink collar and they then resume their normal barking. The biggest problem I have with it is being in a multiple dog home you can get the accidental false triggers when one of the other dogs is standing too close and barks. Frank is immune to the collar. I once tried to use it to break his TV barking habits. One Saturday morning I turned on Breed All About It on the Animal Planet and Frank:nuts: kept right on barking right through three refills of the spay tank on the collar. Dexter:cussing: and Tanner:dizzy: were demanding gas mask by that time. My trainer says it will quiet down 90-95% of the dogs she has ever tried one on. You may be able to locate some places that will ret one to you so you could give it a test. One local feed store rents them out for something like %15 a week. I would avoid the shock collars. It works from the combination of the smell most dogs hate and the sound of the spary as it is expelled under pressure.

Another trick to try is to leave a radio or TV on for Hoagie so that it's sound will help drown out other little noises that may be causing him to bark.

If you do go with the Citronella collar I wouls suggest you get at least one extra refill bottle of the spray when you purchase the collar. So far I haven't had to replace the batteries but some people have said they have had problems locationg them so you may also want to take that into consideration. I can't remember their size now but when I looked at them they appeared to be a size I've seen available at several local outlets.

I would also like to ask which kind of kennel you use? Some dogs feel more secure in the more enclosed airline sytle kennel than in the more open wire kennel. If you have a sire kennel you could always try placing a cover onver most of it so only the door is really open. The whole den/security issue dates back to the tiem before dogs were demosticated. They offten lived in smal caves or dug out spaces to have shelter from the elements and other animals.

Oh just a couple of more things about the antibark collars. First you need to remove their regualr collar when you put the bark collar on. Then jingle of tags can set off a false alarm. Second you need to check out your kennel and the collare very closely to make sure they is no way the collar could become hung up on the sides or door ovf the kennel while you are away.

Good luck,

Tom and the boys (Frank, Tanner and Dexter)

[gypsy714]

Thanks for the tips on the citronella collar. I will definetely price them on the web to get a better price.

I have left the radio or TV on for Hoagie every day when we're gone. I started with NPR on the radio.....:sarcastic .....which even bores me. Then I switched to leaving CNN Headline News on the TV. Maybe he's depressed hearing all the talk of possible war with Iraq....

I am using a wire kennel...just big enough for him to turn around in and lay down comfortably. I put a towel on the bottom and a few "blankies" for him to burrow under. I also put a Kong ball with a treat and peanut butter inside for him to play with.

I've tried covering his kennel, but he just tries to pull the covering into the kennel and then chews/shreds it up. :crying:

I may try something more 'sturdy' to cover the kennel with.

Also, I found a great website: http://www.ddfl.org that has some wonderful info on desensitization techniques for separation anxiety (which is what I think Hoagie is suffering from).

Again, thanks for all the info!! I love my little man, and will do whatever it takes to have him be happier and more comfortable at home when we're not there.

:flower:

Liz (Hoagie's Mom)

[Juneysmom]

You also want to ask a few more neighbors if they hear constant barking. Ask them if they hear other noise at the same time that might trigger it.

Years ago, I lived in an apartment complex with some people who were not courteous. They would turn their music up so high that the floors and walls would shake. Of course, the loud music caused my dogs to bark. I asked them to turn their music down and they told me where to go.

One night, I stayed away with my dogs until after midnight. I came home then thinking they might be asleep, but within a few minutes of opening my door, they turned on their music super loud. Of course, my dogs started barking and they called the police on me. By the time the police came, their music was off, and when the police knocked at the door, of course, my dogs started barking. So the police thought that I had a barking problem. I was also on the phone with the police and they told the police outside to leave for a few minutes. They went down the street, and sure enough within five minutes, the music started. Of course, my dogs started barking. The police on the phone told the police down the street what was going on, and the police came back to the people and told the music lovers that if they turned the music on anymore that night, they would be arrested.

For the rest of the night, the police stayed near the apartments, the music stayed off, and my dogs didn't bark. The next day, I talked to my landlord and he helped me to move into an apartment complex with some animal lovers. After living there for a few weeks, I asked the neighbors if my dogs barked alot, but they said that the only time that my dogs barked was a noon for about two or three minutes, then they were quiet the rest of the time. That was true wherever I moved to afterwards.

So the reason why my dogs were barking really badly was because of the loud music. It probably hurt their ears.