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My dog's reactiveness to other dogs is increasing. My friend says 'She is just being a good guard dog' I said no, that is what people say but it's a neurosis. She's afraid of other dogs. I can't think of the right way to explain that I am supposed to be in charge of threats, not her. After all, there are guard and alert dogs.
It's not important that she agrees or understands, it's just bothering me that I can't remember the details of that whole concept.
So, with my other dog, she was what I would call a true guard dog, or alert dog, in that she only barked at 'stranger on property' and it wasn't prolonged unless the rare case of a stranger actually touching my (and hers, I guess) car, or another time when someone was trying to break into cars, and she went on a rampage from window to window, which was great because everyone woke up and turned their lights on and the person went away.
This dog, I do not think can ever turn into that. I just worry that I am taking away something natural with regard to SOME barking in SOME scenarios.
With my other dog, I'd go and look when she barked and thank her, at the time following some advice to show her I see what she wants me to, and I have determined that everything is ok. And that worked with her.
This one, an ax murderer could go by and she'd not utter a peep, but a dog? I know everytime a dog passes by, without a doubt, and it's getting more prolonged. She is starting to react before they even get here and after they are gone.
I guess in her doggy brain, she is making them go away with the barking, and the fact that they do go is re-enforcing her behavior! She thinks it's working.
As a side note, if I pay attention to her, I can see her alert me to people. It's just silent. Her ears go back or she stands turning her ears, keeping track of the person's movements, which is cool. I would love if she barked at 'stranger on property' for me to decide if the stranger is ok.
If she doesn't ever, that is ok. I just want to make sure I don't make that impossible on accident training her to stop barking at dogs.
Tough one to solve, I think. Patience will be the key. I think a slightly modified version of what you did with the other dog you mention: pay attention, tell her its ok, diminish the "threat" verbally - "That's just a dog walker, no problem, hush now". And take her attention elsewhere. I know in several of the dog training books I have read they recommend getting the dog to change focus at the moment of alert - so the dog comes to find you at the moment of sighting instead of barking barking barking. But in real life I have found that a hard goal to accomplish. I have goeetn progress by paying attention to what the dog is seeing, then usually dismissing the threat, ("That'll do, just a walker.") or, on rare occasions, saying "good job".
Tough one to solve, I think. Patience will be the key. I think a slightly modified version of what you did with the other dog you mention: pay attention, tell her its ok, diminish the "threat" verbally - "That's just a dog walker, no problem, hush now". And take her attention elsewhere. I know in several of the dog training books I have read they recommend getting the dog to change focus at the moment of alert - so the dog comes to find you at the moment of sighting instead of barking barking barking. But in real life I have found that a hard goal to accomplish. I have goeetn progress by paying attention to what the dog is seeing, then usually dismissing the threat, ("That'll do, just a walker.") or, on rare occasions, saying "good job".
OK, so a mix. Not removing the behavior, just not letting it drag out. Just now she barked and I grabbed a treat and said 'Look at me'. Which she did, not because she knows that phrase, but because TREAT! I had her entire focus. By the time she came to get the treat and eat it, the dog was gone.
But you're saying when possible to go ahead and still go see what she wants me to, give her the kudos, and then re-direct.
I guess I can do a mix and keep treats on my desk/near me on the couch at night for when I don't want to get up I can say good girl! Then, a command to come to me.
OK, so a mix. Not removing the behavior, just not letting it drag out. Just now she barked and I grabbed a treat and said 'Look at me'. Which she did, not because she knows that phrase, but because TREAT! I had her entire focus. By the time she came to get the treat and eat it, the dog was gone.
But you're saying when possible to go ahead and still go see what she wants me to, give her the kudos, and then re-direct.
I guess I can do a mix and keep treats on my desk/near me on the couch at night for when I don't want to get up I can say good girl! Then, a command to come to me.
Yeah, I think so! Sounds pretty much like what I do, anyway! And for my two, I am seeing progress. Sometimes they still go all crazy, but not so often any more. And they still alert to stuff - but they are getting more accurate to alerting to what I want them to alert to.
And I don't have the faintest idea how I misspelled "gotten" as "goeetn" and then missed it!
BTW, the book reference I remember most clearly talked about this exact situation, and the author was aiming to get the dogs to come "report" to her instead of barking. I've not managed that level of cooperation from my dogs, but I think you get the idea. Sorry, but I don't remember which book it was!
What I've worked on with my rat terrier, is getting her to stop barking when I ask her to. So, she is allowed to bark, but when I say, "good girl, that's enough" she's supposed to stop. Basically, the command being "enough."
She's not great at it, but she does understand what I want.
The funny thing about this, is that for us, it's usually when a delivery person comes to the door. She'll bark and I'll say, "Good girl, that's enough." Then, "enough" but she still doesn't want to shut up.
But, before I open the door, I get her to go into her crate, which she's great about. So, we'd do the "enough" then I'd give her the "crate" command, and she'd go into her crate and I'd close it, before opening the door. Otherwise, she jumps all over the delivery person like they're long lost pals.
Well, now, I know I shouldn't laugh, but it does crack me up. Ding dong, UPS guy, dog starts barking, I yell, "Coming, I'm putting my dog into her crate." Then, as I am saying "enough," she is putting herself into her crate, without me having to say ''crate." But, she keep barking LOL.
The silly thing is, once she says hello to whomever is at the door, she shuts up. But, unless she gets to see them, or say hello, she wants to keep barking.
To get her to stop, otherwise, I need to act really mad at her.
If it really mattered enough, I think I'd probably get one of those electric collars, so after I let her bark to let me know there's an intruder, and then after I say, "enough" and she doesn't stop - I'd zap her.
Anyway, if there's a way for you to actually accomplish what I've been trying to do, I think that's what you're after. Let the dog bark, then work on getting the dog to stop barking when you say, "enough."
And I agree that it should be your call - like you were saying in your OP - that you're the boss. You get to say when the barking has done it's job and now it's time to shut up. Good luck.
Oh, and by the way, a neighbor of mine once had a really smart Chinese crested - the type that does have hair. And she was a masters degree student at UC Davis, who was an expert at training large birds, like parrots, etc. Very interesting young woman. What she did with her puppy, when it started having barking issues, was she got one of those bark collars that sprays citronella into it's face. Worked really well. That way she wasn't the bad guy - the puppy just learned that she could bark a few times, but after that, she'd get sprayed in the face with citronella, and the owner could look totally innocent and unaware - so there was not issue regarding bonding with the puppy - or something like that. At any rate, it worked well training the dog.
So, if you didn't want to try the zap collar, maybe the citronella collar would work - if nothing else does.
Yeah, I think so! Sounds pretty much like what I do, anyway! And for my two, I am seeing progress. Sometimes they still go all crazy, but not so often any more. And they still alert to stuff - but they are getting more accurate to alerting to what I want them to alert to.
And I don't have the faintest idea how I misspelled "gotten" as "goeetn" and then missed it!
BTW, the book reference I remember most clearly talked about this exact situation, and the author was aiming to get the dogs to come "report" to her instead of barking. I've not managed that level of cooperation from my dogs, but I think you get the idea. Sorry, but I don't remember which book it was!
I love the idea of a report. I felt like that was what my other dog did. A soft woof. 'Mom, there is something out here, it might be worth paying attention to. I'm on it'. And then an explosion on the rare occasion there was a STRANGER ON PROPERTY!
THIS IS NOT A DRILL! A STRANGER IS IN FACT NEAR, AND SHOWING NO SIGNS OF LEAVING!
What I've worked on with my rat terrier, is getting her to stop barking when I ask her to. So, she is allowed to bark, but when I say, "good girl, that's enough" she's supposed to stop. Basically, the command being "enough."
She's not great at it, but she does understand what I want.
The funny thing about this, is that for us, it's usually when a delivery person comes to the door. She'll bark and I'll say, "Good girl, that's enough." Then, "enough" but she still doesn't want to shut up.
But, before I open the door, I get her to go into her crate, which she's great about. So, we'd do the "enough" then I'd give her the "crate" command, and she'd go into her crate and I'd close it, before opening the door. Otherwise, she jumps all over the delivery person like they're long lost pals.
Well, now, I know I shouldn't laugh, but it does crack me up. Ding dong, UPS guy, dog starts barking, I yell, "Coming, I'm putting my dog into her crate." Then, as I am saying "enough," she is putting herself into her crate, without me having to say ''crate." But, she keep barking LOL.
The silly thing is, once she says hello to whomever is at the door, she shuts up. But, unless she gets to see them, or say hello, she wants to keep barking.
To get her to stop, otherwise, I need to act really mad at her.
If it really mattered enough, I think I'd probably get one of those electric collars, so after I let her bark to let me know there's an intruder, and then after I say, "enough" and she doesn't stop - I'd zap her.
Anyway, if there's a way for you to actually accomplish what I've been trying to do, I think that's what you're after. Let the dog bark, then work on getting the dog to stop barking when you say, "enough."
And I agree that it should be your call - like you were saying in your OP - that you're the boss. You get to say when the barking has done it's job and now it's time to shut up. Good luck.
Oh, and by the way, a neighbor of mine once had a really smart Chinese crested - the type that does have hair. And she was a masters degree student at UC Davis, who was an expert at training large birds, like parrots, etc. Very interesting young woman. What she did with her puppy, when it started having barking issues, was she got one of those bark collars that sprays citronella into it's face. Worked really well. That way she wasn't the bad guy - the puppy just learned that she could bark a few times, but after that, she'd get sprayed in the face with citronella, and the owner could look totally innocent and unaware - so there was not issue regarding bonding with the puppy - or something like that. At any rate, it worked well training the dog.
So, if you didn't want to try the zap collar, maybe the citronella collar would work - if nothing else does.
Goshes! there won't be any zapping. My goal is for her to feel safe in here, and to not see dogs as a threat, but I will settle for being distracted by treats in the meantime. I am armed with a box of small ones, so that I may use several if a dog has the audacity to HANG AROUND outside.
My aim is at re-wiring her doggy-brain that thinks, 'My barking makes the dogs go away, that's been proven each time I do it. I have to keep at it'.
Goshes! there won't be any zapping. My goal is for her to feel safe in here, and to not see dogs as a threat, but I will settle for being distracted by treats in the meantime. I am armed with a box of small ones, so that I may use several if a dog has the audacity to HANG AROUND outside.
My aim is at re-wiring her doggy-brain that thinks, 'My barking makes the dogs go away, that's been proven each time I do it. I have to keep at it'.
Well, I'm just wondering if you'll just train her to think, Hey if I keep barking, not only do the dogs go away, but I'll also get a bunch of treats. Because, if you give her a treat, she'll want to replicate the behavior that got it. And, right now, that is barking. So, I'm not sure how giving her a treat when she barks, will get the result you want. Because you don't re-train a dog's brain. You get specific behavior with treats. So, I'm thinking your dog will think, "Run to window, bark, and get treat."
I'm thinking you need to get a behavior you actually want - then give the treat. Because, when you're thinking you're retraining how your dog thinks by calling her away from the window and giving her a treat, she's learning that when she goes to the window to bark, that you will then give her a treat. They're just not more sophisticated than that.
My prediction, after you keep getting her attention after she barks and give her treats, is she goes to window to bark, then looks at you to see if she gets a treat. No? Okay, bark some more, then look at you to see if she gets a treat. I'm doubting she'll take it any farther than that, mentally.
But, let us know how it goes.
Last edited by NoMoreSnowForMe; 11-09-2017 at 11:37 PM..
Dogs bark when people walk by. People answer phones when they ring.
Who cares? Let it bark! Or close the blinds.
Neighbors care about loud, prolonged barking. I care listening to loud, prolonged barking. I also read that due to her having her hackles up like this, she is getting a shot of adrenaline, and this could lead to dog-aggression, AND it's a neurotic behavior and not healthy.
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I can say good girl! Then, a command to come to me. 
