Family Dog Randomly Barks at The Kids (shepherd, miniature, vet)
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Really need help with this one. I really don't know what's causing this issue or how to handle it, so most of this long post is background info and info about my dog's daily life to give the full picture:
I rescued a miniature Australian shepherd (21lbs) in late October. We were told he was 7 months at the time, which would make him a little over 1 year right now. He was not in a shelter, but had been passed around a lot and was unwanted due to his pathological shyness. (The current owner was going to take him to a shelter if she couldn't re-home him).
Since I'm a homebody and don't have guests often shyness was something I was willing to deal with, and so far it's not a big problem. He bonded with me almost immediately and slowly warmed up to the kids over a period of about 4 weeks. He was VERY skittish and would get scared if we even praised him too loudly during training. After he settled in fully (about 6 weeks) his real personality came out and he is actually a very lively, happy, affectionate and playful dog. He still doesn't like strangers (especially men, he really has a hang up about men). He acts very scared around them, and if they come in our house he just won't accept it. When my kid's father visited I made a special effort to meet up with him on the sidewalk away from our home so we could all walk to our house together (this was suggested by a trainer as the best way to introduce a new person when the dog is fearful). Despite this, once we got back to the house he barked the. Whole. Time. I put him out back because the weather was nice, and about an hour later we all went out back to join him, because the kids wanted their dad to meet their dog, but he STILL barked. After about 10 minutes he got quite, hiding behind my legs, but any time their dad would walk across the yard or make any sort of move he would start barking again). But we don't have guests often, and most of the time he is either contentedly napping, chewing on a chew toy, or playing with one of us. He has a crate to sleep in but is not kept in there on any regular basis. Since the weather's gotten warmer in the last 2 months we go to the dog park about once a week and go for long walks 4-5 times a week. We also have a good sized back yard which he runs around in daily. I'm aiming to exercise him twice a day, but so far once a day is the best I've been able to do. He does seem to get bored from time to time with destructive chewing of things that are not his and nosing through the trash if there's any sort of meat product in there. All in all life with him is wonderful. He's brought a ton of joy to our family and we wouldn't trade him for the world.
HOWEVER, he has this ongoing behavior pattern where he will randomly act like he doesn't recognize my kids (they are 9 and 11, both boys and tall for their age), and will bark at them as if they are strangers. This isn't barking for attention, it's that sheep-dog ar-roo-roo-roo-rooo frantic baking they do when they see a threat. He has done this when they walk into my bedroom, or when they've been playing outside and re-enter the house. He seems to do it with one son more than the other (sadly the one who most wanted a dog and who is most hurt by this rejection). He first did this in December, shortly after he really settled in and relaxed in our home. At that time it seemed the barking was motivated by trying to protect me (he's VERY attached to me and follows me everywhere. I made extra efforts to show him that the kids were important to me and that he should be nice to them. After a couple months of sporadic barking in Dec/Jan he stopped for several months. Last week he started again. The other day my son came in my room and the barking got so bad that even after I told him "no" he didn't stop. My son was standing by my bed where I was sitting, we were trying to have a conversation and the dog kept interrupting up barking like he was an intruder. We did what we normally do and talked to him sweetly and my son gave him some pets and behind the ear scratches, but that didn't work this time. He acted normal and stopped barking only momentarily then started right back up again. I told him to stop and "no" several times before finally yelling at him and put him in his crate (this was the fist time I've EVER punished him or yelled at him). I felt terrible afterward because he looked SO sad and scared. I don't want to deal with problems with punishment, but I've seriously run out of ideas.
I tried to think of what would have caused him to start up again. The only change in his life was that we got a kitten a week before he started barking again. He wanted to chase her and use her for a chew toy at first, but he was behaving well enough around her by the end of the first four days that we could let them both run free in the house. He was never punished or denied attention because of the kitten (or for any other reason), but it was a big strain of his self control.
It just breaks my and my kid's hearts that he barks at them. The kids cry when he does it not because they are scared of him, but because they feel like he doesn't like them. When he barks at them like this they talk to him sweetly and call him over, and he usually stops barking and greets them normally, wagging his tail etc once the kids get close to him. I've told them he just gets scared because of how he was mistreated in the past (that's the best explanation I can come up with), but as a mom I'm scared that he could get physically aggressive since I have NO IDEA why a family dog would bark at members of his own family like this. He NEVER barks at me like this.
I can say with 100% certainty that he has NEVER been mistreated by my kids or myself. I'm with them 24/7 and they both are such animal lovers they won't even let me kill spiders. I can't speak for what might have happened to him before we took him in though. We do think he was mistreated, because if any one of us picks up a large object like a broom, baseball bat or even a large water bottle he will act scared or bark at it (with me he acts scared, if the kids pick up something like this he barks at them aggressively). The other day my one son burst into the bathroom pointing a water gun at my other son, pretending he was a robber. The dog FREAKED OUT and barked at the son playing the robber intensely. This was the 2nd time that same scenario happened in the last 5 months. I've told them they can't play like that around the dog, but being young boys this is not very realistic. I honestly think he has some sort of canine PTSD. To me, his specific fears seems to suggest he witnessed domestic violence of some sort, maybe even a robbery. Am I reading too much into this? Is there some other obvious explanation I'm overlooking? And the biggest question of all: How can I help him stop doing this? What should I do?
I've already asked the vet and he wasn't any help, just shrugged off my concerns and said there's not much I can do. He doesn't believe desensitization training works, for example.
The only medical issue that I can think of that may come in to play is that the vet could tell from his teeth that he had distemper at a VERY young age (prior to 6 or 8 weeks). I know distemper can cause seizures later in life (he hasn't had any that I know of), but I have been unable to find anything linking distemper with behavior like this. Another theory I have is that maybe he just has an extremely shy/reserved temperament and gets really stressed out with any sort of change in his life or too much stimulation. One thing he does leads me to believe this might be the case: after we get home from our walks (which he loves) he goes straight to my room and hides under my bed. It's as if he's had to much stimulation and needs a dark, quiet environment for awhile.
I just need to know what to do for him so he won't take his anxieties out on the kids. And we're going to be moving soon so that will be a huge stressor for him. I'd like to get a handle on this before we're faced with the biggest change we will have ever gone through with him.
Any and all suggestions/perspectives are appreciated!!
Last edited by sammichsammich; 05-12-2017 at 01:34 AM..
Since your boys are tall, he may think of them as kindasorta men but he's not quite positive.
Add in actually possible brain issue that comes and goes from abuse as a puppy. Can you imagine probably separated from his pack so young and beaten at some point with no protection and having to figure it out for himself.
I see something by your description of when he barks. When the boys come in from outside,they have a whole world of different smells going on from out there. One whiff is thousands of individual smells for a dog. And to a young dog who doesn't know all the smell possibilities yet, these might be entirely new people here to hurt him. He's got to assimilate all these smells in his damaged little self.
And barking when the boys-kinda-men come into your bedroom. Ah, where his love sleeps defenselessly.
And when they play robber.
Poor little damaged guy is trying to figure things out as he recovers somewhat from abuse. Just a week as a puppy is like a few years for humans. So much is formed in their perception.
See if you can take a class in dog training. A lot of dog training is really people training. Someone needs to be an alpha and a good alpha for this little guy. That's you. Firm but protective.
You're perceptive in your observations. Imagine a human child with no safe place. People attacking him and each other. Blowing his little mind. You can help him refocus and improve. Maybe not perfect, maybe going back to the bad times in his mind when things are unfamiliar but helping an abused dog is a great thing.
Since your boys are tall, he may think of them as kindasorta men but he's not quite positive.
Add in actually possible brain issue that comes and goes from abuse as a puppy. Can you imagine probably separated from his pack so young and beaten at some point with no protection and having to figure it out for himself.
I see something by your description of when he barks. When the boys come in from outside,they have a whole world of different smells going on from out there. One whiff is thousands of individual smells for a dog. And to a young dog who doesn't know all the smell possibilities yet, these might be entirely new people here to hurt him. He's got to assimilate all these smells in his damaged little self.
And barking when the boys-kinda-men come into your bedroom. Ah, where his love sleeps defenselessly.
And when they play robber.
Poor little damaged guy is trying to figure things out as he recovers somewhat from abuse. Just a week as a puppy is like a few years for humans. So much is formed in their perception.
See if you can take a class in dog training. A lot of dog training is really people training. Someone needs to be an alpha and a good alpha for this little guy. That's you. Firm but protective.
Thank you for your insight. I also think his intent is to be protective of me. I just don't understand how he can play with the boys one minute, all of them having tons of fun, and then an hour later act like he doesn't know them.
We've done training at home, but haven't taken a class. The ones around here have an age limit and are for puppies only but I'll keep looking, even if we have to go out of town.
It's and Aussie so that's a working dog and he should have herding instincts. What you describe is behavior more likley to extend from that breeding. Aussies and Heelers will move cattle in a unique way that involves barking and herding. He is going to need some type of job to fulfill that purpose, or he will not feel that sense of accomplishment and achievement that a working dog has. Not likely to have any relation to what he has "witnessed" in the past. Take a look on Youtube of some videos of Aussies moving cattle and you will see what they do.
Sounds like you have a shy/fearful dog, possibly a result of not enough early socialization, possible genetic inclination towards shy, and add in being in a busy over-the-top household that he simply can't handle. It is just too much stimulation for him and on top of it he is put into situations he can't handle.
Find a certified veterinary behaviorist who will be able to objectively observe your dog's behavior and provide a behavior modification plan that, yes, would include desensitization and counter-conditioning as well as a management plan. Alternately, find a CPDT certified trainer who has a background in working with shy/fearful dogs.
Medication may be useful as a bridge to help keep your dog in "thinking" brain instead of "instinct/fight or flight" brain so that he can learn while you are working on the behavior modification protocols.
Here is Debbie Jacobs' website- she specializes in fearful dogs and has good resources: Fearfuldogs.com
Sounds like you have a shy/fearful dog, possibly a result of not enough early socialization, possible genetic inclination towards shy, and add in being in a busy over-the-top household that he simply can't handle. It is just too much stimulation for him and on top of it he is put into situations he can't handle.
Find a certified veterinary behaviorist who will be able to objectively observe your dog's behavior and provide a behavior modification plan that, yes, would include desensitization and counter-conditioning as well as a management plan. Alternately, find a CPDT certified trainer who has a background in working with shy/fearful dogs.
Medication may be useful as a bridge to help keep your dog in "thinking" brain instead of "instinct/fight or flight" brain so that he can learn while you are working on the behavior modification protocols.
Here is Debbie Jacobs' website- she specializes in fearful dogs and has good resources: Fearfuldogs.com
Actually, I think having the boys take a training class could be helpful. They will be more confident around him when he has his meltdowns and develop a stronger bond with him. You'd have to find a trainer who was up for two kids being in their class, but it's possible.
Another option is getting him involved in an activity. My roommate's super-shy cattle dog gained confidence and deepened her bond with my roommate by doing flyball. Agility or nosework would also be helpful. I don't even compete in the latter two, but they have greatly improved my bond with my dogs.
It's and Aussie so that's a working dog and he should have herding instincts. What you describe is behavior more likley to extend from that breeding. Aussies and Heelers will move cattle in a unique way that involves barking and herding. He is going to need some type of job to fulfill that purpose, or he will not feel that sense of accomplishment and achievement that a working dog has. Not likely to have any relation to what he has "witnessed" in the past. Take a look on Youtube of some videos of Aussies moving cattle and you will see what they do.
I did consider this, and viewed several of these videos when we first got him (and again this morning after reading your reply). The type of barking he's doing with the kids really doesn't seem to match this. With the boys it's a "stand in one place and sound the intruder alarm" type bark, not running around with a bark here and there...
I've read that some people with herding dogs kept as pets will give them indoor jobs to do to fulfill that need to work, and that is something we could try, though.
Actually, I think having the boys take a training class could be helpful. They will be more confident around him when he has his meltdowns and develop a stronger bond with him. You'd have to find a trainer who was up for two kids being in their class, but it's possible.
Another option is getting him involved in an activity. My roommate's super-shy cattle dog gained confidence and deepened her bond with my roommate by doing flyball. Agility or nosework would also be helpful. I don't even compete in the latter two, but they have greatly improved my bond with my dogs.
A training class with the boys sounds like a good idea. I wasn't able to find a class that accepted dogs as old as him when we got him, or any place nearby that does agility or other dog sports. We're planning on moving soon and hopefully our new location will have more options for dog training and sports.
In the meantime I do think that he might behave better if the boys would work with him more one on one. I nag them about it all the time, but perhaps I should put my foot down and insist. We have an excellent dog training book they can learn from. I think I'll have them do that today.
I'm eager to know if you figure it out. My dachshund, from foster, is a mellow guy. We got him at age 3, and he never even barked until we'd had him 3-4 months. He has never growled or nipped, ever.
We have a calm, adult household. He loves my husband but when my husband comes in from outside, or just from another room, the dog starts barking at him. Other than that, they're good buddies.
We can't figure it out. The behavior didn't start until he'd been with us over a year.
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