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Our new dog, lab/pitbull, from the shelter has been with us 1 week and still hasn't barked. He doesn't bark to go out and doesn't bark to alert us that someone's at the door. He has a voice because he howls when he thinks he's alone. Can a dog be trained to bark once so when know when someone is approaching the house?
Trust me, NEVER teach your dog to bark. You'll create a monster.
I just had a session with my dog's trainer this afternoon (he has issues with big dogs and bicycles, but we're working on that) and she said it was the single behavior she would NEVER recommend. I taught my pug to bark and now you can't shut him up. She said the only way to teach it is to also teaching him to STOP barking (i.e. by rewarding the silence!).
Your dog might not be barking at people approaching because he just might need more time to realize it's 'his' house!
Um, you can borrow my dog, he'll get the hang of it fast, LOL! If he's young, he may have lived in an apartment or condo and was discouraged from barking. It's something I think that will develop in time, much like puppies going down stairs, etc. He may be a little unsure of himself right now as he's in a new situation and is just learning the ropes.
As far as his barking to tell you he has to go out, mine don't always do that, sometimes they'll give me 'that look' or if I"m not paying attention, will run toward the back door etc, as long as he's not having accidents in the house, it's nothing I'd worry about, we just take ours out before we go out, after they eat, when we come home etc.
Give the dog time. I have several rescues and they did not bark when they first came home. Most were stressed out after being in a kennel at the animal shelter. I have some that bark to go out and others that look at me and then go to the door, then back to look at me until I get the message.
They all bark now when they see or hear someone at the door. ViralMD is right,..the barking can be a pain too. I wish they would bark only at strangers and not everyone who comes to the door.
My boxer is a mute and I love it!!! The only time my girl barks is when I run the sweeper. When people come to the house, or pass by, she just stands very still and stares at them in the show dog "stack" stance. It does make her look very intimidating, so I guess she doesn't need to bark anyway.
I just got off the phone with my friend, and her dogs barked almost the entire time we talked because the kids were playing outside. If I had to listen to that barking all the time I would lose it!
Give the dog time. I have several rescues and they did not bark when they first came home. Most were stressed out after being in a kennel at the animal shelter. I have some that bark to go out and others that look at me and then go to the door, then back to look at me until I get the message.
They all bark now when they see or hear someone at the door. ViralMD is right,..the barking can be a pain too. I wish they would bark only at strangers and not everyone who comes to the door.
Keeper is correct. Shelter dogs have a 'honeymoon period' where they are very calm and very quiet and do all they can to blend in to the wall paper, for fear they'll be returned to the shelter. Once they realize they are part of your family you'll start to see the dogs true personality.
And once he's accepted that this is his home and that you love him and accept him and he's not going to leave, he'll begin to protect his pack and his territory. It's something that comes natural to dogs.
Remember your dog was abused and this may be one thing he was punished for. As Mrs1885 said, once the honeymoon is over, he may come into his personality.
I agree with all of the above. Soon, much like a baby, he'll develop different types of barks to communicate with you. Max has a bark that says "I'm terrified of thunder! Let me come in to your room!", one that says "Let's play!", another that says "I'm done doing my business, I want to come in", a whine that means "I'm bored", etc. etc. He'll get the hang of things, and when he's comfortable that he's at his forever home, he'll start being more protective of it and its occupants.
What you're all saying makes sense. Only one other dog I've owned came from a shelter so I don't have much experience. We'll see what he's like in a month. Poor guy probably was punished for barking among other things.
SunInHair, my puppa was a quiet fella when we brought him home from the shelter but he's found his voice since and now we're busy trying to teach him when to bark and when not to. He's great with letting us know that someone is at the door AND he even has different ways of reacting depending on who it is. An unknown person at the door or walking up the path is barked at, someone that he knows is usually the cause for much excited whimpering and whining and a whole lot of skipping around and tail wagging until he can get to them and lick them HELLO!
Now if only we could just teach him NOT to bark at EVERY poor, unsuspecting neighbour out for a peaceful stroll!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Viralmd
I just had a session with my dog's trainer this afternoon (he has issues with big dogs and bicycles, but we're working on that).....
Sorry to divert the topic but can I just ask you about this Viralmd? What is the training procedure for stopping them having issue with big dogs and with bicycles in particular?
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