advice, barking dog.

pixysarah

Hey first time posting on this board, hopefully i can get some good advice
my mums jack russel has started barking at everything and anything, it started after she had her 2nd litter of pups and has been on going for the last few months.

she barks at anyone that comes into our yard even if she knows them, she will also bark when she is inside the house at any little noise! she is not aggresive in anyway and if its someone she knows she will stop barking at them but if its someone she doesn't know she will continue to bark at them and not heed any of my mums commands so that she finally ends up being put inside or into another room.

as my mum is considering getting a new dog after our bull mastiff died nearly two years ago (she has only come round to the idea of getting one now as alot of thought has gone into it) she would like to stop the jack russels bahaviour so she doesn't pass it onto the new dog.

so how do we stop her barking? she wont come when she is called when she is barking but will other wise, she kind of gets herself into a fit of barking. shock collars ect are not a option. thanks
ps sorry about the long post...

barbiegirl

Would a spray collar help as it seems to be a habit at this stage. The one that just sprays water

LucyBliss

We have a terrier cross who will bark at anything. It's a little amusing when people come to visit and Rosie sets the other two off. Then when the visitor(s) actually sit down, she comes over and looks all endearing and quiet and people say how great she is and that they prefer her to the other noisy two! I want to shriek "But she's the instigator! Don't look directly in her eyes or she'll have you right where she wants you!!"

When it comes to barking, I have found that you have to reprimand them when they do it. All the time. Ours are mostly indoors, but I do have them out in the garden when the weather is fine and even then I have to go out and shush them. It has definitely lessened the worst of their barking frenzies but they will bark at noises. I don't mind so much because if people know that we have dogs, hopefully we're in less danger of being robbed but I need them to be able to zip it when I tell them.

So I find a combination of giving them a command and then redirecting them, either with a treat or a toy that they then have to sit and wait for, or go find. I also find that when they are really into their barking mode, I have to go to them, hunker down to their level, put my hand on their chest and back firmly but not roughly, and tell them NO! Rosie will always give a couple of barks as she looks at me, but she's tenacious that way. The other two stop pretty quickly when I do it to them.

Best of luck. It can take a lot of persistence and sometimes it's like talking to a brick wall, especially with a terrier and their inability to give up without a fight! But that's their nature really, isn't it?!

pixysarah

thanks very much guys, sorry im only getting back to ye now had a busy few days!!
iv never heard of a spray collar barbiegirl will definitely look it to that thanks very much.
i know lucybliss thats just terriers full stop, they never give up lol but thats why we love them aswel! we have never tried actually getting down to her level and talking to her and redirecting her attention, i suppose the visitors will have to be patient with us while we train her!! thanks very much!

RubyGirl

http://www.argos.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Search?storeId=10152&catalogId=13352&langId=111&searchTerms=bark

If u have tried everything else, I would go with the bark collar aswell. I have one and it's gud, cattle mostly set mine off and once the collar goes on he stops (it's actually turned off).

You could try a kid's water gun aswell, might work outdoors just dont let him see you doing it. He'll relate the squirt with the water when he barks and not you doing it to him, (so hide).

pixysarah

thanks for the link rubygirl! ya cattle, horses, people doesn't take much to set her off lol think we might try the spray collar if noting else works as we are not always outside with her!

RubyGirl

Just a thought, are any of her pup's still living with ye? Is she barking to warn them of danger maybe?

pixysarah

no there all gone about 6months now, dont know what trigged it she just the barking after her 2nd litter she never did it before was always very placid!

Skadi

Our dog took to barking once she decided that she was more dominant than our older dog. She took it upon herself to bark at anything outside that she didn't like. Luckily the dominance didn't last long (no more than a few weeks) as I think she found being the leader to hard.

It could be that your dog thinks that she has to guard the house even though her puppies are all gone. Has she shown any other signs of dominance?

doggiewalker00

its typical behaviour for JR,especially if thier only a pup.

Dont go down the collar shock spray water etc,its far from pleasant for the dog and thier are a far lot better ways to go.

if the dog is barking for your attention (wanting you to play,throw thier toys etc best thing to do is ignore them turn your back to them,theyll probably start barking like mad wait until they stop give them lots of praise etc throw ball good boy/girl.....be over enthusiastic when theyr quiet.theyll learn very quickly to settle down so they get what they want.

shes not trying to be dominant and defend her "territory" by barking shes just curious. try putting the behaviour on cue as in "speak" "shush" and i dont just mean shout and give out when thier barking youll just make it worse

heres a good article that will work try it
http://http://www.dogstardaily.com/training/jazz-and-settle-down

pixysarah

hey skadi, yes i suppose now that you mention it she has kind of taken over the role of boss since i left home with my dog who would have been the the boss which was also around the same time she had her puppys! its all becoming very clear now lol but she isn't really showing any other forms of dominance!

hey doggiewalker00, she 2yrs so not really a pup but still pretty young! yea where going to try train her first to stop the barking only problem is when its a stranger shes barking at she doesn't stop at all while their there, constant barking until they leave or we put her in another room, distracting her doesn't work either she pretty much ignores you! thanks for the link will have a read now!

cena

My dog barks at anything that come near the hedge at the back garden. there's now horses there and taken too running after them if they come anywhere near the hedge. Don't know whos them, they were there sat morning. neighbour came out this morning about him. Don't know how I can stop him. He's always done this.