barking!!!

[rogue]

Hi anyone got any suggestions on how to stop a gobby gsd male from barking as its driving us to distraction, ps have three other quieter gsd's!

[May209]

New to the gsd what kind is that?????

[Carol]

German Shepherd Dog I think

[k9mania]

Is there a trigger to the barking? What has your response been to date? You could click and treat the dog everytime when it is out there and it does not bark. There are some bark collars that emit citronella.

[Ilovemydogs]

You could say Bah too each time your dog starts barking. Sooner or later your german Shepherd will listen and stop barking when you say Bah.

I use bah when i am working with my dogs too and even in the house if they are barking and duke will stop.

The Bah has to be loud and quick so your dog knows whos boss.

[Suz23]

Depends why when and where the dog is barking. Maybe you can provide a little more info.

[toppers]

I have daxies who, as they are hounds, can be quite vocal. I use a trigger word to stop the barking which happens to be 'quiet'. I don't say it loud as this reinforces the barking- if you shout they think you are joining in. I got a new daxie who loved to bark so I reinforced my training with treats and a plastic bottle half filled with gravel. When she barked I said 'quiet' in a low voice, if she stopped she got a treat, if she persisted in barking then I shook the bottle and said 'quiet' again the noise from the bottle startled her and got her attention on to me. It took a week to train her the command.
I allow my dogs to bark at certain things (strangers on the property)as this is natural but I tell them when to stop!

[skippygurl00]

german sheperds have a strong guard instinct and tend to be big barkers.there are different types of barking collars available that will help train your dog to bark less.maybe more walks will help as some dogs bark out of boredom

[shell]

Distaction is the key; I grew up with shepherds. Fortunately they weren't barkers- they were all RCMP-trained. My Miniature Dachshund x however, was a major barker. Every time he started I would quietly say "Bandit, Enough". Then I would throw his tennis ball. We are now to the point where he might let out a little yip, but then he'll drop his ball on my foot. For a 10-mth-old hound x, I figure thats pretty good.

[Carol]

Yes the distraction tactic works on Jake my JackaBea
as well. He lets out a yip to warn me that someone
or something is happening outside but if I quietly say
"enough" he just sort of growls or yips real softly.
But some dogs bark and some don't. casey is not a
barker unless he gets her really excited with his barking
at someone at the door.
I figure I am lucky I do not have 2 dogs that start yapping
as soon as they are outside and do not stop until they are
brought back inside. I have neighbours with dogs that
bark at everything that breathes or moves and it can get
very tiresome for the rest of us.

[paula]

Hi anyone got any suggestions on how to stop a gobby gsd male from barking as its driving us to distraction, ps have three other quieter gsd's!
Have you tried the PET CORRECTOR You just press it and it gives a hissing noise. Max is not a constant barker but sometimes does it for atention. One click of the can and he stops. Mind you now i only have to pick the can up and he stops the barking [8out of 1o times]
You can buy it from ebay for £5;99 or from PETS AT HOME at a slightly dearer price.
Good luck:)

[joba1984]

Hi i found this on a website i hope it helps:

Unwanted barking is one of the most common behavior problems in dogs. It is normal for dogs to vocalize and bark from time to time but many times this behavior escalates much to the frustration of many dog owners. There are many causes of unwanted barking. First you must determine why your dog is barking before you can begin a program of retraining. You may need help from your animal behaviorist or veterinarian to do this.

One cause of unwanted barking is attention seeking barking. You may have inadvertently reinforced this behavior if as a pup your dog barked a lot and you gave him attention to try and stop the behavior. As an older dog, he may be exhibiting this behavior because he is left alone for long periods of time, does not have appropriate stimulation or exercise, or is an active dog that needs to have a job to be happy.

If you suspect this is the cause of your dog's unwanted barking behavior, you can start to retrain him by making sure first and foremost that he is getting enough exercise. Make sure to take daily walks - this also allows him to explore the world around him which is good mental exercise as well. If you have a local dog park, take your dog there and let him socialize with other dogs and people. Take an obedience class - this is good for mental stimulation and will help you to better communicate with your dog. Provide many interesting toys to keep your dog busy while you are not around. Make sure to spend one on one time with your dog on a daily basis and make it fun so that your dog learns that he doesn't need to bark to get your attention.

Another cause of excessive barking is as a response to something that your dog is afraid of. Many dogs bark during thunderstorms or around unfamiliar people. If your dog is barking as a response to thunderstorms or other loud noises, provide him with a safe place he can go in these situations such as a crate. Make his safe place fun by providing good treats such as a Kong filled with peanut butter to keep him occupied. Play a radio or the television at a low level to help mask the noise. If your dog is barking at unfamiliar people, help him get over this fear by enlisting the help of your friends and neighbors. Have them walk by and approach your dog. Have them ask him to sit, and when he does so without barking, have them give him a treat.

Pretty soon, your dog will learn to associate unfamiliar people with treats and will learn new positive behaviors. If your dog barks at people and noises that are coming from outside the house, you may want to limit his access to rooms with windows. This will help cut down on the unwanted barking behavior.

If your dog is barking when you're not home, it could be due to separation anxiety. If your dog is especially attached to you or has recently experienced a situation of change in his routine such as divorce, a move, or a death in the family, this could be the case. To remedy this kind of barking behavior, you will need to start a course of desensitization. You can begin to do this by taking very small trips such as just out to the mailbox and back, while leaving fun toys and yummy treats for your dog. As your dog learns to behave while you're gone, slowly increase the length of time you are gone.

To check and see if your dog is barking when you're gone, you may need to use a tape recorder or enlist the help of your neighbors. Separation anxiety often needs to be treated with medication as well as desensitization. If you suspect your dog is barking due to separation anxiety, please consult your veterinarian or animal behaviorist.

Some people choose to treat their dog's unwanted barking problems with bark collars. The most humane bark collar available today is the citronella collar. These bark collars work by spraying harmless citronella in your dog's face whenever he barks. Studies show a very high rate of success with the use of these kinds of collars. Using a citronella collar for a period of time can help to reinforce more positive behaviors.

There are many training tips and tools available to help you replace unwanted barking with more positive behaviors. If you need more information, consult your veterinary staff or pet professional.

<a href="http://www.i-love-dogs.com/dogsarticles.html">Dog Article</a> courtesy of I-Love-<a href="http://www.i-love-dogs.com/">Dogs</a>.com

[pennycantu]

i have a small dog that would bark at night. we put a bark collar on him when we didn't want him to bark. it's now learned behavior. the bark collar did emit an electric shock. it is vibration sensitive and is placed over the vocal chords. what happens is the dog barks and the collar beeps giving a warning, well the first time the dog doesn't pay attention to the beep so he barks again, the second bark gives a beep and a shock. it only took 2 or 3 times for my dog to learn. now when he's in the kennel, he doesn't bark at all. he does still bark outdoors or running in the house. dont' be fooled by people who tell you the shock collars will stop him from barking all together. they wont. after you use the collar, you can buy a little remote sounder/trainer. it doesn't shock the dog but does emit a beep. if he barks and was responsive to the shock collar, then he'll understand that the beep means to be quiet.

by far this is the easiest and quickest way in my opinion although most people will scrutenize me for doing this. and yes i did shock myself before putting the collar on him. it did hurt but i learned not to bark too lol!