Barking

sarabe

gettingready wrote: »

I do nto thing this is the same way of working of the gadget - how could this one keep cats away when it only produces a sound when a dog is barking?

This one does produce sound that is not possible to hear by humans (or cats - to keep them away) so ... how would you know your dogs are setting it off?

I know the outdoor ones are different to the indoor ones.

Thanks

This one is set off by movement and it is a very high pitched sound but you can hear it. I imagined the one you mentioned would make the same sort of noise but perhaps not.

gettingready

Yes Saras, 2 sec of some sort of noise which will be difficult to judge as humans do not hear it - dogs and cats hear it, it is activated by barking only, not by movement.

Will watch Zara and Tiger when it arrives of course.

gettingready

Just an update - this "gadget" has arrived today, got a 9V battery for it (not included), activated manually to a pure amusement of both Zara and Tiger who came over to see what was that "thingy" making a weird, very quiet buzzing/vibrating noise.

I can only assume it is faulty as humens should not hear it (I did) and pets should nto like it (my 2 loved it)

Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

CFC

I think you might have to grit your teeth and try an anti barking collar which will give Zara a second's unpleasantness and shock. Before anyone calls it cruel, it would be far far crueller to let Zara put you in a situation in which yourself, your daughter and your animals are homeless or pooch is in a rescue.

I also think you should 'fess up about the other 'issues' as they may well be linked and you need to get a grip on Zara. The possibility of losing your home is the most frightening one of all and the council will not usually be sympathetic if other tenants complain, as I'm sure you're already horridly aware.

How about one along these lines?
http://www.petplanet.co.uk/product_group.asp?dept_id=626&pg_id=1176

gettingready

CFC _ I was looking at those particulr collars as they are spray collars, not electric shock collars (which I would never use)

As to "confessing other issues with Zara" - I dhere we go....

She pulls on a lead as a horse - for a start. She acts like the park is gonna close if she does not get there in 2 sec flat:rolleyes:

She generally has issues with lead as such:

Whe she is on a lead - every dog is an enemy. She barks, tries to stand on her back legs, heir up, teeth out, the whole works. BUT - if I let her off the lead even at that particular monet, she stops and ... plays with the dog she was "ready to kill" or just ignores him/her. She does that regardless of the fact if she knows a prticular dog or never met him/her before

When she is off the lead and sees another dog on a lead - she runs up to the dog barking and circling (well, trying anyway).

Off the lead Zara is an angel with ONE exeption - big black long haired dogs (Rusian Terries, Schnaucers, Bouvier etc). Seeing one fo those she runs up to them baring and circling.

I have had her since she was 16 weeks old and there was no traumas in her life as far as I know (I assume if anythign happened with a dogwalker I would have been informed or seen the signs of any attack on her)

Zara has NEVER bitten a dog (or nipped even) - just so we are clear on this one.

She does not chase bikes or joggers, she is great witk all people and kids.

She goes out about 4 times per day (we live in a flat so she has no access to a garden) - I take her out for about an hour before work, the dog walker takes her out for an hour lunchtime, I take her out for an hour after work and then late evening quick trip for a wee.

She is friendly with other dogs (apart from big black hairy ones) and either plays with them or ignores them - even when they bark mad at her and try to nip her ankles (small dogs tend to do that and their crazy owners think it is funny.... grrrrrr - they are lucky Zara does not chase the little ones back, she could easily choce on one grrrr).

She loves her ball and will drop it at anyone's feet waiting for someone to kick it for her.

She is not protecting her food, shares the treats with dogs we meet - known to her and new but is very protective over her ball, her ball is the greatest treasure.

She gest on very well with my cat (took the cat a year to get used to her - she wanted to be friends with him from the start but it was the cat who would not have her anywhere near, now they groom each other and sleep together - and she nicks his food of course).

She is not alone for very long as my daughter is at home a lot - I have a dog walker as my daughter is a tiny spider and can not hold Zara on a lead, landed on her butt on a kerb once and refuses to take her out by herself - for a 19 yo that was quite embarassing.

Not sure what else to write about Zara, she is a lovely dog but that barking is driving ME mad. There is only 6 flats in my staircase, people below me (2 flats) love Zara to bits and say nothign bothers them, people above me (2 flats) are the same - it is the lot opposite me that forever winge but they do nto like dogs full stop so anything (dog hair on the staircase that I personally sweep/mop twice per week and careteker does the same onec per week) bothers them. And another "little old dear concerened about the welfare of my dog" from round the corner......who feels that people who work should not have dogs - she is the one that tries to "report" Zara barking for the past 2 years. She got nowhere so far as she does not even live here but if she gets talking to the lot opposite me......

Zara knows when I go out to work, she may bark once or twice and then stops. But God forbids if I want to pop in to see one of the neighbours - the hell breaks loose (even if we just got back from a walk) or go out anywhere at all (apart from work) so I am practically under house arrest due to her barking the place down.

One day I had to go with my friend to take Bruno the rottie (another thread here) to his prospective owner, I left at 9 am (Saturday) and called my neighbour at 12 noon - Zara was still barking, constantly since 9 am wyhen I left.

So here I am trying to work out some sort of a solution.

I do not want my dog to be distressed (leave radio or TV on, close the curtains so she does not bark at/to passing dogs, leave her a nice kong filled with nice stuff etc etc), I do not want to upset neighbours and I definitely do nto want to end up in a situation that will force me to have to give up Zara....

gettingready

Sorry, I just realised I should niot post after 1 am - my spelling sucks after 1 am

ixwood

I think she just thinks you're weak and a liability and therefore feels the need to take charge of the situation. You need to be more assertive. Show her that you're the boss, you have things under control and she doesn't need to be on guard.

When she barks, make a point of having a look at where the noise came from and then saying "It's Okay. That's enough now" (to show her that you're aware there's someone there, have investigated, but decided it's not a threat). The second she barks again, sharply turn your head to her, make eye contact with a serious face and say sternly "i said that's enough.". If she barks again, then order/send her to another room and leave her there until she's been quiet for a minute or 2. She should quickly learn that you're in control of the situation and barking unnecessarily doesn't get the desire result.

As for the attention seaking barking, rather than protective, I'd do something similar. Say that's enough the 1st time, then into another room or away from you somewhere the next. it's her way of controlling you and the situation. You need to take control back.

You shouldn't let her pull on the lead, or even be ahead of you. In dog terms, Leaders lead and followers follow. You need to lower her excitement levels before leaving the flat with her. She needs to learn that you won't actually leave until she is calm and submissive.

Does she go on furniture or climb all over people?

Although she's not aggressive to you, I do think she thinks you're weak and that she needs to assume control. Be more assertive generally. don't let her on the furniture or beds, Make her wait and let you go through doorways 1st, don't allow any barging, climbing or herding, make her sit and wait for her food until you say she can have it etc.

loobyloo2

Hi, Oh dear, I do feel for you.
I had my young boy showing similar behaviour a while ago. He pulled like crazy too, and living around here (not too far from you) I found alot of people were scared of me walking past them. I tried so many different things as you do, but finally went right back to the basics and trotted off to a respected gundog trainer in Wales, made a weekend of it with 4 hours training each of the 3 days. Now I'm not suggesting you go to Wales(even though it is lovely), but going right back to basics.
You do need to show Zara that you are in charge,I now start the 'walk' as a training session, only for a few minutes, but it makes them calm down.
Try to find training classes, and do go right back to the beginning.
With the tennis ball, I would make it mine, not hers, then only let her play with it when you are ready, take it off her and finish the game before she tires of it, put it away, then at home give her different toys to play with.

I have two (3 at the moment)of those great big black shaggy dogs that Zara dislikes, it is common that other dogs don't like them and attack them, so mine also had to deal with that, and still do on a daily basis, but teaching sit and stay regardless of what is going on is one of the most important things. Wish you luck.

CFC

I think Loobyloo makes some excellent points. Zara is being a naughty girl pulling on the lead and as that is a simple thing to start with (not necessarily easy in terms of getting the lesson home and getting consistent behaviour, but simple in terms of how to actually train it) perhaps you should start with that one.

She needs to be more obedient generally, I do think that whatever the problems are then a bit of obedience drilling puts them back into their place and at least that then gives you a place to start. I don't think that people necessarily need an obedience training class - if it is difficult to get to one then there are plenty of books and online resources, once you've got the basics down pat you could always consult a trainer 1-1 for help with the barking.

My old dog would be aggressive and lippy on occasion to other dogs on a lead, or when he was on a lead himself. I do not think it is uncommon althouogh I do not know why it happens. I should never have put up with it but I was young and he was a much loved family pet. I've got more right wing in respect of dogs training as I've got older

foreign_correspondent

CFC wrote: »

My old dog would be aggressive and lippy on occasion to other dogs on a lead, or when he was on a lead himself. I do not think it is uncommon althouogh I do not know why it happens. I should never have put up with it but I was young and he was a much loved family pet. I've got more right wing in respect of dogs training as I've got older

The problem is, when you try and train a dog using aversive methods, it is not unusual that it either becomes submissive and scared, (and may indeed appear to behave better around that one particular issue), but an unhappy dog will generally start to display this unhappiness in other ways, or, even more worryingly, the dog becomes scared and aggressive. If your dog was aggressive and noisy due to fear, any aversive training would only have re-inforced in his mind that there was something to be scared of...