Dog barks like crazy at things outside

Miss_Pixie

I live in a house that has huge floor to ceiling windows at the front. There is a porch on with huge windows, the front door is half glass and the door between the hall and porch is all glass.

My dog is 2 years old. He's always barked when people come to the door, but he's getting worse now.

If he hears a car or a delivery van come into the street, he's up on his hind legs at the door barking excessively. He barks at people just walking past on the footpath, especially if they are walking a dog. We live near a school, so we get lots of people walking past and he barks at all of them.

He's also started doing it when we leave or come back to the house too, even though he can see through the windows that it is one of us returning and not an intruder.

I've got an older dog, who never really barked much, but now she joins in with him. They are not agressive, and greet people in a friendly way once the door is opened. My children bring friends in, and the dogs are quite happy with children running round and petting them.

The barking and noise is doing my head in, and his claws have scratched all the glass where he's been on his hind legs.

Has anyone got any suggestions on how to cure this? I've tried saying no firmly and leading them away from the door when they are barking, and putting them in the utility where they can't see out, but that hasn't worked.

Raksha

In what way has putting them in the utility room not worked? Do they still responed to the noise even though (I assume) they can't see anything?

Are they getting plenty of stimulation in other ways? How much excercise/training a day do they get? What breeds/crosses are they?

Miss_Pixie

A friend said to shut them in the utility for 10 minutes as a punishment. She said dogs are pack animals and don't like being excluded from the rest of the pack. They still bark if they hear something like a car, and they start barking again when I let them out and they see the next person/vehicle that goes past.

They are both mongrels. I think the older one is a collie crossed with a terrier, as she's quite stocky and short haired, but black and white colours. The younger dog looks like collie too, but a bit bigger than a collie and he has very long hair.

They get walked twice a day. There's a large field and some woods close by, so I let them off the leads and they run around for 20-30 mins, so they get plenty exercise.

Raksha

Collies are often stimulated by moving objects, and I'll bet it's the movement that's setting them off. Can you put some kind of frosted sticky back plastic over the lower part of the windows to prevent them seeing out? (Or even paint the lower part of the window). Maybe also turn up the volume on the TV or radio, so they can't hear traffic. Might also be worth looking into a sounds CD so you can train them what you *do* want them to do when they hear traffic.

I'd also think about getting more ball chasing into their day, maybe look at a device called a 'chuck it' which enables you to throw the ball further so they get the opportunity to chase, but under control. To be honest 20-30 mins is not a lot of excercise - I'd be looking at at least an hour a day.

Dogs don't understand the concept of 'punishment' - they do something because it's rewarding at the time, and take the consequences later. What you need to look at is replacing the unwanted behaviour with the opportunity to do something they want to do, with something you find acceptable.

HTH

Miss_Pixie

I had thought about blocking off the bottom of the windows, but then I noticed when both cars are home, he can't see the street when he lies in the hall looking out, so he lies half way up the stairs so he can see over the top of the cars :rolleyes:

They are better on a night time when the curtains are closed and we have the TV or music on.

Thanks for the other suggestions. I will try them and see how it goes.

niceshoes_2

Miss_Pixie wrote: »

I had thought about blocking off the bottom of the windows, but then I noticed when both cars are home, he can't see the street when he lies in the hall looking out, so he lies half way up the stairs so he can see over the top of the cars :rolleyes:



Clever dog!!

I will watch this thread with interest as we have a mini dachshund who also thinks it's fun to bark at people walking by the window..............

steady__eddie

Mine is the same. Unfortunately there is a bus stop outside of my current residence which gives her plenty of scope to warn me of possible bodies who are approaching her territory. She now legs it upstairs and sits on the window sill to get a better view of who the possible encroachers are.
I've been working on the stimulation through exercise bit since I rescued a bicycle just before Christmas. Every Saturday and Sunday we're off along the cut for a 20 miles round trip but to date this does not appear to have made any difference, except to my attempts to give up smoking. Unfortunately I have to be out of the house at 6 a.m. on weekdays so there isn't time to walk her but she has the run of the garden and we do manage an half hours stroll on an evening if the day hasn't taken too much of a toll on me.
She is about 4 years old and one of natures thoroughbreds, I would guess about 90% Jack Russell and her antics have earnt her the name of ASBO.
I have found that while it is not possible to to stop the initial barking, it is possible to shorten it by verbally praising her for alerting me to the presence of strangers.

lturner8

He/she needs some behavioural training (Victoria Stillwell style).

This website should help: http://www.canineconcepts.co.uk/ccp51/cc/dog-behaviour/dog-barking-at-doorbell.shtml

Laura

Kimberley

lturner8 wrote: »

He/she needs some behavioural training (Victoria Stillwell style).

This website should help: http://www.canineconcepts.co.uk/ccp51/cc/dog-behaviour/dog-barking-at-doorbell.shtml

Laura

I liked her, i wish they would make more shows.

lturner8

Me too, she's great.

you guys might find this useful to, copied from the same website:

• Each time your dog barks at a passer-by, after several barks, praise your dog for informing you, then gently ask him or her to be QUIET. If they remain quiet for a few seconds, praise them. You may need to show them a very tasty titbit initially to help them concentrate on you and calm down. Give them the titbit the second they are quiet and slowly increase the amount of time they have to be quiet before giving them the titbit.
• If they continue to bark, raise your voice or use body language to strengthen the command, but praise them as soon as they are quiet.
• It will take a few sessions (depending on the number of visitors you get!) but, over time, build up the duration of time you expect them to be quiet. You might find it useful to count out the seconds as an added means to hold your dog's attention away from the passer-by.
• Always be consistent- many attempts to train a dog to be quiet fail through inconsistency.
• NEVER reprimand dog barking. Only reprimand them for disobeying your command to be quiet. But the second they obey, praise them warmly.

WeirdoMagnet

Some good information there. There's some more ideas here too.

I'd start teaching 'quiet' when there are no other stimuli. When there is already a passer-by there, the dog will be concentrating on that, rather than you. Start by teaching your dog to bark, and use that as the basis to teach the 'quiet' ie. if he's not barking, he's quiet. Once your dog can 'bark' and 'quiet' on command, now is the time to introduce more distractions - gradually move nearer to the door/window, and maybe get someone to help by walking past, then move onto approaching the front door, then knocking on the door and you training him while these things are going on.

The other thing to think about is managing their behaviour whilst you are training them. You don't want them to be practicing the unwanted behaviour at all, so maybe you have to limit where they can and can't go (stairgates are great for this). The use of a distraction can also be a good technique - ie fetching a toy, by use of teaching an alternative behaviour (toy in mouth) the dog can't bark (OK - maybe can bark but not so loud!).