# Barking just to bark?



## JillyBean08 (May 4, 2009)

Hi everyone,

Drake has started a new habit. 

He will bark at ANYTHING even me or my fiance when he doesn't know it is us coming up the basement stairs. He barks at my fiance's brother who lives with us when he walks up the stairs. Is it because dogs eye sight are not very good? 

I honestly do not know how to correct this behavior. He is obviously "caught off guard" and his intitial reaction is to bark. He will bark and walk up to you. 

He barks at people walking by on the sidewalk while he is sitting at our bay window. He stays in the yard off leash at all times and that is when we play with his ball in the yard. But, immediately if someone is walking up to the house (mail man/lady) or walking by on the sidewalk Drake goes into barking mode and starts to head towards them (we stop him). He scares the crap out of people because they think he is being "mean". He did this at my large baby shower. He sat in the garage with 20 people but when someone walked up to the garage from the parked cars he jogged towards them barking. 

I know this is his instinct to protect or to alert us. It just seems to be getting out of hand. I would like to know a way to let Drake know that it isn't bad to bark because I want him to be alert if someone bad were to break in or attack us. Although, I don't want barking at every single person that walks up to us or walks by. 

When the mail lady walked up to the house today with a package she caught us off guard when we were playing ball in the yard. I had to immediately grab Drake by his collar because he started to walk towards her barking. I made him sit and waited for my fiance to get the package at the door. I kept trying to distract Drake with his ball to take his focus off her but he kept focusing right back to her. 

I feel like I am not controlling this sitaution very well and I need to before I have Drake and the baby at the same time some place. 

Is there a way to train Drake to NOT bark at everyone/everything that walks by or approaches us. Yet, keep him trained to do so when someone approaches our door when he is inside. 

Also, need control on the situation with him barking at people who live in the house when they come around the corner or up the basement stairs.

Thanks!

BTW: He gets TONS of socialization and is perfectly fine around crowds of people on and off leash. I THINK it's when he is sort of caught off guard. He is still attending obedience class.


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## Amaruq (Aug 29, 2001)

It could be a "not enough excercise/mental stimulation" issue. One of the best ways to stop incessant barking is to teach him to back on command. Once he barks on command you can give him an "enough" or "quiet" command to stop barking.


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## JillyBean08 (May 4, 2009)

We take him to the park for an hour every day and we have him fetch his ball up large hills and down them. I will admit though I have been slacking during the week on the mental stimulation as far as working on his commands. I will need to get back on track with that. 

Any suggestions on how to begin to train him to bark on command?

Thank you!


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## JillyBean08 (May 4, 2009)

I also read this is his rebellious stage or "teenage" stage. 

6-9months? I believe that is what I read. This might have a lot to do with his behavior so now I just need to be more stern then ever with his commands.


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## Strongheart (May 2, 2007)

There was an article in the Whole Dog Journal about this a while back. You could search their archives for it and buy just that one article. It was really good, having to do with dogs who are overly vocal.

We've had a couple excessive barkers in our time. Frankly, they were also the most endearing dogs. Our current excessive barker has never gotten under control. He is the master of the yard and he barks at anything that comes within 100 yards of it. It's his job. We have not discouraged it. But years ago we adopted two girls who were both excessive barkers and that's why they lost their home. I think it's important to nip this in the bud right away and so Pat Miller's article on it should be very helpful.

Here I looked it up, here's the article I'm thinking of:
http://tinyurl.com/kwpmwf


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## JillyBean08 (May 4, 2009)

Ty, Strongheart! 

Drake is an endearing dog. I love him to pieces!


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Jillian, when you figure this out, let me know! LOL



> Quote:We've had a couple excessive barkers in our time. Frankly, they were also the most endearing dogs. Our current excessive barker has never gotten under control.


Nikon is only 9 months but this is basically how I feel about him. He's just a vocal dog. We allow barking in the yard (except excessive barking along the fence) and are always trying to reinforce that in the house we are quiet and outside we can bark. He barks at toys, when he's playing, at birds, etc. In SchH he never ever had a problem learning to bark and he's had a deep, full bark since he was about 12 weeks. I don't worry about it too much as long as he's not barking all day while I'm at work.


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## JillyBean08 (May 4, 2009)

I dont mind if he barks its just I dont want to scare the crap out of every person who approaches him, lol. 

Granted, he ends up wagging his tail when they start to pet him.

I will say though it is getting irritating when he barks at us in the house when we walk around the corner or up the basement stairs because he doesn't know it is us yet.


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## littledmc17 (Apr 9, 2008)

I know exercise and mental stimulization is one thing
but seriously my B is 4 and barks at everything and anything
I really think he loves to hear himself bark and I exercise him


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## JillyBean08 (May 4, 2009)

Wait let me add to that.

He knows we are in the house yet he still barks when we come walking around a corner. And he just saw us 5 minutes before that!

Strange, lol.


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## GSD07 (Feb 23, 2007)

Barking is a self rewarding behaviour and I do think that it's very enjoyable for the dogs to hear themselves. 

My both dogs are vocal and I know very well how annoying sometimes that barking can be. I allow a few barks and then they have to stop when told so (both know barking on command). At night and early morning they never bark so if they would I would know that something was not right.


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## JillyBean08 (May 4, 2009)

*GSD07*
Please tell me your secret? How did you train your dogs to do that?


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## Strongheart (May 2, 2007)

He might just have a very nice bark. Our Rocky has an impressive bark but he doesn't overdo it. Our Mackie barks until he collapses. We love him but he does drive us nuts sometimes.

I used to have a big dog with the most commanding bark in the neighborhood. I loved to hear him bark but he saved it for when it counted. And every night about 6-7pm, when all the neighborhood dogs were let out after their owners got home, all the dogs would bark to each other. Unfortunately, only our dogs are left of the bark crowd. 

Maybe Drake needs to have some other dogs to bark with? Maybe you should try barking with him? Maybe he's just saying hi or letting you know that he sees you. or maybe he's telling you that you have his permission to keep doing whatever you're doing? That might be a problem. Does he get to be around other dogs much?


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## JillyBean08 (May 4, 2009)

I feel funny admitting this Strongheart but sometimes we do bark with Drake or howl, lol. Just for fun. He sometimes gets a rise out of it and barks a little but nothing excessive.

He has training every Friday which he is around other dogs and sometimes but not often we take him out to my fiances mothers house where he plays with their Springer Spaniel. 

And yes, he has a very nice bark. He doesn't do it to the point where I am pulling my hair out he just sometimes does it at the wrong times.


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## song032005 (Dec 4, 2005)

forrest is a barker too. it doesnt take much for him to warn off things he hears. which i think may be part of the issue. i think for him he tends to go by sound before scent. if scent was the first instinct he used more often i dont think he would bark at people that live in the house that are coming inside. because as soon as they are right in front of him he will stop. but there are times when it doesnt happen and i do notice him working his nose. i think if there is a way to encourage using their scent this may help some, but a talker is a talker and will likely bark more than ones that dont have the need/desire to. i do think it is territoral, some are protectors, if for nothing else its just to warn you.
i do use an anti-bark collar on him outside only. and he knows when its on and doesnt bark so he gets no correction from it. he learned it quickly. another option is dragging a leash that you can grab and move the dog away from their barking target. having the dog meet the mailperson and neighbors to get their scent may also encourage their scent instinct and learn who they are and not see them as an initial threat. so there are lots of options, try a few and see whats works best for you.


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## JillyBean08 (May 4, 2009)

Angie,

Drake actually did meet the neighbor kids that were across the street last night. Marshal was playing ball out front and the kids came over asking to pet Drake.

Drake did bark at them, etc but Marshal kept control and eventually the kids were allowed to approach Drake and pet him. 

I would like to do this with the neighbors next door as well. I think that is a very good idea. 

Now, that I think about it I wish I would of handle todays situation a little different when the mail lady walked up to the house. I wish I wouldn't have stood from afar holding Drake but instead lead him over to the door and let him inside or let her pet him to show him that she is not a bad person.

It was hard with no leash near by and me being pregnant hunching over and walking him into the house. 

I think having a leash nearby at all times is an excellent idea, thank you.


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## JillyBean08 (May 4, 2009)

I found this article on different types of barking and what they mean if anyone is interested in reading it.

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+2085&aid=153


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## song032005 (Dec 4, 2005)

im glad something i wrote was helpful. i think you are on the right track.

great article!!


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## Strongheart (May 2, 2007)

> Originally Posted By: SchotziI feel funny admitting this Strongheart but sometimes we do bark with Drake or howl, lol.


Busted!

No really a lot of us here do that. It's normal dog people stuff. Yes that article touches on some good stuff. He's a puppy and he's discovering his vocal range. What does he do when he hears a siren?


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## JillyBean08 (May 4, 2009)

He actually does nothing when he hears a siren zoom by the house. I use to know a GSD that would howl...but we tried to get Drake to take interest in the siren and no luck.









I think Drake has a huge prey drive. It is showing more and more every day. Especially toward our cat Muffin. Drake will sit afar from the cat and make weird whining noises and follow the cat around the house.

Not sure if prey drive has anything to do with barking?


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## Strongheart (May 2, 2007)

> Originally Posted By: SchotziNot sure if prey drive has anything to do with barking?


Dunno. Rocky has an out of this world prey drive and he sounds like White Fang on steroids when he's targeting his poor prey (usually imaginary).

I'd be worried about the cat. I've known far too many people whose cat was killed by their dog.


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## JillyBean08 (May 4, 2009)

> Originally Posted By: Strongheart
> 
> 
> > Originally Posted By: SchotziNot sure if prey drive has anything to do with barking?
> ...


I watch him and the cat when they are playing. Muffins is like Drake's little brother. I just worry when Drake gets to his full size, but by then maybe he will settle down a bit by Muffin. 

I often tell Drake to "Leave it" if he seems to be playing to rough.


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