help with terrier!

[diamondsrock]

I was informed via a nasty note on my door yesterday that two of my neighbors have a problem with my barking schnauzer. No one in the neighborhood had ever complained, but apparently these people have been upset about this for several months and were just waiting for me to figure it out on my own. They said I should have known it bothered them but honestly I didn''t because they never talked to me about it. I told them I would do everything I could to curb the barking and apologized for the inconvenience. Frankly, I''m hurt they didn''t just ask me in the beginning rather than foster these hard feeling towards me over these months waiting for me to solve a problem I didn''t know existed. I guess they''ve been swearing at me and slamming doors to get their point across but honestly I didn''t notice because I don''t spy on my neighbors or watch them. I pretty much keep to myself. Thus the shock at the note on the door calling us rude, inconsiderate, careless, etc... Anyone who knows me knows that I pride myself on being polite even in difificult situations. I do it at work all the time. I don''t think anyone has ever called me rude.

One thing to complain about my dog, another to attack our character. My husband is pretty upset as well (good thing he wasn''t home when this happened).

Given that the breed is a terrirer and they are known for barking, any ideas on how to stop this? I have closed all of my windows and pulled down my shades so she can''t look outside. I used to let her look out the window (her favorite thing in the world to do) but now can''t because she does bark at people and other dogs walking by. I will do whatever is necessary to solve the problem. Obviously we don''t want the neighborhood to hate us (although it sounds like they already do.) I am trying to avoid the shock collar but if that''s the only option I will do it. It''s better than giving her away to another home which would break our hearts. I''ve heard squirting water or tapping them on the nose with a newspaper only gets them angry and annoyed at the person doing it. Which I believe, she can hold a grudge if she wants to! I"ve tried verbal commands of course with no help. It''s such a part of her by nature I don''t know how this will stop. There have been times when I''ve tried to train her to stop and she''s literally got the woofs in there trying to come out and it''s like she just can''t control it. Any ideas? Sorry for the long post!

 

[blodthecat]

I''m sorry I have no advice for you on this...

but I think the neighbours should have had the decency to talk to you in person, rather than posting a letter! That would have really upset me too!

Blod

 

[Lorelei]

I agree with Blod there are better ways of tackling it. I know some things about dog training but there are many owners here who might be able to help you. Postitive reinforcement might be the way to go, where you ignore the dog when she is barking with the undesirable behaviour, even a scolding for it might be worthwhile to the dog, and praise lavishly when she is quiet. In time she will realize that she gets far more attention when she isn''t barking than when she is and hopefully the noise will decrease. Have a look on Google for further help, there is lots you can do to help solve this problem. I wish you luck, you don''t have an easy task ahead of you but there is lots you can do. You have to be clear and concise and immediate with dog correction, squirting water and tapping with a newspaper is still attention and it seems to get through to them more with being ignored than anything else - this is a language dogs understand as in a dog pack, the top dogs will ostracise an " offender" from the pack temporarily after a " transgression." The dog then has to work his way back into favour. Also make sure your dog sees you as " pack leader" if there is a lack of respect there in the first place you need to establish dominance before any inroads can be made with the barking. Don''t let her pull on walks or walk ahead of you - make her " heel", make her move out of your way in the house if you need to move past, don''t move out of hers or step round her, don''t feed her before you eat, don''t let her challenge you as to who sits in a favourite chair etc, don''t feed her at the table - on the floor when other family members have finished eating. This is a language she will understand - in no way cruel but you need to establish that you are top dog and not her if this is the case already . Once she understands she is lower in her pack status ( with you and your family) you will find training and obedience easier. Dogs are all individual and some are naturally more biddable than others, terriers are a fantastic breed but can be a little more hot headed at times than others so might need firmer direction. Remember a dog is happier if it knows it''s place in the pack and a family pet needs to be the lowest on the totem pole ( it needs to think it is and for it''s humans to take charge as the dog pack leader would.)

Best of luck with her!

 

[Apsara]

I have experience with terriers (I am a typical PS diamond AND dog lover) and I have found that leaving music (soft jazz, light rock, something fairly mellow--even classical) calms them and literally "soothes the savage beast." I leave the music channel on the TV on all day for them when we''re at work, even though we have our own home...it helps them stay calm. Pulling the shades is another good preventive measure--less to see/bark at.

Yu can keep music on in one room, say the LR, and the TV on in the bedroom...this might help. They do make "bark collars." I am ambivelent about them. They work by mildly shocking the dog when he/she barks, so that eventually, they will not bark. For some people it''s a last resort--it''s the collar or get rid of the animal, which is ALWAYS the worst thing usually... A good friend of mine who is very involved in animal advocacy live sin an apt. in NYC and uses the bark collar. I was shocked at first but she explained it doesn''t hurt them and is far preferrable to having to displace the animal. There is also a surgical procedure called "debarking" which is NOT removal of the vocal cords but some sort of "lessening"...this I am not keen on, but again, if it''s a matter of losing your home or having to get rid of your companion, it might be a last resort.

Try the music/TV and also perhaps the Kong toys. They are SUPER hard rubber toys that you fill with the dog''s treats (or even special treats) and it takes the little buggers a while to dig it out--worked wonders when I brought home my newest adoptee who was nuts--gives them something to do. Youc an "hide" filled Kongs all aorund your apt. They even make a machine that will "Dispense" the Kongs at intervals throughout the day. If the dog is busy, he is less likely to bark (hopefully). Good luck!

 

[fire&ice]

When does she bark? When you are home? When you are away? And, does it bark at people passing by? What else?

Also, is she crate trained?

 

[Dee*Jay]

There is another kind of call that gives off the scent of cintronella and also one that emits a high pitched sound when a dog barks (too high for humans to hear but dogs can hear it). Here are a couple of links:

sound collar<a

cintronella collar

 

[diamondsrock]

she mostly barks when people and/or dogs walk by the window. Or a squirrel. Or a bird. Or a chipmunk. Or pretty much anything that catches her eye. Sounds really annoying but she can sit for hours quiet staring out the window without any bother.

Loudest barking is when someone comes over. It''s the barking, the jumping, the please pet me now behavior. I have tried
ignoring the barking and she could care less if I even notice her bark. It''s like she''s doing it for herself?

She is crate trained and from what I understand quiet when we''re not home. She sleeps in the crate when home alone. She''s only in the crate maybe 4 hours a day because of my husband''s and my different work shifts, sometimes less, so it''s not like she''s home alone for 8-10 hours a day.

Talked to the other neighbors today and apologized for any inconvenience. They said they had no problem with it and it didn''t bother them, but if it did they would let me know. Apparnetly the entire neighborhood wasn''t pissed, just these two.

I have signed her up for training classes starting this week. I went to Pet Smart this morning and did this. I also bought a muzzle for when I take her outside early in the a.m. or later in the p.m. so she won''t disturb the neighbors.

I''m just trying to be a good neighbor and do what I can. Also trying not to stay angry about this as I feel it was handled so inappropriately.

I saw the citronella collar at the store as well as the bark collar but didn''t buy one. Not sure how much we''ll get out of training, she already knows sit, stay, paw, down, etc. but the barking and jumping obviously we need help with. I''m hoping this isn''t just a schnauzer thing that no training will help us with!

 

[widget]

I''m really sorry you''re going through this....it sounds to me like you have a neighbor problem more than a dog problem. I suspect it''s sort of a schnauzer thing...

Widget used to go ballistic barking at dogs when we were in the car. I finally started to be firm with her, and hold her and discourage her BEFORE she spotted a dog. My finallly getting consistant....scolding her when she barked, and making a positive fuss over her when she resisted....really seemed to work. She''s much better now...sometimes slips, but usually resists barking.

Maybe you could have her wear a short leash when she''s in the house so you can more quickly get a hold of her when she starts (or even better...before she starts) barking. I think YOUR getting committed to changing this behavior is half the battle.

I don''t know if this is any help...hopefully others will have better ideas. I''d sure try to "train" this out of her before I''d resort to collars...

Good luck!
widget

 

[widget]

Author: diamondsrock

Not sure how much we'll get out of training, she already knows sit, stay, paw, down, etc. but the barking and jumping obviously we need help with.

I've become sort of a fan of 'the Dog Whisperer' on NGC. I think being sure she's clear that you're the boss, and your opinions count is different than learning 'tricks'.

If she hasn't been taught this already, why not work on some more respectful, good manners stuff. for instance: not be allowed to touch her dinner until you release her, make sure she waits at an open door and follows you out when you're leaving, not leave the car until you tell her it's ok, etc etc. Perhaps getting this stuff down will make her more responsive to your displeasure at her barking...

Obviously, ignore this is she already has all this stuff down!

w

 

[Mara]

i agree with widget, in working on the barking, first ensure that she knows that you are the master and the alpha and you give the commands. if she is stubborn with other things, stubborn with the barking will be the same. we have a terrier, a westie, and she is very good about not barking...but if she does bark and it gets out of hand, aka someone walking by, i can silence her with a ''portia stop it''. she hears it in my TONE rather than what i am saying and she knows i am displeased, so she stops barking and runs over to me. i think you CAN teach an old dog new tricks, and that you can train this out of her just like with anything else, but you will have to have a lot of patience and prepare to get frustrated. i have a friend who has a jack russell who can bark for hours and my friend just takes no responsibility, she is like ''well thats how he is''...but only because she lets him be that way.

i like that saying there are no bad dogs, only bad owners. i''m not saying you are a bad owner, but the dog is only as good as the owner trains them to be. left to their own devices, dogs will do whatever until told not to. i don''t like saying that things in are in the ''nature'' of the dog, because if i listened to what was said about westies, portia would be a stubborn, child-hating barker. but she''s none of those things, and she''s an absolute joy to be around. i attribute it to our training of her, and we didn''t even really know what we were doing, i think we just got lucky, hehee.

i agree also when you are gone, if the dog is crate trained, to crate her...OR give her a small more restrained area to move within, aka a kitchen or family room, and also closing all blinds and windows so that outside noises don''t trigger her. something like the kong or a bully stick to keep her occupied, they say a lot of times that bad dog behavior has to do with the dog being bored, so they just do whatever they want, but if you can ''channel'' their energies into something else, like chewing on a stick or something, it''s better.

lastly, i have had friends who had a barker and they did the whole newspaper on the nose (or butt) or the water on the nose in the squirt gun, the point is not to upset or hurt the dog but rather give him a little shock each time they do something wrong. they actually have had success with stopping barking somewhat with the squirting gun and the newspaper too. so i guess it just depends on what sorts of methods you want to try...for me i''d much rather do some extra training with my animal to ensure she is being very strong with listening to me and then try to use that attention span on the barking. you can only work on it while you are there with the dog, but i think that other measures while the dog is alone like mentioned above can further the training.

oh and i would go and speak to your neighbors, keep it unemotional, and just tell them you are very sorry for the disruption, you honestly had no idea, but now that you are aware, you will be employing training methods to try to curb the barking and if they can just be patient with you....i think that kind of overture will go a long way with them (many times complainers like that just need to be acknowledged and feel like they are being HEARD...) and also that way you lay the groundwork for letting them know you are going to be working on it but it could take a while so they don''t continue to freak out while you are doing the training. that frees you up mentally to work with your dog rather than be worrying about the neighbors each time she barks.

OH the one last thing i would definitely suggest. find a recommendation for a really good private trainer .... we got our recommendation through a doggie training school who had a few suggestions on people who did things on the side and one gal came highly recommended. we paid $150 for 1 hour when portia was 8 weeks old and what she showed us was invaluable. we were new puppy owners then and totally clueless...but just having that 1 on 1 time with someone who was experienced with training animals did us a world of good. part of it is training the owner on HOW to train their dog!!

anyway good luck! there are lots of dog owners on PS...so hopefully with some of the advice given here you can make some headway!

 

[diamondsrock]

thank you so much everyone for your advice. It seems like everyone has a different opinion on how exactly to address this, including friends, family, the dog officer (whom my husband happens to be friends with) and the dog trainer I spoke with today.

Mara, I was curious to hear your answer as I know the westies are prone to barking as well. I would go over and talk to them again as you suggested but pretty much exactly everything you told me to say I said last night. I made it clear I would do whatever it takes to make this work, apologized up and down, said I would never knowingly disrupt my neighbors like that, etc..... Honestly I don''t know what else I could have said or done to make them feel better about this situation. I wasn''t defensive at all about it, I was very apologetic. The only thing I did say was I wish they had come to me sooner rather than just assume I knew they were angry (I''m not a mind reader!). This whole thing is an example of harboring anger and resentment towards someone without giving them a chance to make things right or even letting them know you''re angry.

She is seriously quiet 95% of the time. I never tie her up outside and let her bark all day, she does''t make any noise in the crate, and this whole situation only happens like I said when she''s seeing something interesting outside or someone comes to the door. Those are the only situations. The rest of the time she''s great. Not making excuses, just wanted to clear up that this is not going on all day long. However, even if it was 1% of the time, if it annoys anyone I want to fix it.

We did have an incident early on with her where we made it clear she was not the alpha dog and since that day she has obeyed with everything else (she was less than a year old and thought she was the boss!). I do try to stick to the rules about the pack leader thing, although I''m going to review what people said above and make sure we''re doing it right. When we''re on a walk and people go by, I have her sit and stay and wait for them to pass and she''s ok with that, although I can see it''s hard for her. No barking, no jumping, just doing what I tell her. But in the house looking out the window it''s a different story altogether. And if a certain few people come over forget it. She goes ballistic until they pet her. I may need to train them as well to ignore her until she calms down since she''s looking for attention from them not from me.

I do take her for walks daily (weather permitting) so she can get some of that energy out. She is not destructive in the house (except for a bizarre fascination with ripping up kleenex

So I don''t think this is bored barking. She is really a great dog all around and we love her so much. She''s funny, smart and incredibly loving and trustful of anyone. We''ll work this all out hopefully soon. If anyone has any more ideas, let me know. Thanks!!!!

 

[Mara]

oh if you already talked to them then just disregard that area of my post, i didn't read that up above so i wasn't sure if you had already talked with them.

portia LOVES to sit and look out the window...it's what she is doing right now actually, i open the windows for her so she can sniff the air...and she just sits there on the couch and looks outside. if she barked i wouldn't be able to allow her to do that, but thankfully she is typically more bored curious as to what goes on rather than needing to be 'interactive' with what goes on outside. but yes sometimes she has those rare moments when she sees a dog outside or hears a jingle of keys or a leash walking by and she gets all huffy and races to the couch and stares out and barks. but those moments are pretty far and few between and we just find them pretty funny. the good thing for us is that we don't have a yard so she is an inside dog, and we have asked our neighbors about hearing her bark ever and they said they can't...so we feel okay when she does get into a barking spasm. but if she is on the patio outside and decides to freak out at some dog walking by, that is when i put the kabosh on it.

also one other idea for curbing the barking when you are with her and she sees something, re-claim her attention. if she is hanging out and then a dog walks by or something and she starts barking, call her, go tap her on the nose, whistle or say 'do you want a treat' or whatever it is that typically can get her attention...that 'distraction' can work wonders because they tend to be torn between 'oh i want to stay here and bark and guard my territory' or 'hey mom is making the treat noise again' ... and i have read the more you break up that concentration they get with something like guarding or similar, the easier it is to break them from the 'habit'.

anyway, good luck....i don't think that any ONE thing works for all dogs, so lots of advice is good because you try and discard it as it works or doesn't work...also we have a book on how dogs think (called 'how dogs think') which is kind of interesting, i am always fascinated by what portia is 'thinking' .... humans always try to attribute their own human emotions to dogs, but dogs are different than us. they do want to please us and stay part of the pack...so exploit that whenever possible, lol!

by the way portia loves to shred tissues too!!! and if we leave any paper out, she shreds it. i have left a paper on the ottoman before a time or two and come home to find it in pieces. she doesn't eat it, just shreds it. i think it's a bad habit we cultivated by letting her open her own christmas presents...hahaa.

 

[glaucomflecken]

About the citronella collar...when my Westie was in her beginner training class, there was a beagle in the class as well who pretty much ruined the class with her constant barking. You could hear the dog when she was across the parking lot, she was SO loud. you could tell the owners were just frustrated. the before the last week of the class, they had purchased one of these types of collars, and at the last class, I could not believe it was the same dog! The owners were smiling as they said she was now quiter, more calm and easier to train. But I have never used it so dont know much about it.

 

[fire&ice]

Date: 7/2/2006 1:56:19 PM
Author: widget

Author: diamondsrock

Not sure how much we''ll get out of training, she already knows sit, stay, paw, down, etc. but the barking and jumping obviously we need help with.

I''ve become sort of a fan of ''the Dog Whisperer'' on NGC. I think being sure she''s clear that you''re the boss, and your opinions count is different than learning ''tricks''.

If she hasn''t been taught this already, why not work on some more respectful, good manners stuff. for instance: not be allowed to touch her dinner until you release her, make sure she waits at an open door and follows you out when you''re leaving, not leave the car until you tell her it''s ok, etc etc. Perhaps getting this stuff down will make her more responsive to your displeasure at her barking...

Obviously, ignore this is she already has all this stuff down!

w

Yes, that''s Cesar Millan - AND FINALLY SOMEONE WHO WILL CALL A DOG A DOG! We mess dogs up thinking they are little humans. I read his new book "Cesar''s Way" cover to cover. A really great recommended read for anyone.

Dogs are all about pack. It is absolutely ESSENTIAL to be the Alpha/Pack leader/whatever one feels comfortable that means you are the boss. Cesar Millan calls the pack leader "calm assertive" & the (hopefully) dog "calm submissive. Dogs are happy to be submissive. Dogs are happy to be lead. They are not humans. To a dog being submissive isn''t a bad thing. Ultimately, it is a state of mind. The tinyest women could be the pack leader around 5 rotties.

That said, getting in a good training class is a good thing. Some Petsmart places have good trainers - others do not. Ask around. Being in a class with other dogs is a good thing. Dogs can learn a lot from other dogs - plus you are putting them in the very senario that prompts the bark.

It''s interesting that you note that she doesn''t bark when you are not there. That''s a good thing since you can correct the dog''s behaviour on the spot. Dogs live in the moment. You must find a command that is a key to stopping the bark. I use "Casper go away". It could be "no bark", "no postal" - anything. Administer the command the moment the dog barks. You must have the attention of the dog - whether that means stopping the immediate behaviour with whatever works for you. As soon as the dog stops, administer whatever praise works for the dog. All this needs to be done in a very calm way. If you yell and get frustrated, it will just escalate the situation - and ultimately will reinforce the very behaviour you don''t want.

Find what works for you. Just make sure you work in the moment in a calm way. The dog should get that you aren''t please when she barks. You are pleased when she doesn''t bark.

Good luck. Some people are more noise sensitive than others. Don''t take is personal. It sounds like the other people just broke bad on you.

 

[njc]

So sorry you had to deal with the neighbors like that. Hopefully you talking with them and explaining that you are trying to correct the problem will help to smooth things over.

We also have a female schnauzer who loves the window and barking at everything that goes by. We tried to close the shades, but she figured out how to make them roll-up (smart little sucker). We were able to get her to stop or just do a really low bark, that little "meh" noise they like to do. I filled an empty soda can with pennys and would shake it when she barked and praised her when she was quiet. If she went a really long time without barking while staring out the window with someone/something outside, I would give her a treat.

Hope that you are able to find something that works!

 

[diamondsrock]

well just an update to what''s been going on.

I have pulled down the shades on the side of the house facing these two neighbors. Shut all the windows. Really making an effort (which I said I would) to not bother them. I won''t let her look out the window anymore.

When I take her out in the morning or at night (not during the day) I put a muzzle on her so she can''t bark and wake up any sleeping neighbors (which she proceeds to take off, smart little thing). Just this morning I took her out and the woman across the street stood in her doorway watching me, waiting for her to bark. I know she spies on us, this has been going on for years, now it''s really starting to bother me though after this fiasco. That''s a whole other problem which I have no idea how to stop. She''s home all day, eldery, and has nothing else to do except watch the neighborhood. In fact, last year she told me that she didn''t mind her barking as it alerted her to when strangers were in the neighborhood. What a switch from the anger she had the other day.

I have to admit I was very hurt the night it happened (crying, etc.) but now I''m just angry. I really don''t want to live here anymore, even though it''s only these two it ruins the neighborhood for us.

I feel like we''re being watched (which we are) and they are just waiting for us to slip up and have her bark. It''s very stressful.

Part of me wants to confront the snoop but the better part of me says let it be. I want to be the better person and let this go, just show them that I meant what I said and I will do whatever is necessary to be a good neighbor. There are a lot of hard feelings from this and I don''t know when those will go away. I think the fact that the elderly woman didn''t believe me when I said I didn''t know they were annoyed bothers me. She thought I was lying. She couldn''t be bothered to discuss the matter further when I was apologizing and just cut me off. Sort of dismissed me with a wave of the hand, saying "whatever". Not a good end to the conversation so no real closure on this between us.

Anyways, I''ll let everyone know how it goes. I''m looking into the cintronella collar as a possibility and of course doing everything I can to train her myself.

 

[Lorelei]

Oh DR....I can imagine how upsetting it is, but give it a little time. Emotions are raw and you are understandably upset at the moment. You are doing everthing you can to solve the problem, continue to do that and let your anger, upset and nerves settle down a bit and you will feel better. As for that nosy snoop sister neighbour, let her get on with it - if she thrives on negativity like that - she is the miserable one. Also try some of the things in my earlier post if you like to help with the training regarding your dog respecting you - I have proved they work and was given this info during my animal training some time ago. This will shift the balance if your dog does doubt your leadership and will help her to listen to you.

 

[Mara]

hehe i would just wave and smile really widely at her every time you see her in the door. or i''d probably say something like ''checking up on me eh?''...tee hee. but then again i''m kind of a bitch!

once you curb the barking you can train the dog to pee right on her lawn.

 

[widget]

Hee hee....I think your way of handling it is exactly right, Mara!

DR...if you could pull it off, do it! At the very least, try not let the ol'' biddy get to you. Clearly her problems go beyond her neighbors'' dog. She''s a silly old woman with too much time on her hands. (I know the type

)

Keep us posted on your baby''s progress!
widget

 

[Kaleigh]

Date: 7/5/2006 2:48:08 PM
Author: Mara
hehe i would just wave and smile really widely at her every time you see her in the door. or i''d probably say something like ''checking up on me eh?''...tee hee. but then again i''m kind of a bitch!

once you curb the barking you can train the dog to pee right on her lawn.

OMG, I love that, haha. I''m sorry you are having such troubles. It sounds like you are doing everything you can and are a very considerate person. Hang in there.

 

[hlmr]

Date: 7/5/2006 2:48:08 PM
Author: Mara
hehe i would just wave and smile really widely at her every time you see her in the door. or i''d probably say something like ''checking up on me eh?''...tee hee. but then again i''m kind of a bitch!

once you curb the barking you can train the dog to pee right on her lawn.

No, no, no Mara you''ve got it all wrong.......train the dog to pee on her favourite bush and POO on her lawn...heehee

 

[Apsara]

Date: 7/5/2006 7:42:42 PM
Author: hlmr

Date: 7/5/2006 2:48:08 PM
Author: Mara
hehe i would just wave and smile really widely at her every time you see her in the door. or i''d probably say something like ''checking up on me eh?''...tee hee. but then again i''m kind of a bitch!

once you curb the barking you can train the dog to pee right on her lawn.

No, no, no Mara you''ve got it all wrong.......train the dog to pee on her favourite bush and POO on her lawn...heehee

A dog is not a weapon.

Seriously, some people have NO lives. Kudos to you for working with the pup--I think it will resolve itself in time--and for being so gracious. Do what I do when some idiot on the road honks and flaps his arms and curses at me because I DARE to obey traffic laws (like actually stopping at a yellow light)--I smile and wave with a gigantic grin on my face. Sometimes, I blow kisses.

 

[hlmr]

Date: 7/5/2006 7:58:14 PM
Author: Apsara

Date: 7/5/2006 7:42:42 PM
Author: hlmr

Date: 7/5/2006 2:48:08 PM
Author: Mara
hehe i would just wave and smile really widely at her every time you see her in the door. or i''d probably say something like ''checking up on me eh?''...tee hee. but then again i''m kind of a bitch!

once you curb the barking you can train the dog to pee right on her lawn.

No, no, no Mara you''ve got it all wrong.......train the dog to pee on her favourite bush and POO on her lawn...heehee

A dog is not a weapon.

Seriously, some people have NO lives. Kudos to you for working with the pup--I think it will resolve itself in time--and for being so gracious. Do what I do when some idiot on the road honks and flaps his arms and curses at me because I DARE to obey traffic laws (like actually stopping at a yellow light)--I smile and wave with a gigantic grin on my face. Sometimes, I blow kisses.

No need to worry Apsara......tongue was planted very firmly in cheek!

 

[hlmr]

Diamondsrock - I think you are being too hard on yourself. No ones dog behaves perfectly 100% of the time nor should they be expected to. Barking here and there is normal and from what you've said you have already come a very long way with training. Your neighbours are being unreasonable and although it is difficult, you should try not to take it to heart.

As your dog gets a bit older, she will understand better what is expected of her. From the sounds of things you are definitely on the right track and have been given some great advice. Keep your head up and good luck!

 

[diamondsrock]

you guys are funny

I needed a laugh.

I do feel really bad they were bothered but I can''t beat myself up about something I didn''t know bothered them.
I can''t tell you how much I wish something was said before to avoid all of this. I think it''s funny how sometimes people think you just know what they''re thinking. I''ve seen other people do this, too. They''ll either want something or be upset with someone and just assume the other person either knows and doesn''t care or doesn''t want to help. Drives me batty! It''s like, hello, let someone know you want something and you are more likely to get help than sitting there fuming. There must be a psychological term for it but I don''t know the name...

You should see puppy now, I swear she''s depressed since she can''t look out the window. I''ve been taking her for long walks and giving her extra attention but I swear she''s wondering what''s up. She is a lot more quiet, though, from not looking out the window. Funny thing is she''s so quiet on our walks when she actually is outside, even with people and dogs walking by. I can''t figure that one out. That''s not new, either. She almost always is quiet on our walks. Maybe she really thought she was a watchdog and was protecting the house??? Dogs are mysterious.

First training class starts tomorrow, this should be interesting. I''m still working on the pack leader stuff mentioned above. A lot of it I have been doing all along and I''m doing good for most except the pulling on the leash. She doesn''t always pull but if there''s something interesting she just has to pull me over so she can sniff it. She loves to sniff!!! Not sure how to solve that one and don''t want to deny her the one thing in life she enjoys so much. Always sniffs the same spots, too. I always joke, did your doggy friends leave you a message (pee-mail?) today?

We''ll see how it goes!

 

[Lorelei]

With her sniffing on the leash, don''t worry about that too much with her checking the mail - it is more don''t let her pull and lead on a walk when you are actually walking. Top dogs do this in dog packs when they go out hunting for food, they always lead the more submissive pack members, so if she pulls you and dictates how fast you go etc this is a no no, but you have to use commonsense as you are doing and not deny her the pleasure of her walks with checking p-mails etc. Keep going, you are doing all the right things and I am sure it will work out. Good luck with the training class, at the end of it all you are going to have a happy and well trained dog plus the satisfaction of what you have done and learned to help the situation and Busybody will still have a miserable and boring life. She can then move on to complain about the height of someone else''s trees keeping the light out of her garden or darkening her windows etc! Some folk are never happy unless they are moaning and groaning

 

[bee*]

Hope you are feeling a bit better about the whole thing now. I have three dogs and one of them, our Afghan hound used to be a bit of a barker if she was out in our back garden, so her punishment was to take her in straight away and not let her stay out with the other two dogs who would be out playing. It worked a treat and she doesnt bark at all now. I worked in a veterinary clinic for a year and the main problem with dogs that were barking all the time and jumping etc, is that they were let away with it when they were younger and the dogs began to think of themselves as the alpha dog and the bad behaviour just continued. They are like children in that if you let the behaviour go on, they will get worse. It is great that you are taking such a proactive stance on it with training and getting a muzzle etc to get puppy to stop. After a while you will see that it is such a pleasure to have a dog that you dont have to worry about barking and jumping. My Golden Retriever is so well behaved and its so nice not having to worry about her is we meet another dog on a walk or children, as all she does is sit there and give them the paw.
As for the neighbours, you will always have nosy people like that around. They are probably people who do not like animals and will give out about your dog, whether he is quiet or noisy-its best just to ignore them.