Help with barking dogs

Mersailles

Hi I am new here and could use some advice.

I have 2, 7 month old Australian Shepards, sisters. Based on the advice of my vet, we kept them at home with pretty much just us while they were getting all their shots which took 4 months.

While they were very sweet and social at the beginning, in that 4ish month time frame they turned into dogs that bark at everyone and everything. With people in our house, we can usually get them to calm down if that person talks gently to them, offers them a treat, etc., although it takes a while and if that person is not a dog person that will take the time to talk to them, then they will just bark the whole time.

With other dogs, nothing seems to help. Walking them is a constant bark fest. They literally do not stop the whole walk and if we stop and try our hardest to get them to stop barking, they may back down into a whine but as soon as we start walking they are barking crazy at everything again. It is crazy, loud barking, not hey what is that barking, if that makes any sense.

So what do I do? I want so badly to be able to take them to the park and for walks without it being so miserable but I am not sure how to start. Any advice is greatly appreciated!

Lindsey

Mikey

Welcome!

First-take them to puppy or obedience classes-there you will get lots of instruction, as well as supervised play time (supervised by the instructor-so this will give you feedback on their behavior and what to do next).

Depending on how that goes-you can then start taking them new places and meet new people and dogs. It's absolutely essential you work on this asap-they need to first see a trainer-so the classes-even if they know sit, down etc are esseential-you'll get an idea on where to go from there.

Pet stores are a great place to visit as well-again after the classes-as their are people, dogs and lots of stimulation. If you know anyone with welll socialized dogs (your dog people friends) once the classes are done and you know they aren't too aggressive you can set up controlled playdates with the other dogs.

At this point, keeping them at home is not a good idea-start classes asap and get them 'out there'

And that breed needs a lot of exercise-what type and how much are you currently doing?

Mersailles

Well the classes are not do-able at the moment. I just don't have the $120x2. Plus I worry that if my dogs are just barking the whole time, won't the instructor be irritated, or the other participants?

As far as exercise, that was what the walks were supposed to be for, you know? I mean they run around the backyard off and on all day, but I can't take them to a dog park because their barking is so bad and the walks are not going all that well, so I am not sure what else there is?

Lindsey

Criosphynx

Your dogs are reactive. Common as all get out in herding breeds. Their emotions are on the surface.

On Leash Reactivity

The goal is to identify the root cause. Boredom, frustration, fear, etc etc. Understimulation can cause it, lack of socialization can cause it, genetics, experiences, etc etc etc. The method in that article is the basic way to "treating" this as its generally fear first, and other things secondary.

The best thing you can do, is if you try once to snap the dog out of it (with light touch or verbally, nothing bad) and they keep barking, put as much space between you and the trigger as possible, ASAP. Don't keep trying to get the dogs attention or calm them down...you must move away from the trigger. Dogs that are over threshold (reacting) actually can't learn anything new. Once they are under threshold you can begin the training.

The only other thing I could think of it being is they are just over the top happy happy excited!!! if that is the case, then you must make whatever they are excited about go away when they bark and return when they are quiet.

If you have an specific questions don't hesitate to ask, lost of people on this forum have dogs like yours.

kmes

I understand that it is embarrassing to have dogs that bark a lot at other poeple and dogs in public. However, if you never get them out there and work on the problem, it will never get any better!

If you can't afford to take both dogs to an obedience class, you could sign up for a class and take your "worst offender". You will learn how to handle the barking and how to train basic commands. You will be able to apply the same training on your other dog as well.

You could also look up a dog meetup group (meetup.com site link below). Depending on your area you may have several to choose from. Groups are often based on things like breed, size and interests. They would be a good "free place" to get some help and socialization for you dogs. When I lived outside of Washington DC, I belonged to several groups (1 pug group, a small breed group, and a training group). If you decide to try a meetup then I would suggest that you go to a meeting without your dogs first. You should wait see whether or not you like the people, their training methods, and their dogs. You would want to join a group with understanding owners who would be willing to help you out.
Do something, Learn something, Share something, Change something - Meetup.com

fawkese1

that is a good idea kmes... you could take the one dog... and get tips for dealing with the other dog...tho you would still need to find opportunities to socialize both...
also thanks for posting that link kmes... i might get some use out of it!

oh btw mersailles...crios really knows her stuff...

liciamac

Hi,

I heard that mixing lemon with water and load it up in a spray bottle. Every time they bark, spray it into their face (not too near of cos) and accompany it with a firm NO command. Over time, it discourages them from barking.

fawkese1

that is an aversive technique that i would highly recommend you avoid....
it will likely only make them not bark when you are near them... and make them afraid of you and/or spray bottles...

Criosphynx

as long as you are holding a spray bottle....

Mikey

They make citronella dog bark collars too-and guess what the dog turns his head until it's empty and then barks again. It's just not the route to go