Hi,
I have a Malamute/Newfoundland mix named Kija who is about to turn a year old. He has always been a good dog, until recently when I had to move back to my Mother s home due to my mental illnesses becoming overwhelming due to the situation I was in previously. He always listened to me--he still does--and never barked under any circumstances at all.
The was only ever the occasional (sad) attempt at howling when sirens or the garbage truck drove by.
Here at the new home he barks only at my step-father who has a drinking problem. I have a theory that he may be acting out because my step-father would play with Kija when he was completely wasted--play as in trying to make my dog sit and lay down in a completely different language that Kija hadn't been taught or ever heard the sounds of (and yes I understand dogs don't understand languages, that the sound is what's important). The barking itself is uncontrollable and I've gone along with the ignoring Kija s being when he barks, like I did before and as the trainers I talked to suggested doing.
The problem is no one else will get on board because the barking is annoying and it also angers my too-often-drunk step-father. For him, to train a dog means to beat it into submission and I have been a bit rougher with Kija since being here, but that has only made the situation worse. I have gone back to how I originally was training Kija, by rewarding only the behaviors I want and ignoring everything I don't want. I will be moving in three months, but I can't have my boy getting shouting at for barking and I refuse to used rough tactics of teaching him.
I have a Malamute/Newfoundland mix named Kija who is about to turn a year old. He has always been a good dog, until recently when I had to move back to my Mother s home due to my mental illnesses becoming overwhelming due to the situation I was in previously. He always listened to me--he still does--and never barked under any circumstances at all.
The was only ever the occasional (sad) attempt at howling when sirens or the garbage truck drove by.
Here at the new home he barks only at my step-father who has a drinking problem. I have a theory that he may be acting out because my step-father would play with Kija when he was completely wasted--play as in trying to make my dog sit and lay down in a completely different language that Kija hadn't been taught or ever heard the sounds of (and yes I understand dogs don't understand languages, that the sound is what's important). The barking itself is uncontrollable and I've gone along with the ignoring Kija s being when he barks, like I did before and as the trainers I talked to suggested doing.
The problem is no one else will get on board because the barking is annoying and it also angers my too-often-drunk step-father. For him, to train a dog means to beat it into submission and I have been a bit rougher with Kija since being here, but that has only made the situation worse. I have gone back to how I originally was training Kija, by rewarding only the behaviors I want and ignoring everything I don't want. I will be moving in three months, but I can't have my boy getting shouting at for barking and I refuse to used rough tactics of teaching him.