Insecure or protective

kildareash

Hi all,

Just looking for a bit of advice on my two pups.

They are eight months old now, and just the best. They house-trained really easily, are very calm and well-behaved.

We only had them about a month or six weeks when they started barking at a knock on the door or the doorbell. We were so proud, that after such a short period of time, they seen our house as home. I thought it would have taken longer. But once the person enters our house they are fine. They have never barked at visitors inside.

Anyway, for the last few weeks, they bark at every foot step outside. We live in a housing estate with communal parking and our house is next to the car park. We can all be flaked out in the evening, when a car door closes and they will sit straight up.

If they hear someone walking past they will start barking and go running for the door.

My question is are they insecure or over-protective? And what should I do in either situation?

Whispered

I do understand your pride, I remember my boys first business bark, looking out the window at some poor fella going door to door selling in the lashings of rain. but it might not be a good idea to allow your dogs to bark too much when people knock. With our boy if he feels the need to grumble at the door or out the window, we allow one bark then he's told to be quiet. It's more like a warning for us at this stage "oh listen, someone is here". I would work on bark control with the door and it might help solve the other problem.

I know people like their dog to protect their house, a robber won't knock your door if he's trying to sneak in. I also prefer to keep myself and my husband as the "gate keepers" so to speak. Harleys job, as far as he's concerned, is to let us know people are there, but not to deter them. Does that make sense.

peasant

kildareash wrote: »

My question is are they insecure or over-protective? And what should I do in either situation?

My take on this is that they are neither

They should learn that not every noise outside is remarkable and you should teach them that ...otherwise in a few more weeks/months they'll be barking at leaves falling from trees and will drive you all mad.

Chris_Heilong

what are they, Jacks, Poms, yorkies or westies? These tend to be the frontdoor barker breeds. You dont really need a doorbell with one of these guys around.

echosound

We've a Westie that likes to let us know how on the ball she is at hearing noises that could signal a strange presence on her (our) territory

I've found the best way to not having a constantly barking/grumbling dog is to acknowledge you have heard the warning - if we ignore her barks/grumbling, or tell her to shush without acknowledging she heard something, she'll sit grumbling to herself for ages, or will keep running over to us and back to the window/door to "point" at the noise, but if she barks once and we make a show of looking out the window, then look her in the eye and tell her "good dog, I see it, shush now", she's happy that she's alerted us to whatever it is that's lurking outside and will settle down without feeling the need to bark again.

After a while you won't even have to make a show of looking out the window, just catch their eye, look at the window, back to them, and do the whole "good dog, shush now" routine. Like Whispered said above, the dogs are just "warning" you, so once they know you have been warned, that's their job done

kildareash

Whispered wrote: »

I would work on bark control with the door and it might help solve the other problem.

Thanks whispered, will work on this now and hopefully they will catch on pretty quickly.

peasant wrote: »

My take on this is that they are neither

They should learn that not every noise outside is remarkable and you should teach them that ...otherwise in a few more weeks/months they'll be barking at leaves falling from trees and will drive you all mad.

It's already starting to drive me mad...especially at about 11.30/12 if your dozing in front of the tv and someone goes in or out. I wouldn't mind but they don't even walk that close to our house. Sometimes we have to listen carefully before we can hear the footsteps.

Chris_Heilong wrote: »

what are they, Jacks, Poms, yorkies or westies? These tend to be the frontdoor barker breeds. You dont really need a doorbell with one of these guys around.

They're a cross between collie and spaniels, afaik. They were rescue puppies in a way. We got them from a farm, where it just seems the owners were irresponsible and hadn't got their dogs neutered.

But we've been incredibly lucky with them. My brother has pure bred spaniels around the same age as mine and they have chewed a few beds, 3x sky remotes, shoes, computer games. Ours have taken a few penny's slippers, but they had the choice of some of my best and favorite high heels and chose the cheap ones!

Cherry Blossom

Can you incorporate the barking into some other type of training OP, eg. - dog barks and something specific happens.

As I have a Westie and they are known to be territorial and vocal, I incorporated barking into her toilet training so now she barks if she want to go out to go the toilet, lately she has started going to the door and sitting down instead when she wants out as I also trained her to sit and wait for doors to open but I keep letting her out when she barks as I want her to keep that association. She seems to be becomming very indecisive - doesn't know if she wants out or in :rolleyes:. Sits at the door to get out, barks to get back in, wants straight back out etc., etc... I'm starting to think she is doing it because she wants an excuse to bark , but that's fair enough as she is 'following the correct procedure' (I think!).

Whispered

I have a cat who does that AJ (not the barking bit obviously!:pac:). Wants out, back in, then out, back in. Lately he has started standing half out and half in, especially if it's cold out. :mad:

Cherry Blossom

Whispered wrote: »

I have a cat who does that AJ (not the barking bit obviously!:pac:). Wants out, back in, then out, back in. Lately he has started standing half out and half in, especially if it's cold out. :mad:

Come to think of it, maybe she's just making sure she has the option of going out whenever she wants . Sometimes just wants the door open and looks out and then sits and looks at me as much to say 'I was just checking what the weather is doing" or "if the car is still there" :rolleyes:




Definately Dobbie x kitty!

kildareash

adrenalinjunkie wrote: »

Can you incorporate the barking into some other type of training OP, eg. - dog barks and something specific happens.

As I have a Westie and they are known to be territorial and vocal, I incorporated barking into her toilet training so now she barks if she want to go out to go the toilet, lately she has started going to the door and sitting down instead when she wants out as I also trained her to sit and wait for doors to open but I keep letting her out when she barks as I want her to keep that association. She seems to be becomming very indecisive - doesn't know if she wants out or in :rolleyes:. Sits at the door to get out, barks to get back in, wants straight back out etc., etc... I'm starting to think she is doing it because she wants an excuse to bark , but that's fair enough as she is 'following the correct procedure' (I think!).

I've been analysing it a bit more since I posted and I think if we start acknowledging that they've heard something they will settle quicker.

A stranger knocked on the door this morning and they barked. But then when OH answered the door and spoke with the man in a friendly manner. They settled.

I was thinking of copying echosound. I'm just worried that if I reward them when they've stopped barking, they won't see that as rewarding the barking?

Cherry Blossom

kildareash wrote: »

I've been analysing it a bit more since I posted and I think if we start acknowledging that they've heard something they will settle quicker.

A stranger knocked on the door this morning and they barked. But then when OH answered the door and spoke with the man in a friendly manner. They settled.

I was thinking of copying echosound. I'm just worried that if I reward them when they've stopped barking, they won't see that as rewarding the barking?

I think I'd be reluctant to reward them as well, how about trying to figure out when its comming and diverting their attention, you could even set this up with one of you outside and reward only when there is no barking but have a definate line - say a short growl is allowed, reward and say good girl shhush now and hopefully they will pick up the shush part = no barking.