[Rach]

Hello everyone.

I have a one year all basset hound called genghis and i'm just wanting some advice on BARKING!!!

she seems to just be going through which i though was just a phase, of barking at me I can cope with her barking now and again thats fine. But she's barking at me while i'm washing up, cleaning, she'll be in the garden and she'll look through the kitchen window and just bark. When I go out and tell her to be quiet she just barks more and runs round in circles. She has also started barking at 5.30 every morning as well now. I'm up at half six to take her out for a walk before work but she now feels the need to bark for an hour before i'm up.

She gets plenty of exercise and we play with her all the time.

I just wanted to know if anyone had any advice on I can stop her barking for atention? :

 

[clarejon]

Hi Rach

I've not experienced this with my pup but here's what i'd do....

At least and hour walk a day (off the lead walks really tires mine out). and plenty of play times (but only when you want to - NOT when she tells you)

Is she teething? Or has this already happened.

Try not to give her any attension at all when barking. if she gets attension from barking she'll do it all the more. ignor the behaviour and she may realise she's not getting a reward for it so will eventually stop.

also, is she eating enough? I know mine plays up sometimes if she is extra hungry that day.

Is she toilet trained 100%? she might be barking at 5 to be let out for a pee? I let mine out at 6.30 for a pee and then i go straight back to bed for an hour and she goes back to her's - she is a really good routine.

im sure others will be able to give you some advise too. but i recon the ignoring the barking will really help. dont give her any attension and walk away from her completely if she starts. got to a different room where she cant even see you/anyone.

hoep some of this might help? let us know how you're getting on.

Clare

 

[Rach]

Thanks for your advice.

She's already been through the teething stage.

She nearly 90% fully house trained it's just really strange how's she's been fine for a year but now suddenly she's barking like mad before I get up. I wondered if it was because it's ligther in the mornings at the moment. When I come downstairs to let her out she doesn't even go for a pee, she's just really excited to see me and runs about.

I've tried letting her out for a pee then going back to bed but she just barks and bangs on the door to get updtairs. Little bugger.

cheers I'll keep you updated on the barking for attension.

 

[BubbaLeroy]

To me it sounds like she is barking for attention and wants to be with you. She barks and you responded by going out and telling her to be quiet. She got your attention and she got what she wanted, for "you to come". It didn't matter to her that you were there to discipline her, "you were there". You are going to have to go to her and reward her with attention when she is quiet. Very hard to do with some dogs. Wait until she stops barking and instantly go to her and reward her with attention. If she starts barking when you go out because she's so happy to see you, turn your back and walk away. When she is quiet turn around make her sit and then reward her with lots of loving pats and attention. This will take time and lots of patience. Good luck!!

 

[Mikey T]

Barking works, The tried and true just ignore it general doesn't for two reasons.

1. the reason it works is because it is so annoying you can not ignore it, so the advice to ignore is well futile. Even if you try to extiguish the behavior by ignoring it - called extinction you end up with a phenonom know as an extinction Burst

If someone's gained some reward every time for a particular behavior, the
behavior will persist. If suddnely the reward stops coming, it's likely
that the person or animal will not immediately give up the behavior.
Instead, they'll try it again and again, harder, faster, more emphatically.
It's a burst of activity.

...My favorite example is the elevator button. Let's say you ride the same
elevator every day. You get in, you push the button for your floor, and
you're rewarded by the doors closing and the elevator taking you to your
destination. One day you get in and push the button, and nothing happens.
Do you immediately say, "Oh, this must not work anymore, I'll just take the
stairs to the 11th floor"? Or do you push the button again? And again?
And harder? And faster? And in special sequences? That's the extinction
burst.[/b]

Makes it very hard to ignore. If however the dog is rewarded during the burst which happens quite frequently it works to really strengthen the behavior. If at first you don't succeed just try hard, faster, louder, longer etc.

2. even if success in extinquishing the behavior what then, THe dogs needs have not changed, It still needs to get your attention, The way to get it is to find an even more obnoxious behavior.

solutions

1. silvia Kents HarmonY Programme

It is so simple – following the “crying baby” model for filling the need as soon as it arises, all Attention Seeking behavior Disorders can be entirely avoided as well as cured by giving focussed attention immediately and as soon as the request has been received.

This does not mean one has to put one’s entire life on hold or “run rings around the creature” – it is literally a simple little flash of attention at the right time and when first asked for it; the classic “a stitch in time saves nine” principle.

Rather than “rewarding” attention seeking behavior, it never gets to escalate, the creature’s energy system remains balanced and the disturbed behavior never need take place at all.

As the babies who are fed when they are hungry cry markedly less or not at all, creatures who receive attention energy (or love or recognition energy) when they ask for it, their attention seeking behaviors become markedly less frequent, markedly less dramatic and may cease altogether once the system has been in operation for a while and the creature has understood that not only can it get what it needs just the for the asking, but also its energy system has become more robust, more healthy, more resilient and won’t collapse when there is a time when attention is in short supply.[/b]

or actively train a less obnoxious attention seeking behavior
<a href="http://www.clickersolutions.com/articles/2001b/alternate.htm" target="_blank">Training an Alternative Behavior:
Changing a Paw Whack to a Chin Rest</a>

Of couse ideally the best way is preventing the need in the first place but this is not always possible.

 

[Booya]

i think leaving the dog outside while you're inside will almost always elicit barking.

i know in my dog's case, he'd rather be in his crate in the house than be outside by himself.

 

[sue crawford]

Hello everyone.

I have a one year all basset hound called genghis and i'm just wanting some advice on BARKING!!!

she seems to just be going through which i though was just a phase, of barking at me I can cope with her barking now and again thats fine. But she's barking at me while i'm washing up, cleaning, she'll be in the garden and she'll look through the kitchen window and just bark. When I go out and tell her to be quiet she just barks more and runs round in circles. She has also started barking at 5.30 every morning as well now. I'm up at half six to take her out for a walk before work but she now feels the need to bark for an hour before i'm up.

She gets plenty of exercise and we play with her all the time.

I just wanted to know if anyone had any advice on I can stop her barking for atention? :[/b]

 

[sue crawford]

Hello Rach! Sorry, I don't know what to tell you about the barking, but I am contacting you because of an amazing thing! Your little picture in the upper corner of Genghis - she looks just like my Sam. The one I had been writing about a couple of months ago, inquiring about the "type" of basset he is. And your Genghis is almost identical to him in coloring and general appearance. What type is she?

Back to the barking - The technique I use in any bad vs. good behavior is - scold the bad and enthusiastically reward the good (usually with a lot of praise and most importantly - a treat! Good luck! Sue

P.S. Please let me know the name (breed) of Genghis. Thanks!

 

[Betsy Iole]

See also the Problem Barking thread on the FAQ forum, which contains links to additional discussions of causes and solutions.