Shephard Mix
Answers:
try exercising the dog more. barking can be a number of things - fear aggression, boredom, territorial or even lack of socialization. you also have to understand animals (dogs) do not understand what we are saying without training - word association and behavior. be consistent with not only your words but what behaviors you want to associate with the words. Use the same word each time. Watch your body language as well. dogs understand that more than anything else. Shepard's are "working dogs" .. give the dog something to do like fetching.
Try using a spray bottle LOL.
What is th reason for her barking? If you don't know why she's doing something, you can't "fix" it. Sounds like this dog needs a lot of attention and training. You can't just get a dog and then not pay attention to it. They're like kids in that respect. They have to have attention, love and training, and training them is part of loving them. It also gives them self esteem, which would solve a lot if not all of your problems.
I have 2 jack russells and both had a barking problem.
I was forced to send them to obedience school. If you can't pin point what the dog is barking at, just spend the cash.
SHOCK COLLAR!
watch "dog whisperer". you might get some techniques to get your dog obey you :)
Hope you don't have kids, if you can't get the dog to mind.
The spray bottles works pretty well if you are sure that your dog isn't trying to tell you something. I have grown up with dogs and they have different barks under different circumstances that I have learned to interpret. Listen to your dog and if he/she has food, water, and is not in any discomfort - then you can train your dog to do what you want.
First "telling the dog" doesn't get. Up off your chair and DO something.
Second, the dog won't DO anything that you haven't trained him to do - except for the things he wants to do when he wants to do it.
This squirt them with a water bottle is silly. No idea where that current fad came from. All the dog learns is to watch out for a water bottle in your hand - no bottle, great, I can ignore them.
Now, shepards bark - that is what they do best to alert agianst possible threats or the unknown. Of course they will bark when someone is at the door. They are doing their job and alerting you.
If you just dump the dog outside or he lives outside , then the usual cause of barking is loneliness. If he is lonely, he will do anything to get your attention - and that includes engaging in negative behavior (chewing, barking, anything) if thats what it takes.
Until you have tried other techniques, I wouldn't go to an electric anti-bark collar unless you have the animal officer at the door with complaints or you are getting evicted. It is an absolutely last ditch method before the dog loses their home (or would you bleeding hearts prefer the dog go to the pound?) If you go straight to the collar, you have nothing left if it doesn鈥檛 work or they get used to it.
In 43 years of training, I have only be forced to go to the electronic collar twice (very large, very pig-headed dogs who had figured out that when working at a distance I couldn't reach them if they didn't obey a 'down" or "go" or "hold" command.)
Try this first.
When he barks, go and grab him by the collar or scruff. Put your hand over and around his muzzle and, in a clam reassuring voice, tell him "Okay, thank you, now hush." If he tries to keep barking, tell him "NO" in a hash stern voice and squeeze their muzzle. If he still keep trying, squeeze the side of the muzzle - the skin- into the side of his mouth against his teeth and repeat NO. (Use a deep voice - don't let your voice go up, make it go down.) You don't quit until he does. The minute he quits, lots and lots of praise in happy voice with hugs and pets and tummy rubs.
Do this EVERY SINGLE TIME he barks when you want them to stop. Keep doing it until they associate "Okay, thank you" with the concept he are to stop barking. (After all, you would want him to bark if someone was trying to break in the house, yes?)
Forget these treats and clicker things one reads aobut. Those aren't always around. You always have your hands and you voice.USE THEM.
As for not listening, you HAVE TO TRAIN HIM - they don't come preprogrammed for behavior. If no one had ever shown you, you wouldn't know how to use a fork or run a computer . So TEACH your dog.
It would take more space than is possible to give you a training manual.
Get yourself to an obedience class. Petsmart has them (not to ggreat but better than nothing,) Contact the kennel club in your area, They can help you find a trainer and class.
Go here to find a club in your area - even if they are an hour or two away they may know somoen near you.
http://www.akc.org/clubs/about.cfm.
Ask your vet if he knows of any.
If you don't know what you are doing, you can't pick up a book or video and do it.
When I taught obedience classes, I always said that I could teach the dogs to do heel, sit, down, stay, stand and come within in 2 weeks; it was the owners who took over 2 months to train how to train their dogs.
Sound like she knows who is the alpha-dog inyour pack. Be firm with her, and be sure to reward her with lots of lovin's when she's good. When scolding, use a firm, deep voice that says you mean business.
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