# Barking!!! Help!



## patk (Jun 13, 2013)

where is her crate? the first night i got my dog - he was 5 months old - i put his crate in the kitchen and he howled and howled. the next night i put the crate in my bedroom and he was quiet all night. at five months he had better bladder control than your puppy, so that was not an issue (though he still was not housetrained when i got him). he didn't not like being left alone. most dogs don't, from what i've heard.

as for asking to be taken out to pee in the middle of the night, i don't know about spoos, but 12 weeks does sound a bit young for total bladder control.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I'd forget all the stuff about alpha, and "dominance", and so on - she is a baby who is bored and lonely when left in a crate, and excited by the thought of food! I agree - put the crate close to you at night, where you can drop a hand in to comfort her when she wakes. She probably needs to go out because she has woken up, rather than is waking because she needs to go out - if she is close to you you will quickly learn to tell when she really needs to get out. 

I suspect barking for food is excitement and not having been taught better manners, rather than evidence of her planning on taking over the house - think of a hungry baby screaming for the bottle that is not yet ready! I'd plan ahead for a few days - I'd have meals prepared ahead of time, with rather more than half in the bowl, and give her that immediately so she is not too hungry. Then I'd use the rest for training, putting a little in the bowl at a time, and only putting it down when she is quiet. Lower it slowly, and lift it up at the first bark. It doesn't usually take long for an intelligent poodle to discover they can make you put the bowl down just by keeping quiet!


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## Joelly (May 8, 2012)

I second the others to put her crate next to you. Poodle is all about their human. They love to be close to you. I find with Edison, as long as I am next to him, a 3rd zombie war can be happening and Edison could care less.

About barking when you are preparing food, that shows she is trying to be pushy. So, after you have the food ready, hold the bowl facing her, when she barks at you, immediately turn-around away from her, show her your back, once she quiets down, turn face her again, do this as often as you can and only put the bowl down when she doesn't bark at all. Poodles are super smart, she'll get this on 3rd day, I'm sure.

Edison is an over-excited-energizer-bunny so every time I open his x-pen, he will fly out. Literally. To stop him from doing this, I would put him in a sit command before I open his x-pen, then turn the door-zipper down as slowly as I can, if during this he stand to move forward to fly out the door, I'll zipped up the x-pen quickly and turn around from him. Later he learn that if he sit still, the zipper will come down instead of going up. Lol.

Try this turn-away trick with her and see what happen. She is a super smart breed, she'll learn fast. 

P.S. I just realize that she is only 12 weeks old. Aaawww....and you wonder why she is restless at night alone in the kitchen or wherever you put her in. See that dog in my signature below. He is 1.25 yrs old and he is still restless when I left him alone locked in his crate. The one who will scream bloody murder is my DH. Charlie is his heart dog. *sigh*


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

Joelly said:


> I second the others to put her crate next to you. Poodle is all about their human. *They love to be close to you. I find with Edison, as long as I am next to him, a 3rd zombie war can be happening and Edison could care less.*
> About barking when you are preparing food, that shows she is trying to be pushy. So, after you have the food ready, hold the bowl facing her, when she barks at you, immediately turn-around away from her, show her your back, once she quiets down, turn face her again, do this as often as you can and only put the bowl down when she doesn't bark at all. Poodles are super smart, she'll get this on 3rd day, I'm sure.
> 
> Edison is an over-excited-energizer-bunny so every time I open his x-pen, he will fly out. Literally. To stop him from doing this, I would put him in a sit command before I open his x-pen, then turn the door-zipper down as slowly as I can, if during this he stand to move forward to fly out the door, I'll zipped up the x-pen quickly and turn around from him. Later he learn that if he sit still, the zipper will come down instead of going up. Lol.
> ...


You guys are all so smart - perfect advice from all of you!
I just have one question - when were the first 2 Zombie Wars and how did I miss them? I'm pretty sure that my girls would be freaked out just because I would be lol!


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## Joelly (May 8, 2012)

Tiny Poodles said:


> You guys are all so smart - perfect advice from all of you!
> I just have one question - when were the first 2 Zombie Wars and how did I miss them? I'm pretty sure that my girls would be freaked out just because I would be lol!


Bwahahahahaha!!! You make me laugh so hard. I don't really know but I thought of it as I was writing to you. There is one movie out there which I think is ridiculous called Z War or something like that and its a zombie war I believe. One day while watching tv, there was a preview of that movie and Edison sat next to me and his eyes glued to the tv as if he understand it then he looked to me and swift his butt closer and fell asleep shortly after. I thought that was cute.

There are smarter people in here, I speak only from direct experience I had with my boys. Charlie is so full of problem and I work closely with a trainer with him for about 4 months. He is all done now but training continues despite class being over. Then Edison came along and I thought oh no what did I just do. :argh: I'm just glad Edison is a small package, if he is a mini or a standard, there will be a poodle revolution at my house for sure. Edison would be leading it. Lol.

Although they are both handful, I love them to bits, it's weird. :argh:


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

World War Z! Saw it already, and it was OK, not great.
Come to think of it, my girls are cool watching The Walking Dead, so perhaps they would be OK with a Zombie War lol!

And it sounds like you learned your lessons well from your trainer!
Worst situation I ever had was when I used to take Taylee to the doggie gym - she would be so excited that she would scream like she was being murdered the entire way there. Trainer told me to stop walking and not move again until she hushed - over and over again, it took us over an hour to walk the TWO blocks to the gym - all the while, having to explain over and over and over again to the people who would come running over to "rescue" the "poor little dog that was in trouble" - about 20% of them would not even ask me what was wrong - they would approach me screaming at me to "stop hurting that dog"
Man, was that brutal...I had Taylee, and every passerby constantly screaming at me!


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## Joelly (May 8, 2012)

That's what Charlie does, screaming hard whenever I take him to the daycare. He can bring excitement up the wall. I just stop the car and not move for what it feels like forever. Then I just get his treat out and let him smell it, the treat must be some super treat to get his attention. Once he went quiet, I'll get moving and see if he screams again. The energy that Charlie has is like Thor, honestly.

Edison is another energizer-bunny. I don't know what I do in the past to be so attracted to such high energy pups. Lol.

Our trainer is great. She is so understanding and I learnt from her that the obedience training is more for the human. It will be two obedience classes for me. Charlie passed his a month ago and now Edison is in his third week.

Hahahaha....Comingling strangers only make matter worse. They usually mean well but why can't they just walk on by? That's better than lingering around an over-excited pup.


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## Jcjshelton (Jun 16, 2013)

Actually, I put her next to my bed for the first three weeks, and because she barked so much, no one can fall asleep, and in the middle of the night, she also hears movement from the other dog, and barks. Sleep is deprived in the household. Last night I just transferred her crate to another room, and of course, it got worse... I know, seems like there's no good solution to this...

I tried the turning to my back, it seems to work. She is not barking as much for food now. Thanks for the good advice!


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## patk (Jun 13, 2013)

is the other dog crated, too? if not, she may see that and want equal treatment. i am not kidding. 

well, here's one negative reinforcement possibility. put her in your room in the crate. when she starts barking, move her and the crate to another room. once she quiets down, bring her and the crate back into the bedroom. if she barks again, take her and the crate back to the other room. (if you have two crates, it's easier to set this up.) it could take a few difficult nights, but if she is getting it re barking for food getting a negative response, she sounds pretty smart and may get this, too. it's kind of a time out treatment, which is pretty much tied to crate training as i learned it.

don't yell at her. when she is quiet in her crate, give her her toy or a small bit of a treat. so barking means she gets a time out away from everyone else. quiet gets her a treat and being with the family.


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## Jcjshelton (Jun 16, 2013)

Yes, as a matter of fact, the other puppy is in a completely other room and is doing just fine, but whenever she whimpers to go to the bathroom, for sure, Lexie the spoo, would start barking like crazy, whether she needed to go pee or not. I don't know another way around this, Lexie hears everything! anyone have an idea? :argh:


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## Jcjshelton (Jun 16, 2013)

She also runs away from me after she pees, and I almost have to chase after her. It seems like she is on her way to have me chase her full on eventually... :argh:!!! What a dog...giving me gray hairs and a sore body...:argh:...

Btw, she never comes to me when I call her, unless I have a treat, then she will slowly come over...

Any training advice for this? Thanks...


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

Joelly said:


> That's what Charlie does, screaming hard whenever I take him to the daycare. He can bring excitement up the wall. I just stop the car and not move for what it feels like forever. Then I just get his treat out and let him smell it, the treat must be some super treat to get his attention. Once he went quiet, I'll get moving and see if he screams again. The energy that Charlie has is like Thor, honestly.
> 
> Edison is another energizer-bunny. I don't know what I do in the past to be so attracted to such high energy pups. Lol.
> 
> ...


Really - and I had to do this standing in the middle of a crowded city sidewalk, where there was literally a new person coming up to me every 5 seconds!
The high energy ones are definitely a challenge, but they are also so much fun! Maybe that's why you are so attracted to them? Taylee was such an incredible athlete - she was like an itty bitty Frisbee dog (with her tiny ball, she could have made a bed out of an actual Frisbee) - all of the guys at the doggie gym were so jealous that I had the most fun, sports dog there - in fact, they had to teach me how to throw better for her, because my "throwing like a girl" was ruining her fun lol! And I sure hope that my next one is JUST like her!


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## patk (Jun 13, 2013)

Jcjshelton said:


> Yes, as a matter of fact, the other puppy is in a completely other room and is doing just fine, but whenever she whimpers to go to the bathroom, for sure, Lexie the spoo, would start barking like crazy, whether she needed to go pee or not. I don't know another way around this, Lexie hears everything! anyone have an idea? :argh:


the point is to reward her for not barking and to get the message across that barking is not appreciated. so you have to have patience and be consistent in your message. if she's quiet, she gets to stay in her crate in your room. if not, she goes to the other crate. when she quiets down, she is brought back into the bedroom. (oh, yeah, sleepless nights. but you can also practice this during the day. reward for quiet in the crate. other crate in another room for timeout without humans or other dogs around. no quiet, no company.)

when you take her out (really, should be the last thing you do before going to bed), do what someone else suggested and put her on a leash. go out with her, make sure she goes. then reward her with a treat and praise. 

really, she sounds like a pretty smart dog and i think she will learn.

okay, let me tell you a story so you don't feel too discouraged. my dog is not really a barker. i actually "taught" him to bark - as in saying please on cue for his food or a treat. now he is almost sixteen. he suddenly decided out of the blue that when he didn't get dinner early enough, he was going to let me know he was hungry. so he started barking up a storm. new, irritating behavior - but not stupid behavior when you think about it. this went on for a couple of weeks, actually, before i finally decided enough, already. i began making him sit before placing his bowl. that cut down the barking, but didn't cut if off. so i used the turn my back technique. he now is back on good behavior. they get it, but a lot depends on getting the message across. not easy, because dogs do differ. but most are teachable.

come is the hardest to teach, imo. mostly because the dog may get a better offer (that irresistible squirrel or cat or other dog) and because it's all too easy to follow up on come with a "negative," as in come so we can go home, come so i can give you what-for for chewing my shoe or for lifting your leg, etc., etc. every training book i've ever read cautions against associating the come command with a negative follow up by the owner/trainer. very, very hard instruction to follow.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I wonder if she is getting enough exercise - physical and mental- during the day to tire her out be bedtime? Much of what you describe - barking excitedly at meal times and at every sound during the night, trying to persuade you to play a fun game of chase, not wanting to come away from fun stuff when called - could indicate a dog needing more to do. I can imagine that trying to raise two pups at once by the book is pretty stretching, but perhaps allowing them rather more play time together, and giving her a few more play and training sessions with you during the day, would help to reduce the unwanted behaviour.

On Come I would change the word, and turn it into a fun game. Let her know you have really good treats on you, and run away squealing her name and "Here!" or whatever word you choose. Keep up the revs - you are more fun, more exciting, more rewarding than anything else in the whole world! Repeat a couple of times, then send her off to play. Then repeat at intervals every day for at least a week, gradually using a fuss and quick game sometimes instead of a treat, but always making sure coming to you is not followed by anything unpleasant. If you need her in and out quickly keep her on her lead. If she is out playing and you want to stop her, go and fetch her. 

This really does work - my neighbour's middle aged terrier stopped coming when called because her owner always scolded her for taking so long, rather than rewarding her for actually coming. I kept her on lead for months when I was walking her, she was so unreliable, and it took me weeks and weeks of treats and praise, but she now comes most of the time for me, even when she has found a rabbit (and this is the dog that could vanish for an hour or more!). And I still behave as if she is coming in first in the Tour de France each and every time she runs to me!


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## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

FJM has it exactly right. It is always party time when a dog comes on command. So many people loose obedience to this command as it always signals the end of playtime.


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## Joelly (May 8, 2012)

fjm is right! I too was scornful at Charlie when he took his time coming to me which resulted of him not coming to me so I came to PF for advice. I have to retrain myself to be more in the celebration mode when Charlie comes to me on command. I forget how long it took me to get him come to me on command but now he is very reliable at home, outside I am still weary on letting him off leash as I don't trust the environment around us. 

At home, I would say Charlie and he come in an instant, sometime fast but sometime he reluctantly come but I always give him treats when he comes or play fetch.

Outside, I had him on flexy leash and when I say Charlie come, I would slightly bend my knees and he come running, I treat him or fluff his ears then I would send him off to sniff or mark.

Also, I found having the right tool is very important when the pups are still young. I invested in a treat pouch, I always have it on me at home and outside. It is full of treats so anytime I can easily reach for the treat to give to them. It is also good to put your keys when you walk them outside.

Edison's recall is not a problem because I learnt a lot from training Charlie.


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## N2Mischief (Dec 3, 2012)

Misha does that scream thing that sounds like someone is pulling out her toenails very slowly one at a time. She used to do it when I came home but I would ignore her till she was quiet and calm and then would pet her. Worked very quickly. Now she only does it when she is in the car pulling into the parking lot at the groomer. She starts to scream and runs to her groomer and kisses her all over her face. Then the groomer puts her down and she does zoomies around the grooming table. I know how to stop it, by having the groomer ignore her till she is calm. It really is funny to watch though!


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## Jcjshelton (Jun 16, 2013)

Those are some great advice! Thanks guys! 

I started reflecting back to the times I used come command, and you are absolutely right. They were all negative reinforcements signaling the end of something good. So I started training come with something positive today, and I think Lexie is already getting it! Of course, not all that well yet, but certainly a lot better than before! I don't know why I didn't think of that!:adore:

I am gradually learning to raise two puppies. Some days, I feel like I should do things a certain way, by the book, and other days, I soften up and give in to the puppies. I think professional advice seems like the way to go. I have noticed that when I let them out to play together, they have no acknowledgment of my existence; however, if I let one out at a time, they would be right next to me, trying to get my attention! I've always had dogs in my life, and they always turned out to be great dogs, even with VERY little training, but trying to raise two puppies at the same time correctly definitely is a challenge to me!


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