# Barking



## meme (Jul 3, 2011)

Forgive me if this isn't the right place for this.
I've done a quick search and read some older threads but I thought I'd maybe post my own and see if anyone has any suggestions for me.

Rubi barks at stuff. The cat from next door and people coming to the door especially. Or people walking past the fence. 

It seems quite normal that she is defending her little yard here but, it is a loud strident little bark and I worry about it annoying the neighbours. 

I borrowed an anti bark collar off the guy who does our obedience classes last year and that worked while we had it. It sprayed a little spray of citronella stuff if she barked. I am considering actually buying one as the barking has started again now we don't have it. 

I also use a spray bottle for during the night( or when people come to the door sometimes) as she sleeps in my room and if cats come into the yard she often runs to the window and barks. if I can see her I only have to wave it around and tell her no barking..but at night I just squirt it in her general direction ( half asleep and in the dark) and it does stop her. 

I've seen posts on here about teaching barking on command... Rubi is already one, is it too late to use this approach? do you think it would work, or not, as I am mostly concerned about when she is out in the yard - often times while we are out - and I wouldn't be there to say no barking.

Maybe a combination of collar for while I am not home? 

If it would work could someone share any youtubes or instructions for teaching the barking command?


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## JE-UK (Mar 10, 2010)

It's never too late to train :smile:. And a year is still very young, so get yourself a pocketful of boiled chicken and have some fun!

If the dog is barking to alert you to OMIGOD THERE IS INCREDIBLE DANGER OUT THERE, then it might help to first acknowledge the alert, and then ask her to do something that is incompatible with barking. With my dog, when he alerts on something, I get up, go and look at whatever it is, tell him I've got it under control, then take him away from the window or door or whatever he was barking at and we go and do thirty seconds of heelwork or something. 

I always think that it must be really frustrating for dogs, to have a human ignore their alerts. I think some dogs feel like they have to bark even MORE, since no one is paying attention to the fact that THERE IS A CAT OUT THERE, LOOK, RIGHT THERE!!!!!


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## meme (Jul 3, 2011)

Yes. So true! She is just doing her 'job' in a way of saying we live here!


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