# Poodle barking at whoever passes by...how do I stop it??



## Beach girl (Aug 5, 2010)

It sounds like he's a nervous dog and very scared. You might get better results with positive reinforcement, rewarding what you want, instead of negative reinforcement (raising your voice, saying NO loudly and so on). When my dogs bark (usually this is Casey), I say "Thank you, that's enough" and get his attention. When he's quiet, even just for a couple seconds, I then give him a treat. That attracts his attention more than watching outside.

I never want him to be too afraid to bark. I just want him to know that one or two barks is sufficient. That's when he gets the reward. If necessary, I will also play with him a bit to distract his attention further. I want him to think that being with me, paying attention to me, is going to always be the source of good things coming, not harsh words.


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## flyingduster (Sep 6, 2009)

For a start, when you can't do training, close the curtains so he CANNOT go and look out. Yes it'll be a pain to have the curtains drawn in a main family room, but if you let him go back to old habits it'll be harder than ever to break. So either you have time to train it, or the curtains are closed, or he's crated or away from the window in some way that he can't do the looking & barking thing.

Now, what I'd do is clicker train him, teach him that a marker, be it "yes!!" or a clicker or whatever marker you want; will result in him getting a reward. He's smart and likes treats, so he'll pick it up quickly. For more info on clicker training have a look through this forum, or google it; there's so much out there I won't go through it here.

Once he's good at knowing what clicker training is all about (regardless of if you're using a clicker or not, I'll use the word clicker/click as the name for the bridge marker you use) [and remembering in the mean time to prevent him from being able to do it at all to help break the habit!]

I'd start with having containers of treats near by where the window is, within easy reach of you but not of him. When the curtain is open you need to be watching him like a hawk initially, and the MOMENT he goes up to look out the window, I'd click him and treat him. Do it BEFORE he barks!! Click AS he looks out the window, before he gets the chance to see anyone and bark. If he's learned the clicker thing already, the click will break his concentration and want his treat. Once he's gotten is treat, ignore him. He's likely to hang around you like a bad smell, wanting to carry on his training but he'll give up and remember the curtain is open and go back; you MUST be watching him still and again, the _moment_ he goes back to look out the window, click and reward. Do it lots. When you're too busy to watch him for it, close the curtains.

It may seem counter-intuitive to teach him that looking out the window will result in a reward, but it's NOT the looking out the window that you want to stop, it's the barking! You want to encourage looking out the window without barking. If you're not quick enough, or one of the kids opens the curtains and he gets up there and barks again, I'd just purposefully, but not 'aggressively' [thinking body language here] go up to him and take him by the collar and remove him from the window. Don't worry if he dribbles, don't react to that, just quietly remove him from the window/room and close the curtains [and wipe up the dribble if need be!] without being mad or happy or anything, just non-reactive! 

Barking is self-rewarding, telling him off or anything will make no difference as he's getting a 'reward' by barking at people to make them go away, and they go away so he's getting rewarded automatically and your telling him off won't make a difference as the reward of chasing something away is worth the punishment. You want to teach him looking without barking is MORE rewarding, cos he'll get a treat for it. If need be, occasionally use _amazing_ treats that he'll jump the moon for, just to make it REALLY worthwhile for him to look and not bark.

Keep going. Do it as often as you can, even if it's only 30 seconds of opening the curtain and letting him go look, click AS he looks and reward him before closing the curtains and carrying on with whatever you have to get done around the house. Do it lots of times all through the day, as often as possible. The cycle you want to get him to do is to go look out the window, and then look to you for his reward; WITHOUT barking. If he barks, remove him and close the curtain and end the 'game'. 

In theory as he gets better he'll be able to look out and you can reward him as he stays there looking without barking, then the reward is two-fold, being that he gets a treat AND he gets to continue looking out the window. Again, the moment he barks he gets removed and the game ends; no more window privileges.

BE CONSISTENT. And make sure everyone in the family is consistent too. Don't let your partner open the curtains and let him go there and bark his head off while you're out. The more consistent it is, the more black and white it is for the dog and easy for him to get better fast. If you can't be consistent then forget it and just put up with a dog that will always push and try barking at the window when he can.

Over time you can reduce the treats as simply being allowed to stay looking out the window will be rewarding for him, but it might pay to toss him the odd treat when he's being good just to emphasize it. As he gets better as well you may be able to slacken off a little too, if he can bark once and stop himself it's not too bad, but be careful he doesn't get carried away with it again and if he barks again I'd remove him and do a few mins later of just rewarding the silent thing again.

ETA the peeing thing I wouldn't worry about. With consistent rules he'll become a lot better. Neutering him probably won't make much difference but that's up to you anyway. If you are consistent with him and don't tell him off [he has no real idea why he's being told off, the utter confusion as much as anything will be why he pees] just removing him with no emotion will help him get over the peeing as he'll learn there's no harshness at all, and he'll get rewarded later if he's good anyway.

Good luck!


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## CelticKitti (Jul 1, 2010)

What FD just described is almost exactly what I did with Mia. She still tries to push the limit sometimes, but I just remove her from the window and distract her in the kitchen for a moment. She LOVES sitting on the couch looking outside. We are still working on the mail man because he comes ALL the way up to the door.

I ended up using brown paper on my window because Mia would jump up on the couch and poke her nose through the blinds(destroying a set). The paper only came off if I could watch her. After the initial stages it was while watching TV and I could throw treats at her periodically. If she barked the paper went back up! 

It does work, but you have to stick to it!


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## poodleholic (Jan 6, 2010)

Congratulations, and kudos to you for providing a forever home for this Poodle boy! 

FlyDuster gave you excellent advice. I rescued a 16 mo. old intact male SPoodle (almost 9 yrs. ago, now) who was a window terrorist who would bark and lunge - inside the house, car, and at the fence in the back yard, so I know how frustrating and upsetting dealing with this can be. You are going to need to dig deep and remain calm, be patient, consistent, and be persistent with your training plan. And you do need a training plan for this to work, so that you can be prepared to immediately deal with the unwanted behavior to get the behavior you do want. Your goals are to effectively change the reactivity and the submissive peeing, so you'll have steps to reach each goal. I prefer a written training plan.

Forget about corrections for now; you're going to handle this through management at first, while implementing desensitization and counter conditioning (getting him used to/comfortable with what triggers him now, and changing his response to it through operant conditioning and positive reinforcement). Prevention of the behavior is key (each time he does it, the behavior is reinforced, and will be harder to stop/change), so management of his environment and limiting exposure to triggers, and keeping him in his comfort zone as you gradually expose him, will be where you start. There are some things you can do to make your life easier, and his, too.

But first, be mindful of the fact that he's with new people in a new environment that is a very busy household with 4 children! He needs time to adjust, and you can help him do that more quickly by providing *structure and routine in his daily life*. This will help him feel more secure. (Walks, meals, potty, quiet time/naps - in crate or on his mat/rug/bed, 5-minute training sessions throughout the day, along with NILIF (you want to eat? Fine, sit first. Good dog! You want to be petted? Fine, sit first. Good dog!), interactive play w/you, nighttime walk, potty, bed, well - you get the general idea). 

The submissive peeing isn't going to be cured through neutering, and correcting him and raising your voice will make it worse. When he's doing something you don't want him to do, remain calm and matter-of-fact with him, do not raise your voice, and approach him indirectly without direct eye contact. Stand sideways, turn your head, even yawn (all dog language for "I'm no threat"), and if you want him to come to you, bend down on one knee first, turn sideways, and then coax him to you. He'll be less likely to piddle. When returning home, keep it low key, and even ignore him the first few minutes. Let him approach you, and keep your greeting very calm and low key. 

Windows: Restrict his access, as others have mentioned, by closing the drapes, putting furniture in front to block access, whatever it takes. One of the things I did with Beau (and fosters w/the same issues) when the window was open, or we were outside and someone went by the fence in the alley, was to get between the window/fence and the dog, and used my hand like a stop sign, saying "thank you, that's enough," and redirecting the dog to something else. At first it may feel like a LOT of work, because you have to get up and get between the dog and the window every single time. 

Whenever Beau would bark, I immediately went over to the window (or door) and looked out (or opened the door, then closed it), and then told him "thank you, that's enough," and went about my business. What excellerated Beau's progress was to get goofy and play "What's that?!" whenever he showed the slightest indication that he was going to get reactive to someone/something outside the window. I'd clap my hands, jump up and down, talk in a sing-song happy voice. It's rather amazing how effective that technique is with dogs - it does get their attention, and they focus on you, the goofy one! My dogs LOVE it when I act goofy! The thing is, YOU have to be more interesting than whatever has their attention. I have absolutely no dignity when I'm training! LOL 



> He's a smart dog and with a treat I can make him do all the commands by voice or hand/signal, but without a treat he will not move or even come to me. He just ignores me and plays dumb.


Give him time to adjust to his new life with you. Standard Poodles are very intelligent, and they do not suffer fools! LOL (I know from experience! Maddy, my first SPoodle, taught me well how NOT to treat her!) They're sensitive, and they also have a marvelous sense of humor. Use that. You will earn his trust and respect over time with patience and kindness. 



> He also gets on my couch and lies down on it to look outside for people. I tried to get him off the other day and he peed on my brand new couch.


Don't allow him to see outside - close the blinds/drapes. Teach him OFF, and until he gets it, don't try to make him get off the couch or he'll pee on it again - redirect him to something else and/or walk away. 

Hang in there - he's worth it!


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Excellent advice from FD. I would also do everything I could to reduce his fear and stress levels - he sounds a very "soft", worried dog who is desperately trying to placate you by the submissive peeing, etc. Do you have a loud, deep voice? What voice do you use when playing with your young baby? Try soft baby talk, non-threatening body language, very gentle massage - but only when he comes to you. I do think calmness, quietness and consistency will help him become he lovely gentle dog he is meant to be. (And Simple Solution spray will help keep your home comfortable and you sane in the meantime!)


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## Purley (May 21, 2010)

I was very interested to read those posts because I have a bit of trouble with Lucy barking out of the window. I guess it never occurred to me that what she was doing was barking -- and then the people (naturally) went away - so that was her reward.

Lucy also barks at her own reflection in the glass of the french doors. So I guess I should be doing the same thing - calling her away and rewarding her rather than telling her "No". She obviously thinks its another dog out there and it will never go away!!


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## cbrand (Aug 9, 2009)

As others have said, you need to keep the dog out of the front room. The hard part about re-training a window barker is that this dog probably thinks he is doing his "job" by warning off people on the street or alerting you to them. I wouldn't just close the drapes, I would totally block access to the room by closing doors, keeping him in other parts of the house or setting up extended X-pens to fence off open areas. This will keep him off the furniture too.

To keep dogs off the furniture, you can also make scat mats. Get one of those plastic office floor mats that you put a rolly chair on. The flip side of those mats has little spikes. Cut the mat to an appropriate shape and put, spike up on the furniture. The dog will not want to put his feet on the spikes. Alternately, you can buy scat mats from dog supply stores like Pet Edge or J and J Dog Training, but you will pay a lot more.

Finally, I have some bad news. I would not expect this dog to stop submissive peeing once he is neutered. Submissive peeing comes from a soft/submissive temperament. He pees for you because he sees you as the dominant figure in the house (that is why he does it less for your wife). Do you know that this dog was actually abused or are you just guessing? Many times dogs who submissive pee are given up because their owners simply can not stand manage the problem.


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## neVar (Dec 25, 2009)

ditto the bove. But also add get him in a belly band as it wll help with the peeing. 

Positive work will help build his confidence with you and that will help make less peeing


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## Jennifer J (Apr 22, 2010)

you've been given great advice regarding the window and barking, so I'm not going there. But, I have dealt with the submissive peeing issue. A few things helped us a lot. When we return home after being out, I don't make a fuss when I come inside. I walk calmly to the crate and let Claire out, then tell her and Ellie to go outside. We walk straight to the back door and after they go out and pee, then we have a happy party to all be home together again. Also, don't raise your voice at him if you catch him peeing/piddling inside - I know how hard that is, but it only makes it worse. Just take him outside to finish. And if he pees on the couch, don't let him on it, especially if you can't get him off without him piddling due to being corrected. 

It sounds like he has some issues, and as others have said, is a soft dog. Claire was very soft when we got her (about 4 1/2 months old), and obedience training helped her immensely. Her confidence went way up, she loved making us happy! Even though your boy knows commands, taking some type of class - advanced obedience, rally, tricks - will help him and also strengthen your bond with him. He will want to please you, and he will figure it all out. Just takes some time and patience. Good luck with him, and keep us posted on your progress!


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## Feralpudel (Jun 28, 2010)

You've gotten some good advice here. I would just add that cafe shutters that block the lower half of the window are a great option for blocking the view of a dog without blocking out all light or your ability to see out.


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## Starlite720 (Oct 20, 2020)

mcu said:


> Hi,
> 
> Two months ago we adopted a 18 month old standard poodle. He's a good dog, but has his share of problems most probably because he was abused. My biggest problem is trying to correct him. Anytime I correct him by raisin my voice or sneaking up on him and catching him in the act, he pees/drips. He has drips/pees also if I try to take him for a walk or if we come home after being a long for a while (this one I think is anxiety but still does it). It's most always with me besides when we come home...that he does with my wife also. I was told by others that this will change once he's neutered next month....I really hope so!!
> 
> ...


*Hi MCU, my name is Starlite720 I just want you to know you are not alone. I go through the same ordeal day in day out 7 days and nights a week. Annoying is not the word I would use. Frustrating to the Max is better in my position. Why? Because I live in an Apartment Complex there are 4 apts to our building. People walk around he barks, they go out he barks, each one comes home he barks. Yes I shut the Blinds, he can be 3-6 feet from the window he will bark at there shadow I tried Bark Buddy no good. I take my roommate to work, I put him in the bathroom the 1St. time, 5:30 in am because leaving him out he was barking and crying the whole time for 45 minutes. When I came home he scratched at the bathroom door so much that there was a blood on my bathroom floor below the door. 3 days later I had a doctor's appointment so my roommate told me to put him in my bedroom he has my bed, and my sent, he should be alright, no he wasn't he did it again I had to get him a cage, which I hate but I literally had no choice. I have been breaking him in by putting him in the cage 20 minutes 3 x a day. 
he is pretty much fine with it. 
I talk to him while he is in there.
in a happy voice. I was hoping to get a collar that vibrates when he barks, in hopes that might help.*


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## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

Starlite720 said:


> *Hi MCU, my name is Starlite720 I just want you to know you are not alone. I go through the same ordeal day in day out 7 days and nights a week. Annoying is not the word I would use. Frustrating to the Max is better in my position. Why? Because I live in an Apartment Complex there are 4 apts to our building. People walk around he barks, they go out he barks, each one comes home he barks. Yes I shut the Blinds, he can be 3-6 feet from the window he will bark at there shadow I tried Bark Buddy no good. I take my roommate to work, I put him in the bathroom the 1St. time, 5:30 in am because leaving him out he was barking and crying the whole time for 45 minutes. When I came home he scratched at the bathroom door so much that there was a blood on my bathroom floor below the door. 3 days later I had a doctor's appointment so my roommate told me to put him in my bedroom he has my bed, and my sent, he should be alright, no he wasn't he did it again I had to get him a cage, which I hate but I literally had no choice. I have been breaking him in by putting him in the cage 20 minutes 3 x a day.
> he is pretty much fine with it.
> I talk to him while he is in there.
> in a happy voice. I was hoping to get a collar that vibrates when he barks, in hopes that might help.*


Hi Starlite, welcome! You have landed in a very old thread. The original poster hasn't commented on Poodle Forum for several years. I would suggest opening a new thread in our Training and Obedience section.


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