Barking

[Hap100]

My dog has quite the barking problem. Actually, I think it is his separation anxiety manifesting itself as barking.

Basically, his separation anxiety is fairly severe. He follows me around the house, whines when he can't be in the same room as me and barks when we are gone. We crate him the majority of the time we are gone and have also left him out of the crate for shorter periods of time just to see if that was the issue. Either way he barks for up to an hour. We have videotaped him so we know that it does go on for an extended period of time. Usually after some time he will lay down and sleep.

I have tried the following things - Shock bark collar (but I tried it on myself and it really hurt so I didn't have the heart to put it on him); Dog Appeasing Phermome (DAP); Toys, Kong, treats, etc to distract/entertain him.

I've also been working on the separation anxiety itself for several months. For instance, he knows that when I put a jacket on I am going to leave. So I have been wearing my jacket around the house and playing with him. I've been doing this for a month and a half and there has been no progress. He still whines and gets very agitated at the sight of my jacket. I have also tried going in another room for brief periods (literally seconds) and that seems to not be working. Maybe I am not handling this correctly.

Does anyone have experience with this? Or suggestions?

A little info on my dog. We believe he is a dachsund/chihuahua mix. We adopted him from a local shelter about 5 months ago. They found him stray and do not know much of his past. There may have been some abuse as he came to us very very submissive. He is still submissive when men approach too briskly. But for the most part that has improved drastically with a lot of work on our part. Also, we have him in obedience training in the hopes that it will somehow have a trickle down effect with some of the other behaviors.

Any suggestions would be enormously appreciated. Our neighbors are going nuts (rightfully so). We really have put so much effort into this dog who came to us with a ton of issues. And it has been very worth it ... he is a special little guy and makes us very happy. But we have to get past this barking issue somehow. Friends have told me that the vet could give us sedatives but I want to keep him off drugs if possible.

Thanks!

[DiggityDogs]

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[Dogwise]

Originally Posted by Hap100

My dog has quite the barking problem. Actually, I think it is his separation anxiety manifesting itself as barking.

Actually he's barking out of frustration. Wgat we need to find out, is what's causing it.

Basically, his separation anxiety is fairly severe. He follows me around the house, whines when he can't be in the same room as me and barks when we are gone. We crate him the majority of the time we are gone and have also left him out of the crate for shorter periods of time just to see if that was the issue. Either way he barks for up to an hour. We have videotaped him so we know that it does go on for an extended period of time. Usually after some time he will lay down and sleep.

Questions
#1. Do you fullfil his needs by giving him things he needs, such as exercise, rules, boundries, limitations, and discipline?
A. Like walking him?
B. How often?
C. How long?
#2. What do you do when he follows you around the house?
#3. What do you do when he whines?
#4. do you talk to him when your leaving? If you do, DON'T.
#5. Do you make a big deal of coming home, by giving him affection while he's in a state of excitement? If you do, DON'T.

I have tried the following things - Shock bark collar (but I tried it on myself and it really hurt so I didn't have the heart to put it on him); Dog Appeasing Phermome (DAP); Toys, Kong, treats, etc to distract/entertain him.

I'm glad to hear you didn't use the shock collar. kongs are great, but only work for dogs who's owner's fulfill their needs.

I've also been working on the separation anxiety itself for several months. For instance, he knows that when I put a jacket on I am going to leave. So I have been wearing my jacket around the house and playing with him. I've been doing this for a month and a half and there has been no progress. He still whines and gets very agitated at the sight of my jacket. I have also tried going in another room for brief periods (literally seconds) and that seems to not be working. Maybe I am not handling this correctly.

None of that stuff is necessary, a dog who is fulfilled, gets constructive execise, has rules, bounderies, limitations, and discipline. Won't care if they're left alone. Have you ever heard the saying, a tired dog, is a happy and good dog.

Does anyone have experience with this? Or suggestions?

Behavior is my area of expertise.

A little info on my dog. We believe he is a dachsund/chihuahua mix. We adopted him from a local shelter about 5 months ago. They found him stray and do not know much of his past. There may have been some abuse as he came to us very very submissive. He is still submissive when men approach too briskly. But for the most part that has improved drastically with a lot of work on our part. Also, we have him in obedience training in the hopes that it will somehow have a trickle down effect with some of the other behaviors.

One of the biggest misconceptions is the dogs are abused because they act a certain way. While yes, some have been abused, a dog that's out of balance will also behave that way. Also a dogs past isn't very important becuase they live in the moment. What's important is...right now. Also obedience training has little to nothing to do with behavior. Teaching a dog to sit will not stop barking. Making sure their needs are fulfilled along with the other things i mention, and being a calm assertive leader will.

Friends have told me that the vet could give us sedatives but I want to keep him off drugs if possible.

Please DO NOT USE DRUGS.

[Hap100]

Thank you for the replies and suggestions.

To answer a few questions:

I believe that we do give him enough exercise but the timing of it may be off. We take him running with us (2 miles or less) and then a 1 mile slow walk so he can sniff around. It is rare that we miss a day doing that. But we always do it in the evenings and he goes in his crate in the mornings before we go to work. Should we try to do the runs/walks in the morning hours so he is tired out? I do about 15 minutes of obedience training with him most weekday mornings before I leave for work.

When he follows me around the house I ignore him. We have a babygate outside our bedroom and he will jump against it while I am in there. I won't come out until he sits quietly for a few seconds. But other than that I didn't know what else I could do. I thought ignoring him was the way to go when he was following me from room to room.

When he whines ... the same thing mostly. I ignore him and try not to make eye contact. I will usually reward him with a pat on the head if he stops.

We don't talk to him when we are leaving or entering the house. That was one of the first things I discovered when I started researching this online. He acts frantic when we come in and we try to go about our business until he calms down. But it is often a long long time and I worry that he is going to have an accident out of excitement.

He jumps up on me too a lot when he is excited. I have started turning my back on him when he does this and then only paying attention to him when he sits calmly. That has started to work although it is still an issue. But the fact that he is taking to training so well and that he is even learning to contain his excitement seems to indicate to me that he can learn to handle this. I just don't know what else I can do to help him along the way.

Also, we do not respond to him when he barks for anything. He often barks out of excitement for his dinner. And when he does we stop what we are doing and go sit down until he sits nicely. Is this correct? This seemed like what a lot of trainers were saying in various articles I read.

It just seems so strange ... he runs into his crate eagerly every morning because he knows he is going to get treats. And he seems fine until the minute we walk out the door.

I will not put him on drugs if it is harmful. I don't know much about it which is why I asked here. Thanks for the tips. I hope I answered some questions.

[Dogwise]

Originally Posted by Hap100

Should we try to do the runs/walks in the morning hours so he is tired out? I do about 15 minutes of obedience training with him most weekday mornings before I leave for work.

My suggestion would be, yes. For the simple reason of that's when they have the most energy. Especially when all they've done is sleep all night.

When he follows me around the house I ignore him. We have a babygate outside our bedroom and he will jump against it while I am in there. I won't come out until he sits quietly for a few seconds. But other than that I didn't know what else I could do. I thought ignoring him was the way to go when he was following me from room to room.

Ok, so instead of using baby gates, teach him a stay out or wait command. That teaches him to keep himself out of a room until you either exit or invite him in. Ignoring is ok, just as long as your not ignoring bad behavior. Example; If you decide to keep using the kiddy gate, correct him if he jumps up on it.

When he whines ... the same thing mostly. I ignore him and try not to make eye contact. I will usually reward him with a pat on the head if he stops.

That to should be corrected. You can shoosh him and if needed, give him a collar pull correction. Give him no pats on the head until the day has past, it late in the evening and he has earned it by being quiet an doing as told. He should earn your affection.

We don't talk to him when we are leaving or entering the house. That was one of the first things I discovered when I started researching this online. He acts frantic when we come in and we try to go about our business until he calms down. But it is often a long long time and I worry that he is going to have an accident out of excitement.

Never, never, never, let worry play apart in working with your dog. Stick to your guns, if he has an accident, he has an accident, that's just the way it is. He most likely to have an accident if everyones not consistant about this. Agian though, ignoring him is good when you get home, but if he's junping up on you, that's bad behavior and should be corrected.

He jumps up on me too a lot when he is excited. I have started turning my back on him when he does this and then only paying attention to him when he sits calmly. That has started to work although it is still an issue. But the fact that he is taking to training so well and that he is even learning to contain his excitement seems to indicate to me that he can learn to handle this. I just don't know what else I can do to help him along the way.

I would NEVER turn my back on a dog that jumps up on me, and trainers that advise that should be ashamed of themselves. If he jumps up on you, use your finger tips and calmly BUT assertively poke him behind his jaw line hard enough to make him go to the side and off of you (take my word for it you can't poke him hard enough to hurt him before you hurt your own fingers). So make sure your poke is strong enough to put him back on his feet, which doing it so he goes to the side is preety easy because your also using his balance against. when he quits trying to jump, gice a short, calm, pat on the head. this should make him get it allot quicker.

Also, we do not respond to him when he barks for anything. He often barks out of excitement for his dinner. And when he does we stop what we are doing and go sit down until he sits nicely. Is this correct? This seemed like what a lot of trainers were saying in various articles I read.

Yes, except you don't have to go sit down, you can just stand there. what would help you even more though is to first teach him to bark on command, then teach him quiet on command. Then you can get him to speak as well as be quiet on command. Know what I mean?

It just seems so strange ... he runs into his crate eagerly every morning because he knows he is going to get treats. And he seems fine until the minute we walk out the door.

LOL It's not strange at all. He wants the treats and knows their coming, he just doesn't want you to leave, because 1. He's got allot of energy and doesn't have anything or know what to do with it. And 2. Lets face it, being in a keenel just...sucks. He's frustrated, and no dog is going to allow themselves to die of frustration. Hence, the barking.

I will not put him on drugs if it is harmful. I don't know much about it which is why I asked here. Thanks for the tips. I hope I answered some questions.

I can't even begin to tell you how many dogs I've been able to get off drugs for behavior issues. The problem is there's not enough professionals that actually know how to help with behavior problems. you did great answering the questions. good luck to you.

[RobDar]

Some very good suggestions from everyone....

I feel your first priorities should be increased exercise, obedience classes, and anything you can do to develope a sense of independance.
Rescue/Shelter dogs sometimes take issue with being seperated from their families. There are too many variables here to even begin to discuss them, lets just let it suffice to say that sometimes the experience can leave a dog with seperation issues. Dogs who were improperly socialized by their first families can have difficulty bonding/trusting a new family. In the mind of a rescue/shelter dog who may have had its whole life and sense of identity taken away from it by being relinguished, I do not feel that 5 months is a long time. It could take a long while for the dog to learn to fully trust that you to will not suddenly one day just not be there. It is important though to begin steps to correct the behaviors.
De-sensitizing him to your absense may be helpful. Leaving for short periods and gradually lengthening those absenses.
The suggestion of not using the baby gate but the sit and wait command is a good one...baby gates are physical seperations...but if you can teach the dog that he is doing a good thing by being away from you (the sit and wait command), this will totally change his view point on not being near you. Start slow, sitting right in front of him and gradually move further and further away. My sister has her Lab trained so well with this command that she can set him at the edge of the kitchen, give him the command, a go about vacuming the floors through out the house (otherwise he wants to play with the vacume...barks and pounces on it) and he will just sit there till she is done.
Changing how your dog views being seperated from you....changing it from bad to good...should be a primary consideration in training you choose.
I personally would stay away from choker or correction based obedience classes. I think reward and a communication style training will work best.

[Hap100]

Ok, I have spent the past week and a half following the recommendations and nothing has changed.

The thing that is especially frustrating is the barking. The neighbors are running out of patience and I don't know what to do. I have been running with him every morning for a half hour. Then we come back and do play time for 15 minutes. Then I get ready for work. Then just before I leave we do another quick walk and about 15 minutes of obedience training. I have been very consistent with this schedule and the barking has still continued. This is very frustrating because I feel like a prisoner in my own home. I feel like I can't leave the house.

I really thought the increased exercise in the morning would help but it doesn't seem to make a difference. Does anyone have further suggestions?

P.S. I have been correcting (saying "No!") him when he barks in my presence which is actually pretty rare.

[Playdog]

hi!

sorry, very busy, else i would reply more in-depth! you should find out about systematic desensitization. jean donaldson's book dogs are from neptune takes you through the process step by step. i got it from amazon.com (i think dogwise.com also has it). you could also check out The Cautious Canine by Patricia McConnel...

good job that you didn't put a shock collar on your dog! that would have only made matters worse.

there is much hope, separation anxiety can be managed, but you need to know how: get her book, it's extremely easy to read and sooo informative.

systematic desensitization basically involves finding the triggers for his anxiety (as you noticed, he is already a wreck by the time you put on your jacket) and desensitizing him to them systematically. and once you have worked on the triggers, you can start working on getting him used to brief absences, gradually working your way up to long absences. for the time being, you should find a dog sitter or a playgroup for your dog, to prevent the problem from escalating.

good luck!

[RobHedrick]

Originally Posted by Playdog

...systematic desensitization basically involves finding the triggers for his anxiety (as you noticed, he is already a wreck by the time you put on your jacket) and desensitizing him to them systematically. and once you have worked on the triggers, you can start working on getting him used to brief absences, gradually working your way up to long absences. for the time being, you should find a dog sitter or a playgroup for your dog, to prevent the problem from escalating.

good luck!

I know you're really trying to help. But let me backup DogWise here:

Desensitization will not work with this dog. And there's no need to find "the triggers" for his frustration - it's obvious.

He starts barking when he sees the jacket because he knows he's about to be confined in a crate (which frustrates him because he has too much energy with no where for it to go).

The crate is nice place for dogs that aren't frustrated, in fact they feel very comfortable there because they see it as their own personal den.

What causes frustration? = Lack of exercise. Walls create frustration, so the dog is simply not being A: walked properly (most likely the problem, I'll explain further at the bottom) Or B: not walked long or often enough (which isn't the case here).

If you give the dog Exercise, Discipline, then Affection (in that order) he will become very mentally balanced, and well behaved. The frustration (albeit barking) will end completely. Remember the dog needs to work for everything, even affection - just like wolves do in a real pack.

Here's my advice, I give this same exact advice to everyone that has a dog with "behavior problems": "Become The True Pack Leader"

What does that mean? The best it can be explained and taught is here: Link. I also recommend reading "every" article here: Link 2.

Becoming the Pack Leader:

1) The Pack Leader sets clear rules, boundaries, and limitations. They control everything about the pack (even if you only have one dog, you and him are the pack in his eyes).

2) The Pack Leader provides controlled exercise: This mean a nice long walk (minimum 45 minutes, every day). Where the dog "follows you" not vice-versa. The dog should always be beside you or behind you, never in front. "If he's in front, he's the leader" (At least that's how dogs see it. He doesn't want to be the leader, but he feels he must fill the void if it's not fully met by you. This is the same with all dogs, and all breeds; regardless). Also, "you" must control the sniffing, peeing, pooping, stopping, going = everything. If you let your dog sniff around while you walk (which I know you think that's what he wants to do, and it'll help him somehow, it doesn't at all), the walk itself wont release his energy, but increase it; Because he will be creating more frustration for himself by feeling like he needs to be the leader.

3)The Pack Leader "always" projects a calm, assertive energy. This mean always being calm, under any situation. And assertive so he understands you are the boss. I like to refer it to my clients as "The Calm Boss".

There is more (in the link I posted) but that is the basics you need to know.

If you follow our advice you wont need drugs, or shock collars, etc.. In fact you probably wont need a trainer or behaviorist.

Conclusion: Give you dog what he needs to live a mentally and physically balanced, healthy life.

~ Rob

[DiggityDogs]

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