Excessive Barking

[norma miller]

Hi everybody.I just joined and I must say this appears to be a great group.I was wondering if any of you would have any advice about excessive barking.About three mths ago,one of my new clients[I'm a home healthcare provider]gave me a five year old ,female.spayed.Pom. she didn't want her because she barked constantly and it got on her nervous.She also only had Lacy,for six mths.she got her from the animal shelter.Lacy is a very sweet,gentle and playful dog BUT she is scared of her own shadow[the cat pushes her around]and she barks at every little noise.I have owned some wild and crazy dogs before but she beats them all.I have tried everything from comforting her to scolding her nothing works.She is exspeacly loud when men are around,which leads me to believe she was probably abused by some man and also I think she may have passed through many owners.She is so insecure and follows me all over the house.She is afraid of other dogs,except my Chow,Lady and my Jack Russel.Ozzy,which is wierd because most dogs are afraid of Ozzy,even the big ones.She is also afraid of my budgies when they screech and although she plays with the cat,she lets him take food and toys from her.The only thing that has crubed her barking is an anti-bark collar and I despise using that thing.I only put it on her when my oldest son or other male relatives are around.If anybody has any ideas please let me know. Norma

[krazy4birds]

Oh...I wish I could help you she sounds so sweet, but unfortunatly my experience with dogs is very limited. I am sure someone will help you though because there are a lot of great dog owners here who are very very experienced. But I can say....Welcome to Petlovers and I hope you have a great time here!

[Amanda]

Hi and welcome here. Poor little Lacy ... she sounds so insecure if she's afraid of everything. I wonder what she's been through to be this way. Anyway, maybe you can ask your son and his friends (or any male that comes to your house) that when they come over to give Lacy a treat (one of her favorite treats) so that she'll start to associated getting a special treat from a man. If she feels insecure or afraid when there is a man around, maybe this will help her to start trusting them a little. Hope this helps but I'm sure someone else will come along with a good suggestion.

[Newfi lover]

Amanda is giving some pretty good advice. It sounds like you have a very insecure girl, and it will take time, and plenty of patience to curb the barking. I am guessing because she may have been through several homes the barking makes her feel secure, and scary sounding to the big bad world. I think with love, lots of patience, and some classes for her to start to develop confidence, you are going to have a great dog on your hands. Good luck, and give her a hug from us "doggie lovers" of the world!

[Squawksx3]

Hi norma and welcome :)

Bless your heart for taking little Lacy in. I agree with the advice given already. I'm sure you've tried giving her toys to redirect her attention. It just may take a little time for her to feel safe and secure with you. Sounds like she has some separation anxiety going on.. hopefully she settles in soon. Some people use spray bottles with regular water to stop a dog from barking... sometimes it works.. sometimes it dont. Good luck and give Lacy a hug from us!.

[GoldenDad]

Here's a technique that seems to work. Whenever lacy starts barking tell her to sit. The tell her to lay down. Then tell her to get up. Do this over and over again until Lacy learns that excessive barking will lead to hard work. Eventually she will stop barking unecessarilly. But only do this when her barking is unwanted. Teaching her that barking is only acceptable under certain circumstances is equally important. Eventually she will learn the difference.

Hope this helps,

GD :)