# Barking



## SerCopper (Nov 1, 2011)

I have a 1 year old intact male.

He hasn't really barked since I got him at 10 weeks old. We put a fence up this year and it seems since then he barks at anyone walking by, especially if they have a dog. He is only outside when someone is out there with him as he doesn't really seem to like being out without company. Barking outside isn't the issue though. 

Typically he falls asleep around 9:00 and I walk him to his crate around 10:30 - 11:00 when I go to bed. He sleeps until morning when I let him out no noise. Recently he has started barking when people walk by the house while he is in is crate and to complicate matters my sister in-law has moved in and she comes home later as she works as a waitress. Copper barks like crazy when she comes home. She is not really a dog person and a little scared of Coppers bark as it is pretty intimidating. I am not sure how to handle the situation. She isn't home much during the day to spend time with Copper, I have had her feed him a few times and do some sit/downs etc. but it hasn't made a difference. I mean I want the dog to bark if someone comes into the house late at night when we are all sleeping but not when it is one of the family. She's been living with us for about a month and the barking seems to be getting worse. 

Now he barks when she walks into the house in the middle of the day or even enters a room. Those times its usually one or two sharp barks but at night it is full on.

Any suggestions would be appreciated!


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## adrino (Mar 31, 2012)

Unfortunately cannot give you much advice but I wonder why he barks at her... He must senses it that she's afraid of him and this is why he barks at her now all the time. Since she hasn't got more confident but maybe worse around him that would explain why he barks each time now. Maybe during the day you're there to correct him but when she comes home you're already in bed and she's on her own with him. 

Have you tried to cover up the crate? How is that he can see if people walk past your house? Maybe you need to reposition the crate. 

Probably you all need to put more time in some training with him. Setting up these situations when you're off and praise and correct him whenever is needed. 

Hope the others have some good idea for you. Curious to read it! 

Good luck!


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## SerCopper (Nov 1, 2011)

Hi Adrino - I have covered the crate for the past 3 nights and it has mad zero difference. The curtains are close also and he just knows when people walk by perhaps he smells or hears them? Last night he was barking even as she pulled into the laneway.


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## adrino (Mar 31, 2012)

Wow, strange!

You must nip it now before it becomes a habit of his. 

Probably a good talk with your sister-in-law how she feels about him and try to understand her feelings too. 

Sorry I can't help... :-\


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## Lincolns Parents (Aug 6, 2011)

IMO.....he KNOWS shes uneasy about him and he senses it. Hes using that to his full advantage. You need to talk to her and hopefully she can overcome her uneasy feelings. Hopefully they can be friends.

Lincoln does this to people who i know are afraid of him.... That and hes just a Mr. Barky pants! :

Good luck


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## hotmischief (Mar 11, 2012)

I don't quite understand how he can hear people walking by outside your house. Are doors /windows open? I agree with Adrino, can you reposition the crate to a side of the house that is not near the street? The other thing I would try is an Adaptil diffuser. Your boy is exhibiting signs of stress and Adaptil is great for this sort of problem. You can probably find one on ebay/ Amazon or from your vets.

I also agree with the others that your dog knows your sister in law is scared of him. Instead of getting her to interact with the dog I would tell her to completely ignore him and more importantly NOT to make eye contact with him.


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## MilesMom (Jun 21, 2012)

We have similar issues with Miles. He sleeps under our front window upstairs and barks when people walk by. We have found that leaving him DogTV on or the radio helps decrease the barking because he can't hear outside as well. My neighbors have told me they haven't heard him barking over the past few weeks.


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## flynnandlunasmom (May 28, 2012)

You could also try a white noise machine to keep outside noises away. My dogs sometimes bark when they hear something outside as well and they will bark if the whole house is sleeping and one of us comes home late, but once they hear the familiar voice saying "It's me" they stop. 

When they bark, 99% of the time it's nothing, but once Flynn was really barking like crazy so my husband got up and turned on the porch light and opened the door to let Flynn out. Next thing you know, 2 guys bolted out from between our cars and took off. Flynn chased them up to the top of the hill and then they took off into the golf course. Flynn probably would have chased them there too but my husband called him back.


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## Ozkar (Jul 4, 2011)

This will sound odd, but it does work..

1st, teach him how to speak (Bark) on command. Then teach him soosh. 

I think Ian Dunbar has a good section in one of his books on this, or he may even have a utube vid.


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## SerCopper (Nov 1, 2011)

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I hadn't taught him speak as he was never really a barker and I didn't want him to start a bad habbit...looks like its time. 

I tried to work on it last night...but he wouldn't bark...go figure. The doorbell didn't even do it.

We stayed up last night until my sister in-law got home from work to see what happens first hand. She comes in he barks maybe 3 or 4 times and then goes to see her. Tail wagging so fast he looks like a peacock. She asks him to sit before giving him any attention like I've asked her to do. He sits she gives him a pet and he is in heaven. She sits down on the the chair that he is allowed on and he jumps up and lays down ontop of her. He may be in love. My wife says he had bedroom eyes...

He barked at her again when she came up this morning, he was in his crate and I have asked her to ignore him when he barks from inside his crate...previously she has been talking to him when he barked and was in his crate.


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## flynnandlunasmom (May 28, 2012)

Ha, well now you know. He's in love. :-*

Sometimes my older dog Flynn barks at me or my husband when he wants attention from us. It's not nice manners, but it happens.


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## threefsh (Apr 25, 2011)

Ozkar said:


> This will sound odd, but it does work..
> 
> 1st, teach him how to speak (Bark) on command. Then teach him soosh.
> 
> I think Ian Dunbar has a good section in one of his books on this, or he may even have a utube vid.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEp0Yird9cA

It really does work! We did it with Riley and now we need to do the same training with Cooper... he is so vocal!


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## NeverGiveUpRAC (Aug 27, 2012)

I found Ian Dunbar's videos when I was researching how to train my dog! I love his techniques. I also love Cesar Milan so it's nice to see it's a few ways of training and always continue learning. I dont have a barking problem, but I think I am going to try teaching him "SPEAK" AND "QUIET!" 

I think it could really work for a barking dog, SerCopper! It will just take time and consistency! Good Luck!


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