# Barking at people while in car



## finch (Sep 19, 2011)

In the last month, Finch (10 months) has started barking at people only while she is in the car with us. This happens when we are parked or at a stop light and she barks at people who are walking or at cars that are next to us at a stop light. She does not bark at people outside of the car and as best I can tell, she doesn't bark at people if we are not in the car with her (she seems to sleep the whole time when we leave her in the car to run errands). I am not sure the best way to react in the situation in order to get her to stop this behavior since raising my voice would escalate her barking (and is ineffective with her anyway) and doing nothing results in no changed behavior. Redirecting her attention to me works when I am able to do it, but if I am the one driving, this is hard to do. I would rather find a way to teach her that she doesn't need to bark at strangers in the first place. Any tips?


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## Ozkar (Jul 4, 2011)

Mine all went through that stage. I just corrected them and praised when they were sitting quietly. They are really cool in the car now. If it's nice enough outside, I let the back windows down enough to allow their heads out. Of course they love that. But one bark and the window privelidges stop. 

It's great to see their ears flapping in the breeze. They tend to pull them back in at around the 60kph mark. Must be the flap threshold!


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

Generally speaking, barking was bred out of the Vizsla long time ago. They rarely bark, only when absolutely necessary. Mine seems to fit this so far. Hope it stays like this ???
Around 4 months old he did some barking at me but stopped shortly. He had some pack order issues to sort out. ;D


Distracting them with may work. The rattling of quarters in an empty coke can works, not sure how well, though. 
I would not shout at him, may intensify the bark.

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Personally, I would use the E-collar on tone or low stim setting.


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## finch (Sep 19, 2011)

datacan said:


> Generally speaking, barking was bred out of the Vizsla long time ago.



I have a V-mix, so maybe that's why she still has some barking in her genes  She actually doesn't bark much at all, far less than our lab mixes, but just this instance is a new development that I want to nip in the bud if I can!

Good idea on the rattling of a can with coins - I know she doesn't like that. We did that to get over her crazy puppy nipping and it worked very quickly! Thanks for the reminder!


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

Yes, now that I look at finch's avatar. V mix, lucky you. 
Bigger gene pool means healthier dogs. 

Lab-V mix? 

My Sam's "girlfriend" is a white lab, so gentle when they play together ;D


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## finch (Sep 19, 2011)

datacan said:


> Lab-V mix?



Nope, not Lab, her mom was a pit-mix... she was the only V-looking dog in the litter, so there must have been a poor V wandering the streets of Georgia. Finch's personality is Vizsla through and through, so I have no doubt that's what she is.


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

I like it, like it a lot. The softness and beauty of the Vizsla and the bull part of the pit...what a mix 8)

Used to have German Shepherd so I appreciate strong dogs. I read Vizslas are very soft, I was concerned at the beginning but I glad that they can be tough and strong as well. Soft when sleepy, rough when wide awake. 
I think pits are banned here in Canada, not sure about pit mixes.


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