# Puppy scared of barking dogs!



## pippa31 (Aug 2, 2011)

Pippa (8 months) is scared of barking dogs when she can't see them. I thought we had cured her of it (we've been working on this since we discovered this at 4 months). We played barking dogs on youtube and then "clicked" and treated. Then, we took her into the neighborhood (we have lots of barking dogs left in yards  near us) and again, held her leash, clicked and treated. She was SO MUCH BETTER. Then, tonight, I was taking her for an off-leash walk around a nearby reservoir. There was a dog that started BARKING its head off that she could not see. Pippa's tail went down, she started crying, and then tried to RUN back to the car (which was across a street, BTW). I tried to call her to come and she started to, but then the barking started again. (Believe me, I was SCARED at this point that she would run, but kept trying to make my voice sound 'happy and fun'). Luckily, she won't run out of view of me so far, so I stopped my body and started walking in the other direction. She came to me and I was able to clip on her leash. Then she tried to run to the car. When I stopped, because she was pulling, she laid on the ground and pawed at the ground. SHE WAS MISERABLE.

Just as an additional note - she is FINE when she can see the barking dog. Gives a responding bark and then usually goes to investigate...

Needless to say, we need to start working on this again, ASAP. Any suggestions?


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## jld640 (Sep 29, 2010)

Hi Pippa - I don't have any specifics about barking dogs, but I can give some general help. 

When we were dealing with garbage trucks, we worked in the house and in the neighborhood. BUT then we had to work at it again in new surroundings. Just because our house garbage truck was ok and the neighborhood garbage truck was ok did not mean the one at work was. And the one in a different neighborhood was obviously suspect. If you have done home and neighborhood, you have done the hardest couple of steps, but you still have to complete the 'new situation' step. Sounds like the reservoir might be a good opportunity. You probably will need at least one or two others. Be prepared for it.

About the recall - I feel (and have felt) your fear. Kudos for keeping your voice happy and fun. You can also start running in a circle with your arms out like an airplane saying 'wheee! wheeee!'. Really high-pitched and happy is best - think happy little kids on a playground kind of voice. As a last resort, you can roll on the ground waving your arms and legs and again calling out the wheee! wheeee! like you are having the most fun game in the world. If you are truly scared, you won't think about what a fool you look like.

Lastly - about the pulling as you were returning to the car. Others with more dog experience may have some better suggestions, but when Savannah is truly beside herself like that, I usually stop worrying about pulling and start skipping. The motion is different enough that she will have to focus on you. It will also REALLY amp her up, so I don't recommend it for any distance (Savannah starts jumping as high as she can beside me), but to get her safely back across a street should be fine. You might try skipping with her in front of your house so you know what to expect from Pippa.

Good Luck!


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## jjohnson (Nov 9, 2011)

I learned from our work with Gus that when a dog is really scared like that, you need to let him or her get away. We learned the "U-Turn" which means if something is really freaking him out, we just turn around quickly and get away from it. Dogs have a "flight or fight" response, so eventually if they learn if they can't "fly" they will "fight". (Which Gus is starting to do if he can't get away) So I would just let her get away from the barking if at all possible, and continue with the click/treat training. 

Another thing I have noticed with Gus, who is also 8 months, is that I think he is going through another "fear" stage. Our trainer said puppies go through another one at 8-10 months or so, and I think I am seeing it in our puppy. Things that he was starting to get more comfrotable with are starting to get really scary again! (I WISH it was just barking dogs )


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## jjohnson (Nov 9, 2011)

The point of my last post was I think you are doing the right thing, just keep doing it slowly, without forcing her too much!


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## Ozkar (Jul 4, 2011)

This might help. One command I now always teach all my dogs early on is the "Watch" command. When I first get a dog, I teach Watch prior to almost every other command. It's a focus breaker command. So no matter what they are doing or interested in, the Watch command makes them turn and look at me. This enables the focus to be shifted more easily in situations where they are either excited or perhaps fearful. 

Astro went through the fear stages also. He is now 11 months old (Today actually...happy 11 months Astro.) and has pushed through these. However, I also have a slightly different approach. I tend to try and condition by not running from whatever it is they fear. But by staying near it, not too close that it has them having kittens, but enough to make them uncomfortable and then stay there until they relax and then move closer. Keep repeating this process until they are literally on it and relaxed. It takes time and patience. Do not push the dog too fast too early. 

Zsa Zsa had an aversion to rustling bushes when I first got her. So I made sure that any windy days were utilised to stand nex to rustling bushes till she was almost sleeping  Not much will startle her today.

Astro was funny with parked cars. I just found spots which were safe and exposed him to lots of cars. Slowly. Just by standing near a parked one, waiting till he stopped the jitters, move a little closer, wait till he's settled and so on. Now, he doesn't care. 

Yesterday I walked them 15 klms back from the mechanics shop. It was alongside one of the busiest 6 lane metropolitan roads in Melbourne. It carries loads of trucks, buses cars and motorcycles all day. We did it on the tail end of peak hour, so plenty of vehicle movement. There were also a couple of very high bridges to walk over, with plenty of vision onto the major arterial motorway some 50 metres below. So lots of new noises and distractions. At one point while crossing one bridge, Astro went from relaxed to a little worried. He swapped sides on me which he never does, so I knew that he wasn't comfortable. I didn't blame him either, as the noise was a truck's air brakes blowing off and they made me jump too. Once again, the watch command completely removed the focus, he settled straight away and we just kept on walking as though nothing had happened. 

I have two neighbours who's dogs bark non stop when they are in their back yards. initially my dogs would react to it. I used this method to literally stand with them on the other side of the fence while these dogs went off and stayed till they were bored with the dogs barking. Now, the next door neighbours dogs could be howling the neighbourhood down and my dogs are totally oblivious to it. 

Just keep at it. As I always say, consistency and repetition are the keys.


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

That's fantastic advice from Ozkar, thanks for sharing such details 

Saw a Caesar Millan episode where he turned the dog's back to the barking dogs. And with it's back turned made the dog sit. He didn't even let the dog look at the barking dogs. He used a similar command as Ozkar described every time the dog turned to look at the barking dogs. 
This calmed the barking dogs and his dog as well. Apparently, turning and facing away form the barking dog signals "I am no harm to you" in dog language.


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## pippa31 (Aug 2, 2011)

Thanks for all the good advice everyone  I didn't know that dogs tend to go through another fear stage at 8 months or so. Good to know, as I am sure other things will crop up 

Ozkar (or anyone else) can you give me some tips how you strengthen your "Watch" command? Other than practicing it in lots of different environments with lots of different activities going on around....like when FEAR is present. I am asking because we use "look" with Pippa for the same thing (stop whatever you are doing and focus on me) and she's been excellent with it - but when she was so freaked out yesterday and off-leash I didn't feel like she could calm down enough to focus enough to even hear my "look". Maybe I am overthinking things....guess I am still remembering the feeling of knowing if she bolts she runs into the road :-\


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## Ozkar (Jul 4, 2011)

Pippa, sounds like you have the interruption process worked out with Look. I am a little reluctant to share the next bit, as it flies in the face of what a lot of people will tell you. But I train with a lot of words and also a lot of tones. So I have a variety of levels of recall as an example.

C'mon mate or bub in a whimsical voice means lets keep moving enough looking here.

Name then C'mon in a faster voice means do it now.

Here, in a bark almost, is down tools whatever you are doing get your arse moving instantaneously stuff is happening and I am needed NOW! 

Same with Watch. They know the down tools, stop whatever you are doing and look at him tone, as well as the, finish sniffing this and then look tone!


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## Linescreamer (Sep 28, 2010)

Play close attention to how you or others in you pack react to barking dogs. She may have learned from the leader.


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## pippa31 (Aug 2, 2011)

I agree that it is important to look at the "pack" when dealing with fear issues, but in the case I can honestly say barking dogs don't bother me one iota (and DEFINITELY not my husband either). So we'll just keep working at it.


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