This traveled over to the Facebook group and got a pretty good response. I felt that others might benefit from being able to read it here as well, which is open for everyone to view. If anyone has any objections about the crosspost, please PM me and I will remove your comments from the thread...
OP - Jess Vendette
So my sweet, darling Teah has decided to become an incessant barker when shes in the yard. She barks at the neighbours. whom shes known since she was 8 weeks old. She barks at their dogs, knows them as well...even plays together when they are in the same yard. I can not get her to stop, or even break up the barking long enough to get her attention to divert her energy to anything else. Any tips??? Mama is going nuts...LOL
Lisa GinoMom Sorry to hear you have issues with your lovely girl.
My first suggestion not to leave her alone in the backyard.
You may use the training technique I use with Asha when she doesn't behave. It's not a positive training but it works great for us.
Use a prong collar and a long line. When Teah starts barking make a sharp and quick pop-up and say NO and run in opposite direction to get her full attention. If she follows you praise her. Repeat it until she stops focusing on objects outside of the yard. Give her a treat if her focus is completely on you while other dogs or people passing by.
Tuesday at 5:08pm · Like · 1
Jess Vendette Shes never out there alone tho, thats the problem. Im going to get a long rope to us though...then I can at least get her attention for sure.
Tuesday at 5:08pm · Like
Sandie Gascon I would just put a barking collar on, that way she is not getting any negative association with you.
Tuesday at 5:32pm · Like
Lisa GinoMom LOL... dogs are not so smart to associate a popup with an owner.
OB training is more efficient way to correct behavior problems. I would never use spray collar on my dogs.
Tuesday at 5:40pm · Like
Sandie Gascon meant a shock collar not a spray collar, they start off as a little vibration and get stronger if the dog keep barking. I just have to put the collar on my dog now, it doesn't even have to be on tight enough to shock her and she is quiet
Tuesday at 6:01pm · Like
Sandie Gascon lot less severe than a prong collar.
Tuesday at 6:03pm · Like
Jess Vendette I tried that Sandie, didnt work for her
she barked right thru...
Tuesday at 6:03pm via mobile · Like
Sandie Gascon Some pups don't care how hard they are shocked lol. The thing is the dog wants to protect their property, so they bark at the people/dogs coming towards it. then they are rewared for the behaviour when the person leaves. Recruit a neighbour and have them stand outside your fence and not leave until you say. Go in the back yard with Teah and get her to do a behaviour..lie down, sit,...when she is quiet and focused on you have the person leave and reward her. Practice with lots of different people and dogs
Tuesday at 6:09pm · Like
Lisa Churcher Jess....the prong collar and long line is effective. I agree with Lisa. And prong collars do not hurt as I've tried them on myself just to make sure...as I'm sure we all did
Perhaps she is just going through a phase. They learn fast! Good luck with Teah
Our dobes are tough
. Just my two cents
Tuesday at 6:10pm via mobile · Like
Sandie Gascon that way she learns that a person will only leave when she does the behaviour and is quiet. Plus the reinfocement will teach her that good things happen when people come near the yard
Tuesday at 6:10pm · Like
Jess Vendette Great tips! Thanks guys.
Tuesday at 6:13pm via mobile · Like
Andreina Rankin It could be that she is just coming into her personality now? As you said she's known these people for her whole life but maybe is now getting more protective? Not sure cuz scarlet barks when anyone is even passing the house. She will let out a little growl like "yeah u keep walking" and then they leave and she goes onto something else. Lol. It's a good trait but controlling it and switching it off can be hard as you still do want an "alert" bark and not punish for all barking. Scarlet will bark at someone passing and I will say " who's there scar ?" and she will look at me look back at the person and bark and I will tell her ok enough and make her sit and focus on me. Not saying i am 100% controlling it but usually she will look to me for direction
Tuesday at 6:56pm via mobile · Like · 1
Andreina Rankin I also like the fact that I can ask her "who's there" at any point no matter where we are and she will go on alert looking for "something". Our bedroom is in the basement so sometimes when I am home alone just before bed I will ask scarlet who's there? And she will run upstairs around the house checking out windows too and then come back downstairs to go to bed when everything is okay
lol.
Tuesday at 6:58pm via mobile · Like · 2
Jess Vendette I love how smart they are
Tuesday at 7:27pm via mobile · Like · 2
Lisa Churcher Sandie, how often did u have to use the shock collar on your doberman for it to become effective? I've never used one.... so I am just curious.
Tuesday at 7:53pm · Like
Sandie Gascon My Doberman only needed it worn a couple times before he was terrifed of it
Tuesday at 7:59pm · Like
Barbara Jovanovic Just my 2 cents worth here....she should be on a long line while in the yard so that when you ask for a command, is she doesn't respond to it, then you have the capability to use the line to bring her back to make her finish the command. We have had to do this as our dogs also were "barkers".....and make sure before you use the bark collar you make it a possitive experience for her....it takes up to 6 weeks of training before you should be using the bark collar as it wsa intented...
Tuesday at 8:31pm · Like · 2
Sandie Gascon The bark collar I am talking about sences the vibration of the bark and gives them a small vibration...builds up higher if they continue barking,,,,I think you are talking about an e-collar, which requires training. I personally would practice the behaviour you want without distractions, then slowly add controlled distractions and build up in the intensity of the distraction
Tuesday at 9:05pm · Like · 1
Andreina Rankin I think you should avoid collars all together as a solution and grab her focus instead and train outside in the yard.
Using a reward each time she focuses back on you....
Tuesday at 9:50pm · Like · 2
Jess Vendette ya im leaning towards that Andreina. Shes too smart not to catch on quickly. LiL shit lol
Tuesday at 9:51pm · Like · 1
Andreina Rankin These are smart dogs these O-pups.... Scarlet is sooo toy driven its ridiculous too. I wonder if Teah is the same maybe you can catch her attention with toys as a reward, a ball or a tug?
Tuesday at 9:52pm · Like
Jess Vendette she has her rope that she just loves! That and wieners...her favourite treat in the world lol
Tuesday at 9:53pm · Like
Andreina Rankin haha!!! They are SO sisters!! I sprinkle some garlic powder on top of chicken wieners and microwave it, apparently its irresistible.
Tuesday at 9:58pm · Like
Jess Vendette bahahahahha tooo funny
Tuesday at 9:59pm · Like
Sandie Gascon I agree also, just tugging whenever someone walks by or rewarding for calm behaviour will work wonders, teach her fun things happen when people/dog walk by
Tuesday at 10:21pm · Like · 1
Lisa GinoMom Discipline and play time is two different things... you may use toys as a reward but a dog should earn it. If you bribe your dog with treats or toys you may not achieve results. Some dogs are eager to please and they are easy to train... others are more dominant and will train us
. It depends on dog personalities what type of training to use. We never used any enforcement on Gino (no choke or prong collars). He is a perfect boy. Asha is different and needs some enforcement.
Good luck to find a right training technique for your girl.
Tuesday at 11:06pm · Like
Sandie Gascon Personally don't agree. You can teach dogs new behaviours instead of punishing ones you don't like.
Tuesday at 11:08pm · Like · 1
Andreina Rankin I enjoy teaching new behaviors with rewards. If there is a behavior the dog knows and is ignoring then I will correct... There's a time and a place for corrections and I have found out that my dogs personality fits best by training with rewards. I can see her focus slack when I am always correcting but if I pull out a tug she is motivated. I am not "bribing" her I am rewarding her for understanding she is doing the correct behavior. I 100% agree though Lisa on the different level of drives and sensitivity to corrections depending on the dog, etc.
Tuesday at 11:28pm via mobile · Like · 1
Monica Peterson You have to teach a dog how to react before you can discipline or reward their behaviour. My motto is that everything should be positive, however dogs don't do grey zones, so a distinct understanding of boundaries must be set. When are you bringing out the toy, is it the reward for negative reactions, or a distraction, or a reward for positive behaviour? he difference = timing, tone, and delivery. You give a command, you enforce that command if the doesn't do what you've directed, and then you reward them. Not sure how much obedience training you've done Jess, but it sounds like a refresher course couldn't hurt. Your work in the yard is going to start with a 30 - 40' long line. Only then will you have control, all other commands given to a dog you cannot reach is only going to teach them how they don't have to listen to you when you are to far away. Teach runs for the fence, you call her, she doesn't come she hits the end of the leash and you enforce your command. She gets rewarded for coming, she can't possibly have time or focus on the fence anymore. You're in control, even from X of feet away.
Tuesday at 11:48pm · Like · 2
Monica Peterson From there you need to take the initiative, go to the fence and speak with the neighbour if possible, keep your focus on your dog and her reaction, then a bit of play and obedience tied together... mainly the recall, a bit of retrieval work works best.
Tuesday at 11:50pm · Like
Lisa GinoMom Don't get me wrong Andreina. I enjoy training with rewards. Asha is a tug addict. She will do everything for me if I hold a tug. I have to use corrections when she is fixed on bikes or birds or squirrels. Otherwise she will rule the roost LOL.
She is not a barker... but if she did it in the yard I would use corrections rather than play games.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTPwigPaj3U&feature=relmfuTuesday at 11:53pm · Like · 1
Monica Peterson Dobermanns are guard dogs, they are supposed to bark at things they see, and they should bite your neighbour right in the ass if they see that person climbing in your basement window. So knowing a person means little to a Dobe when they are geared to protect their premises and family. What an owner of a dobe needs to be clear on is that you are the one who decides when enough is enough, who is acceptable and who isn't. You dog barks, you should investigate and acknowledge the fact that your dog is alerting you to something. This is general BTW, not just directed to you Jess.
Example; Your dog runs to the window and barks at passerby. You go to the window, tell the dog that they are good, then you tell them to leave it. Give them a command and take control. Now if they don't listen to that command they are disobeying you. You focus on the command given and the expected reaction, you don't focus on the window anymore. So if you've asked your dog to down and they run back to the window, you've got to stick to the reaction to the broken down, not to the rush for the window. Where we put our focus is where our dogs will put theirs. Hey, its why they stand in front of the TV (wink wink).
Tuesday at 11:55pm · Like · 3
Jess Vendette My neighbours are totally fine with helping out sny way they can, like i ssid Teah has known them since she came home so they get its just a new behaviour we need to fix.
Tuesday at 11:56pm via mobile · Like
Jess Vendette Monica I agree!!!!! No one gets in my windows lol
Tuesday at 11:57pm via mobile · Like · 1
Monica Peterson Hey, there are a lot of strong personalities from people with very different training ideas here. but as a professional trainer since the early 80's, I will say very clearly that prong collars are not cruel, E-collars (electronic) have their place as well. You cannot only train with positive, as even withholding a treat is deemed negative. Dogs need boundaries and control, not lectures and fluff. mostly positive, all directive, supportive, and with demonstration. Show the dog what you want, reward them for doing it, discipline is always to be met with direction and immediate reward.
Yesterday at 12:05am · Like · 3
Monica Peterson The good thing about people having different training experiences is that if someone is working with a technique that isn't working, they can turn to many different styles of training for the one that fits them and their dog best. Because not all dogs respond the same, or learn the same.
Yesterday at 12:14am · Like · 4
Andreina Rankin Lisa I know exactly what you mean and Scar is the same way as Asha is in the video. "jumpy" describes it... Eager to get at the reward... But yes, in high excitement areas where her drive is up and focused on something else, a tug or treat means nothing = which is where corrections come in.
21 hours ago · Like · 1
Joanne Lusted Reyna has the deepest "guard bark" for such a delicate girl LOL!! She sounds like a 95lb male, which I love.
Size doesn't matter with these gals... it's all about attitude LOL. Everyone who passes my yard knows damn well there's a dobermann in there, and I'm totally fine with that.
She did manage to scare the pants off a poor unsuspecting person (just a repair guy checking in) who opened the gate unannounced hahahah! It's a very tall wooden privacy fence, so people can't see in. She obviously heard something, low growled and walked close to the gate, he opened it and man did she let him HAVE IT. Her biggest, deepest, growling bark to date. He jumped out of his skin (and perhaps peed himself a little), until I walked 3 steps to her held her collar and said good girl, sit, leave it. She sat down and gave a little low growl as he backed out of the yard... GOOD GIRL!