Cutting back on barking

[rannmiller]

Ok, I have until February 18th to get my dogs to cut back on their barking. My roommate says they're "borderline annoying" and won't let me get my Doberman puppy unless I can get them to keep the barking to a minimum.

Here's the problem: if someone comes to the door, they go crazy running down the hall and barking their heads off until the person has come in the door and said hello to them. They also like to run to people passing my back fence and bark at them too.

I am open to any and all suggestions to make this happen and plan on working my butt off on this task, I just need to know how to go about making it happen.

[g00dgirl]

Victoria Stilwell has several episodes of "It's me or the dog" that deal with barking at the door and sitting still when visitors come over.
Here is a short clip, I need to go study for a test right now. But you can also search for it's me or the dog zulu (zulu is the name of the dog) and you'll see a whole episode unless it's been taken down.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3V5upirZrPI

I have a feeling that when your roommate says "borderline" annoying, they probably mean annoying and are just being nice about it. It's good that they brought it up though and now you can work with them to sort it out. You may want to involve them with the training to so they know what to do when they bark (don't just yell at them).
Good luck!

[SubMariner]

Ok, I have until February 18th to get my dogs to cut back on their barking. My roommate says they're "borderline annoying" and won't let me get my Doberman puppy unless I can get them to keep the barking to a minimum.

How many dogs do you have? PLUS one more that you WANT?

Did you start out having all these dogs, or just gradually added them? And was the roomie part of the decision making process?

I'm bringing this up because it seems like there's an underlying issue here.

Pax,

[rannmiller]

How many dogs do you have? PLUS one more that you WANT?

Did you start out having all these dogs, or just gradually added them? And was the roomie part of the decision making process?

I'm bringing this up because it seems like there's an underlying issue here.

Pax,

I have two dogs (25 lbs and 45 lbs) and I want this doberman puppy. I actually lived in this house first and have about $300 - $400 on the deposit plus the original $300 pet deposit I paid, whereas this roommate has only $200. Then I moved to SLC and he moved in, and then I moved back about 5 months later last Thursday. So we've never actually lived together before this point but I got him into the house in the first place when I moved out.

I've just be through an extremely difficult process in my life where my life is basically turned upside and I've lost so much already. This puppy is the one thing that I can still have that I had hoped and expected to have. She is my dream dog and I've already gone through a lot to get her, so it means the world to me for me to be able to bring her home.

His thing seems to be, that he managed to get rid of our other roommate's obnoxious dog because it would sit in his room and howl all day long. So now he seems to think he's like, ultimate controller of the dogs and their behavior in the house.

[RawFedDogs]

What happens if you bring in the pup anyway and he doesn't want it? What can he do? Anything more than move out? Would that bother you if he did? I think what I am asking is why do you need his permission to get the pup?

[DaneMama]

Roommates are easy to come by if he doesn't like you getting the puppy. I guess in this case it really is a situation of "Its me or the dog" LOL

But it is a good thing to try and work with your dogs about barking less...I am currently, and unsuccessfully, working with my dogs to bark less. So I don't think I could be much help in this situation!

[RawFedDogs]

I used to have 2 Goldens that barked at people walking on the street in front of the house when they saw them out the window. I would go to the window to "investigate" and tell them something like, "Oh, thats Mrs Blank. She lives up the street. It's OK for her to be there. Come on lets go in the den." Then I'd take them with me to the den. All the time I'm acting like its no big deal. In time they learned that people in the street are OK. This process took a lot longer than 3 weeks. More like 3 months or so but they soon got the idea and if they barked after that, I could just yell "quite!" and they would stop. Except for my dearly departed, love of my life, Skylar ... I would yell "quite, Skylar!!!" Then she would bark almost in a whisper so you could barely hear it. Damn, I still miss that girl after 5 years. She was the smartest dog I have ever lived with. My heart dog.

[DaneMama]

^^^ Holy crap!!! You yell?!?!?! LOL

[RawFedDogs]

^^^ Holy crap!!! You yell?!?!?! LOL

In the house we lived in at the time, the living room was little used. I would usually be either in the den or computer room so I would yell from where I was. I wouldn't walk into the room and yell.

[ruckusluvr]

i tell my shelties "enough" which means stop barking. but they do not stop barking. they both whisper bark! its the cutest funnies thing!