# Barking



## 3Musketeers (Nov 4, 2010)

So, heres the dilemma:

My dogs tend to bark excessively, but... only while I am away. While I am with them at home, they behave and if they start it, I tell them to shut up and get inside (not in a mean way, lol) and they do.
I've tried exercising them more and it did help a bit, but it was probably at most an hour of silence. 
It also gets worse at nighttime, if I stay out anywhere too late, they will yap their lungs off. My guess is they get separation anxiety, because as soon as I get home they behave.
They have a doggy door, so accidents don't happen indoors while I'm gone, so in that sense they get to roam indoors and outdoors as they wish.

I've thought maybe getting them some toys to keep them entertained with would help.
I also thought of something, like, making a bark activated water sprinkler (they haaate water), but that probably doesn't even exist?
Maybe crating them? I really don't want to resort to having them crated, and I barely have the space to fit crates anyways.
Doubt anyone would mention it anyways, but I want to make it clear that I refuse to use anything like a shock collar for them.

Any ideas, suggestions? :smile:


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## Tarielle (Oct 22, 2010)

I was looking for a way to control my dogs barking as well and at the moment I use a hand held ultrasonic device. She doesn't really bark when I'm not there but I still have to follow her around with it.

I am going to buy an ultrasonic dog collar for her and see how that goes. They are pretty good these days and will only go off when she barks and not other dogs around her, some voice (bark) recognition thing that's built in.

I know you can get outdoor ones too that you can put up on a pole or in a tree and face it in the general direction of your yard. I have attached a link so you can get a better idea of what these are. I still think that the collars would be more effective though. These are perfectly safe and will not cause any harm to the dog. Like you, I will not use something like a shock collar.

Stop Dog Barking with the Dog Silencer Pro - Safe, Humane Anti Bark Control Product

I know they sell these world wide. I am not sure how much the various collars cost. I have seen them on ebay for pretty cheap but I wouldn't trust the quality of those.
At the very least it's another option for you to look at.


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## RawFedDogs (Jun 16, 2008)

3Musketeers said:


> It also gets worse at nighttime, if I stay out anywhere too late, they will yap their lungs off. My guess is they get separation anxiety, because as soon as I get home they behave.
> They have a doggy door, so accidents don't happen indoors while I'm gone, so in that sense they get to roam indoors and outdoors as they wish.


A couple of things ... they behave when you are home because you are there to tell them to. They don't bark when you are away because of seperation anxiety, rather because you aren't there to tell them to be quiet.

When they bark, do they bare at something or just bark in general?



> I've thought maybe getting them some toys to keep them entertained with would help.


Depends on why they are barking and at what.



> I also thought of something, like, making a bark activated water sprinkler (they haaate water), but that probably doesn't even exist?


I suggest you keep them inside while you are gone. There are many reasons for this other than barking.



> Maybe crating them? I really don't want to resort to having them crated, and I barely have the space to fit crates anyways.


Again, depends on what they are barking at and why.



> Doubt anyone would mention it anyways, but I want to make it clear that I refuse to use anything like a shock collar for them.


Good


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## 3Musketeers (Nov 4, 2010)

RawFedDogs said:


> A couple of things ... they behave when you are home because you are there to tell them to. They don't bark when you are away because of seperation anxiety, rather because you aren't there to tell them to be quiet.
> 
> When they bark, do they bare at something or just bark in general?


It makes sense.
I'm thinking they usually bark at sounds, every single little thing they hear.
It's hard to tell when I'm not purposely hiding from them to observe their barking, because when I get home the three are there barking their heads off, I figure at that moment they're barking cause of the car. 

Also, soon after I'm out of their sight it starts. Sometimes they will stay quiet for while, 10 mins, maybe more, but once they get started, they bark and bark and bark.

I've tried keeping them inside and they do bark less, I did notice when the neighbors yell/fight or their kids run around screeching they go crazy though, even inside the house.

I also tried what Tarielle suggested, the ultrasonic device (was expensive too) but it worked for maybe the first 3 days.

I can almost tell you for sure that it is not territorial/protective barking, or at least it doesn't seem that way as they have no problems with people coming into the yard/house. If we go by sounds, it's this ongoing high-pitched loud barking, one barks, the other two do too.



RawFedDogs said:


> I suggest you keep them inside while you are gone. There are many reasons for this other than barking.


:biggrin: I must ask, why? Other than the barking...


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## MissusMac (Jan 6, 2011)

No barking advice besides more mental and physical stimulation, but I will add this:

Keeping them outside exposes dogs to so many dangers! They can dig out and get hit by a car, dig into the next yard and get attacked by another dog or shot by a human. They can be stung by an insect, have an allergic reaction, and no one will be there to help them. 

I saw a friend from the dog park with her husky at the vet the other day, the husky's face was ripped open from another dog. Apparently, the girl let the dog out while she got ready for work in the morning, and in that short 30 minute time span another dog dug INTO her yard and attacked her poop pup.

I never leave my dog unsupervised in my yard, and if I do it is only for a few minutes, and I leave the door open. Better safe than sorry.


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## 3Musketeers (Nov 4, 2010)

MissusMac said:


> No barking advice besides more mental and physical stimulation, but I will add this:
> 
> Keeping them outside exposes dogs to so many dangers! They can dig out and get hit by a car, dig into the next yard and get attacked by another dog or shot by a human. They can be stung by an insect, have an allergic reaction, and no one will be there to help them.
> 
> ...


My fault for leaving out details, but it is a fence within a fence, there's the property fence and then there is "MY" fence within the front yard. They are cemented underneath to be dig-proof and both fences are double-barred. 
They are both VERY escape-proof as that is how my first dog died (7 yrs ago), I was away at school and my mom let the dog out to the front yard and he got out and got hit by a car.

But I agree about the bugs, didn't think about it, and I'll admit I've been paranoid that one day my neighbors will get angry about the barking and try to toss poisoned food over or something.


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## schtuffy (May 17, 2010)

MissusMac said:


> ...another dog dug INTO her yard and attacked her poop pup.


Hehe, poop pup! Sorry, that made me laugh...but seriously though, someone I know lost a dog this past summer because it dug it's way out of a fenced yard, ran into the street, and got hit by a car :frown: It all happened so fast that the girl didn't even know her dog got out...she thought he was still playing in the yard with their other dog when Animal Control knocked on her door and broke the news to her.


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