OT--- Dog owners

[El Duderino]

I never had a dog growing up, but about a year and a half ago, i got one for my daughter as a birthday gift.

He was great with the potty training. He listens most of the time. He's never bit anyone. I can give him a bone with steak still left on it, go up to him and take it right away with no growling. When i'm gone, i never come home to stuff in the house all chewed up. If say he's on the couch or chair and i tell him to get off, he listens.

One thing though drives me crazy and i can't break. I live in an apartment with a large glass patio door with plenty of people traffic, any person walks by and he barks like crazy until he can't see them anymore. If anyone comes over, as soon as he sees a car he knows, he barks like a lunatic as they get out of the car until they come in which gets him even more amped. I've tried numerous things from treats, screaming at the little bastard, to now usually locking him in my bedroom until he shuts up. I've thought about getting a dog shock collar, but the vet wasn't keen on it and i'd rather not use one of those things.

It's my only beef with the dog. Any long time dog owners have a plan i could try? Hell, i've even watched the Dog Whisperer, but that's been a bust also. I've got the assertive part down, the calm part though when Tyson is barking like a nutcase doesn't always work with me.

[trwi7]

When he's barking, take a dixie cup, fill it with water and when he starts barking, throw it in his face.

Maybe arrange to have someone come over that he recognizes and try it out then.

[smauss]

I've had dogs almost my whole life. They have mostly all been outside dogs but I do have a couple of questions:

1.) How does he react to people when you walk him? Does he "go wild" when you pass by them or is he fine (curious, but fine).

2.) When you say he barks, is it protective type bark (guarding his house) or is it a excited ("Oh boy someone is coming to play with me" type bark")

3.) Does he spend a lot of time alone?

4.) By your description it sounds like you have a male. Getting him "fixed" CAN help him to "calm down" but is not a guarantee.

One thing I can you is that typically what a dog see's IS his territory in many dogs. If he believes he is protecting/guarding whats his those folks walking by are walking in his territory. Being "amped up" is very typical for puppies or young dogs. The length of this "puppiness" changes by breed and by the individual dog.

[Ill-yasova]

When he's barking, take a dixie cup, fill it with water and when he starts barking, throw it in his face.

Maybe arrange to have someone come over that he recognizes and try it out then.

Same idea, only with a squirt bottle. Spray him if he barks. My friend used a whistle when his dog barked. Seemed to work for him, but every dog is different. It's all a matter of finding something to break his fixation with the person outside.

[smalls]

another one that works is a can filled with a few pennys and duct tape the top, shake it and scold him/her whenever this behavior appears, i used the spray bottle to get my beagle to stop howling constantly when she was a puppy, the trick with these though if u have, little ones or people who still act like little ones is that those ONLY be used to deter the behavior not just for fun to spook or annoy the dog.

[eagle13]

can you shut the curtain?

[Ryan5UW]

When he's barking, take a dixie cup, fill it with water and when he starts barking, throw it in his face.

Maybe arrange to have someone come over that he recognizes and try it out then.

Same idea, only with a squirt bottle. Spray him if he barks. My friend used a whistle when his dog barked. Seemed to work for him, but every dog is different. It's all a matter of finding something to break his fixation with the person outside.

I'd say the spray bottle is a better idea, for you and the dog. I have a jack russell, and a damn smart one at that, and if I tried the dixie cup full of water, 90% of the time she'd be quick enough to get out of the way, leaving me more upset because now I have a puddle of water on the floor to clean up. Trust me, dogs don't like water being sprayed in their face, so that should work just fine. A cup of water would be too much.

A friend of mine has a Yorkie that barks a lot, so they got one of those dog trainers who come out to your house. They have these little bean-bag sized bags with a little bit of chain in them that they throw on the floor when their dog is going nuts. Something like that might work too (which is similar to what smalls said about the pennies in a can).

[aaprigs311]

The squirt bottle works for my dog. He's terrified of it. He likes to chew the other dog bed up when no one is around so one day i decided to put the water bottle next to the dog bed and he hasn't touched it since. Find something he's afraid of and stick it close to your patio.

[aaprigs311]

A shock collar is effective too. It sounds worse than it is. I've shocked myself with it before. It doesn't hurt, but it was an uncomfortable enough feeling that I didn't want to do it again. I always wanted to put it on my brother while he was passed out drunk, but I never remembered to try it out. Some day...

[El Duderino]

I've had dogs almost my whole life. They have mostly all been outside dogs but I do have a couple of questions:

1.) How does he react to people when you walk him? Does he "go wild" when you pass by them or is he fine (curious, but fine).

2.) When you say he barks, is it protective type bark (guarding his house) or is it a excited ("Oh boy someone is coming to play with me" type bark")

3.) Does he spend a lot of time alone?

4.) By your description it sounds like you have a male. Getting him "fixed" CAN help him to "calm down" but is not a guarantee.

One thing I can you is that typically what a dog see's IS his territory in many dogs. If he believes he is protecting/guarding whats his those folks walking by are walking in his territory. Being "amped up" is very typical for puppies or young dogs. The length of this "puppiness" changes by breed and by the individual dog.

His breed is pure bred Toy Fox Terrier and from what i've read online, they are quite protective even though it's a small dog. He obviously doesn't understand he's small, i've had to keep him from trying to go after big dogs like pit bulls, that's why i named him Tyson, he thinks he's the baddest dog on the planet. Answers in order

1. When i walk him, he generally will bark when we pass other people, but i usually can shut that up quickly by yanking the leash tight and glaring at him. He'll then cower down and pout. If though i pass someone walking a dog, then the lunatic in him usually comes out and i won't let him sniff/play with that dog because Tyson is unable to be even reasonably calm around other dogs except my moms dog.

2. Well, it strikes me as a much more protective barking whenever a person/stranger walks in view of our patio door, even if it's a neighbor he's seem countless times. His tail goes up and it seems more a warning barking. If though it's a friend of mine or my daughters friends, family, or anyone Tyson knows and thus will be coming into my place, he then still barks like crazy, but it's more excited crazy barking. He'll not only bark, his tail starts wagging like crazy and he'll be running all over the room until that person enters.

3. He doesn't spend an abnormal amount of time alone. Plus, whenever i know i'll be gone a long time, i'm lucky that an older lady lives up stairs that likes Tyson and she'll come down to walk him/let him out to go to the bathroom.

4. He's been fixed for a long time now

As i type this, someone walked past the patio door and Tyson jumped off the coach, ran to the window, and started barking like a nutcase. So i went towards him and he knew right away i was pissed, his new thing now is to then run away from me into the bedroom and hide under the bed where he'll continue to bark for another minute or so before giving it up.

[El Duderino]

When he's barking, take a dixie cup, fill it with water and when he starts barking, throw it in his face.

Maybe arrange to have someone come over that he recognizes and try it out then.

Same idea, only with a squirt bottle. Spray him if he barks. My friend used a whistle when his dog barked. Seemed to work for him, but every dog is different. It's all a matter of finding something to break his fixation with the person outside.

I've tried the squirt bottle and while it works a bit, he's big time fast and agile. I gave up on it to a degree because it doesn't stop the barking much, he just hides behind the TV then and barks or under my dragon tank stand. It then becomes a hassle for me to chase him around with the damn spray bottle.

The thing i don't get is that Tyson listens and is afraid of me in any other situations for the most part. If he does anything else wrong, all i need to do is say his name and glare at him, he'll then cower down and pout. I can put a steak on the floor and tell him to stay, he won't go near the meat until i literally point at the food and say go get it. He just sits obediently for however long until i say it's ok to go get the bone. Someone walks by the window though, he ignores me and barks like a nut until i go after him. Given it's a big complex and people walk by all the time, it gets annoying very quick.

[shrink]

Watch a couple episodes of the Dog Whisperer.

You need to reinforce your position as the dominant dog in the pack in these situations. It sounds like you have a nice headstart though. Let the dog know barking is unacceptable with a new response other than yelling to increase the stress. Calmly walk to the dog, use your thumb and forefinger to make a "C" and push and close on the dog. This will simulate a bite, and reinforce your position. If necessary, use the bite to restrain him until he reaches a calm, submissive state. Its important that you be calm when you do this and in control. excessive barking is often done by a dog that may be insecure, but the more confident the pack leader, and the more confident the dog is with you, the less you'll see of this problem.

I like the idea of desensitization, by having your friend come over several times, and ringing the doorbell. I would recommend exercising the dog heavily for a half hour before, and giving him a big meal. This will make it harder for the dog biologically to reach the stressed state, and you can reward him for good behavior, and it will help in the desensitization.

Good luck!

[Ill-yasova]

Also it may help to bring a dog over that you know stresses your dog out, and force your dog to relax/be submissive. Lay you dog on his side and let the other dog sniff him and walk around til your dog settles down. Repeat the process as necessary.

[smauss]

Like I said originally, I've not had an inside dog for quite a few years but IMHO you are dealing with a couple of different situations that manifest the same sympton; namely barking like a lunatic.

1.) How he relates to other dogs. Dog on dog aggression is the MOST difficult situation to deal with in dogs. Terriers, in my experience, can be extremely aggressive, especially with other dogs. I would try to find so way to get him more socialized with other dogs. That could be an obedience class from the local humane society or kennel club. If your feeling brave or have confidence that this won't be a big deal for him take him to a doggy park. I have MUCH experience with this situation in my current dog. He hates dogs and will go to war in a heartbeat. We've tried, but it is no use for him. We have to muzzle him when we walk him, which frightens most folks but it is simply not worth the risk. He adores people, loves to please people but absolutely hates dogs!

2.) Consistency in discipline and praise. You won't in all likelihood get him to stop barking at people walking past completely, and I don't know if you would really want to. He needs to be a watch dog, that's what he does (at least in part) and he should be praised for it but when you let him know that you are aware of the reason for the bark, it needs to stop; his job is done. I like clamping the jaw down while looking him straight in the eyes (showing dominence) and telling him "Enough!" What you are looking for in him is submission. If he uses body language to show submission, that is a good start (rolling over is a real good sign) but some dogs will require firmer others just a look, that depends on the dog. Running away and hiding is not submission; the will is not submitted.

3.) All of the dogs that I have had that were absolutely, without question the most difficult dogs to break or train were the smartest dogs. Smart dogs are tough but they are also the most special and memorable. Your effort will be worth it!

I hope this helps in some way. If I think of anything else I'll post or if you have any questions about what I said, let me know!

[Scoops]

You could try a citronella collar. I've never used one, but did a lot of research on them when I was considering one for my pup. I think they're only like 40 bucks or so, and they spray a non-harmful fragrance towards the dogs face and for some reason dogs don't like it and they stop barking. I wanna say it works on like 90% of dogs but I don't have any link, just memory.

[sully00]

While I am not familiar with the specific breed I don't think I have met a toy terrier that doesn't do this. Most were bread to fight off rats I believe, it may well be in his nature.

If this is a pure bread dog I would seek out someone who breeds and trains them for some input on that aspect of it. Different breeds of dogs need to be trained in different ways.

I use and electric trainer on a pyr/setter mix and have a lot of success as far as training and taking him off leash in the woods. But they make bark collars, most spray the little bugger in the face when he starts going off that may help, they also make a smaller trainer called a lap trainer. Innotek is a pretty good company not too expensive.

[eagle13]

Dude - went to PO Box today and was sorting thru mail and throwing out some ad magazines but something told me to hang onto one of them. Odd but I went with it and tossed it on my dash. Later waiting for a late friend I paged through it. There it was .... Maybe it will help ... maybe it won't?

Heartland America catalog page 35
1800-229-2901
www.heartlandamerica.com

dog collar that when it senses barking it emits sound only audible and irritating to dogs. claim it does not hurt dog but does annoy them and trains them to stop barking. Who knows?
$19.95

Good Luck!

[El Duderino]

Thanks for all the ideas, i'll look into them all and start giving one a try, especially the various different non-shock collars.

I do think part of it could just be his breed, so if i can find something that just lessens his excitement/barking at strangers, i'll be cool with that because i don't mind some barking given that's part of being a dog. I'm not looking to have some sedated muted dog, i like somewhat his frisky nature, would just prefer it was toned down a bit.