Barking in car
I adore him but the barking does get on my nerves sometimes. It is especially difficult with him in the car. Short trips to the dog park, medium trips to the vet, long trips to the beach, "bark, bark, whine, whine, wimper, comment, expletive, bark..." We've tried voice command training, positive reinforcement education, and the worse stuff  that I Did Not Want to try, e.g., cintronella spray collar, shock collar. But still nothing works. The only thing I have left in my bag o tricks is coming to you all and then pulling in a bahaviorist.
I can appreciate that he's excited about going to the dog park. Heck - I enjoy going myself. But he barks on the way home too! (Not so loudly though because he's usually tired by then.) He does not bark out the windows at people or things outside the car - he is always intently focused on me (driver). I'm at a loss. Any ideas? |
|
|
| Sounds like this is his way of being demanding and dominant. IMO
I would try the Nothing In Life Is Free approach. I have a demanding one too, she has been yappy since her last heat so I think it is a maturity thing for her. Sky is so loud when she barks, feels like it will pop my eardrum. I have been trying to basically let her know that while she may eventually assume the dominant status among the dogs, that kind of crap is not going to work with me. LOL It seems to help. All I do is always greet the quiet, sitting dogs first when I get home, she quickly realizes she will be ignored til she sits quietly. I make her sit and wait til I put their food and water bowls down, for treats, to go out the door etc. For her I believe it is a phase as she enters adulthood, so if I handle it correctly (which I can only hope I am) then my hope is she will be back to her normal self when the hormones wear off. LOL |
| Hi Heather, I have the same problem.
My sheepie starts barking when we get into the car. He stops once we start moving. I'm sure if he could talk, he'd be saying "We're Going!, We're Going!" But he sure is loud and it's embarrassing when we are in the parking lot somewhere with the windows down. I too, have tried almost everything. We are currently going to obedience school and I decided that the treats we use there may be helpful with the car barking. When he starts to bark, I say "no bark" and hold a small treat for him to smell until we start moving, then if he doesn't bark, I'll give it to him. The other thing that helps is we use pinch collars in class. I leave it on him in the car and if he barks, he gets a jerk on the leash. Both have been successful so far, but time will tell if it is a long-term solution. I was hesitant to use a pinch collar, but the vet said that it is actually safer to use than a choke chain. I even strapped it on my thigh and tried it, it's not bad. It REALLY has been effective in preventing him from pulling me on a run or walk. Just wish I would have tried it 3 years ago as it would have saved me alot of trouble! |
| I hate to be the downer, but I am all about Nothing in Life is Free and my dear sweet Chummie greets me quietly, walks on a loose leash and is generally very obedient but she is a complete NUTCASE in the car and there is absolutely nothing short of a shock collar that will inhibit the barking, panting, salivating, spinning, jumping and general nuttiness she exhibits in the car. She LOVE LOVE LOVES the car. I've tried desensization where she can sit in the car for hours on end but once it starts moving, she goes insane. She barked for 12 hours straight. Then, from being all worked up, she gets the runs. So I've bought earplugs but mostly I have been leaving her home. |
| I had the same problem with mine barking as we just get in the car until we are on our way. It was so bad at one point that I would get teeth marks in my back if I got in the car to quick.
The only thing that worked for me was to NOT give him what he wanted until he behaved. Since he wanted to go for a ride, I would got back out of the car when he barked and enter again only when he was quiet. It took several days and some patience but worked well. Just don't be in a hurry when trying this technique. |
| I just found something new I am going to try -- Premier's Calming Cap. Chummie is such a good dog but she goes bonkers in the car. I have worked with her slowly to get her to approach the car, sit next to it, and sit inside of it calmly, but once we are moving, she loses control. The calming cap obscures their vision so they aren't overstimulated by all the stuff whizzing by. I am trying it this weekend and will let you know how it goes:
http://www.premier.com/pages.cfm?id=188 |
Stubborn Sheepie wrote: The only thing that worked for me was to NOT give him what he wanted until he behaved. Since he wanted to go for a ride, I would got back out of the car when he barked and enter again only when he was quiet. It took several days and some patience but worked well. Just don't be in a hurry when trying this technique. Excellant method. It is like saying "Too bad" when they misbehave. Then you try later. This gives the dog the choice, and it is what is called negative punishment. Negative, because it takes something away and punishment because it stops the bahavior. Goes hand in hand with postive reinforcement methods. It does not scare or hurt the dog. Yes, to takes time, but it TRAINS the dog, and then can be used in other areas, once the dog understands the consequences. Quote: The calming cap obscures their vision so they aren't overstimulated by all the stuff whizzing by.
Valerie, this sounds like an excellant quick fix. What the dog doesn't see, won't be reacted to. If it is the visual stimulation that is the issue this manages it well. Like blinders on a horse. I love it. Anxious to know if it helps Chummie. |
| Hi Heather!
Our sheepie, Oscar, is deaf, and extremely visually stimulated. Riding in the car with him was awful, until we purchased a dog harness that hooks through the seatbelt. I guess it must make him feel safer to be strapped in, but once we started using the harness, he calmed down immediately, and now even sleeps while we're driving. Which is good because we make the trek to Florida with him every winter (from Chicago burbs), and it's two eleven-hour days of solid driving! The harness has been a Godsend, and it keeps him safe in the event of an accident. |
| It seem like putting a pair of thin underwear on the head would do the same thing-- that's kind of what the cap looks like! |
Didn't find exactly what you're looking for? Search again here:
Custom Search
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|