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At ease dog lovers, just kidding! :o)
My pet peeve are the people that live in small apartments and have large dogs.
There should be a law that the size of the dog correlates with the size of the
apartment; 1000 sq ft a Yorkie', 1500 sg ft a Beagle, 2000 sq ft a Labrador
etc, etc.
Enough said...KF
Like a human baby, the dog needs to grow up with people around, become well adjusted and slowly learn to spend time on his own. A dog needs to be around people or other dogs, and he need both large open spaces for lengthy unstructured free exercise (running, chasing, hunting, etc.) and regular structured exercise with his owner (catch, walks, etc.).
HOWEVER... this is not the problem of the original poster. His or her dog barks when people come to the door, which is exactly what a dog should do. He's doing his owner a favour by letting him know that there might be someone dangerous out there who wants to invade your home. It might be annoying now, but when he wakes you in the middle of the night in time to stop a burglary it will seem very different!
Try changing your doorbell's ringing unit. He is probably being triggered by that. If you have no doorbell, add one and he won't be triggered by knocking at the door. You can get wireless doorbells now which can be carried with you or moved into your office; might buy you a few extra seconds to get there first before he notices!
Now if I could stop the cat from doing a number on the mice and occasionally birds, I woulb be set. Just yesterday, he got a squirrel. One more bird or squirrel and the cat goes!
Lots of misconceptions about this.
Everyone will have their opinions, and some may not see it as in-humane, but it in my opinion it most certainly is.
I know exactly now it is done having worked in a vet clinic for close to 15 years so I have intimate knowledge of it.
To me, removing the dogs ability to voice itself, regardless of how "carefully" it is done, is in-humane.
Many of the problems associated with dogs are due to owners who leave the dog at home when they go to work. The poor dog is so socially deprived during the day that he can't help but try to call their owner throughout the night, just because he knows his owner is nearby.
I don't get people who don't let their pets sleep in the bedroom with them at night, it builds a bond. We even have crates in the bedroom so if they do get naughty at night we can crate them in there so they're still close to us. Heck, some even sleep on our bed. :)
I tried a shock bark collar, but it was inconsistent and when it did go off, my 1/2 pug mix practically did a back flip- too mean.
Ouch! Good example of why I don't like shock collars :(!
In order for punishment to stop a behavior it needs to meet 4 criteria - one of which is it must be applied consistently, EVERY TIME the undesired behavior occurs (a collar that only works some of the time = NOT good!) The other 3 - must be strong enough to make a big impression right from the start, must be immediate, must be associated with the trigger of the behavior - that last is a real dicey area in dog training because you can't control WHAT associations the dog makes.
Don't meet those 4 criteria and it will either fail to work or it will create new problems...
Training an incompatible behavior (which is what it appears C. Milan is doing, from SEOMike's description) or counterconditioning works best in most situations.
For the record, I'm not a FAN of debarking and would strongly advocate the behavioral route for the average family pet, but it beats euthanasia or shock collars. I know quite a few happy, healthy and still very talkative "debarked" dogs.
HOWEVER... this is not the problem of the original poster. His or her dog barks when people come to the door, which is exactly what a dog should do. He's doing his owner a favour by letting him know that there might be someone dangerous out there who wants to invade your home. It might be annoying now, but when he wakes you in the middle of the night in time to stop a burglary it will seem very different!
My dogs have a far, far better picture of what's going on around here than I do. I listen to them when they talk. My Lab has about 5 different barks and by listening to the tone, and especially the urgency, I can get a pretty good idea of what she's saying before I even look.
My hound is 3. He is a loving, long haired dachshund who barks EVERY TIME the front door to the building is opened...
He's supposed to FlexAjaxSEO. He's just doing his job and most dogs take their jobs pretty seriously. You can train a dog not to bark. I've PM'd you several links which you've probably already seen but if not they're worth a look. Just remember "positive reinforcement." It works.
a bark collar, if used properly, is an altermative.
Have any of you that use a bark collar put the probes to your arm and set one of these off? The problem with "used properly" is that most people considering them are looking for a push button fix and don't care.
Which is more inhumane- debarking or euthanizing?
Votes for euthanizing. If a situation arises where you're considering a collar or debarking, the dog is better off in doggie heaven. :-) If a dog is barking to the point of annoyance, the larger problem is neglect, not barking. Dogs are creatures of loyalty, and require attention, and they will return it a hundredfold. If you want a low-maintenance pet, buy a fish bowl and a beta.
I don't get people who don't let their pets sleep in the bedroom with them at night . . .
UGH! :-) Dogs STINK man! And carry bugs, and if you live in the country like to roll in TURKEY POO! Since day one she has slept on the floor and all furniture has been off limits - she has never even tried to jump on the couch.
Ours is restricted to a 6 X 9 carpet in front of the fireplace, she's not allowed anywhere else in the house. No chains, no fences, she just knows that is her "indoor space". The exception is when someone knocks at the door. She's a 70 lb Light Golden, and I don't want to break her people-nature by curbing her need to greet visitors (not a jumper.) She doesn't seem to have a problem with staying in her space.
Jesus....
A dog barks too much so you kill it.... wonderful
It's your dog. You accepted responsibility for him the day you brought him/her home.
I don't get people who don't let their pets sleep in the bedroom with them at night...
Ugh... sleep in bed with me? My dog has a nice comfortable bed next to mine. I'm constantly cleaning out the hair and dirt. It's amazing how dirty it gets even though I bathe and brush her regularly.
I agree that a dog barking is a good thing, to a point. I like when my dog barks from the doorbell or something because sometimes I don't hear it downstairs. However, once alerted and I come, she moves off into a submissive position. She's also really good at waiting at the top and bottom of the stairs for me to go down or up. Started this when my daughter was a baby and I had to carry her up and down. Didn't want a 50+ pound dog getting under foot on the stairs. After a while that behavior became automatic. I don't even have to ask her to hold anymore, but I do tell her when it's ok to go up the stairs.
Overall my dog is quite well behaved and socialized. Thanks to a lot of time spent with her starting when she fit into my shirt pocket as a pup. Learning and applying the techniques from Caesar went a long way to maintaining a calm, respectful demeanor. She's very gentle by nature anyway.
Another idea since it sounds like you work at home... you could put a bed for your dog next to your desk so it stays by you all day. When the door opens and shuts you can stop the dog from charging out of the room. Condition it to bark but stay with you instead of going to the door and barking a lot. (can't remember the gender as I type. sorry)
Proper and repeated grooming (brushing) will help reduce the hair problem as well as endear your dog to you for life.
These aren't just your pets. They're members of your FAMILY. Treat them as such.
AM
They usually start out in bed and then move to the couch in the living room. Probably because I snore rather loudly.
Have the opposite problem. My dog can snore too much at times. It's pretty funny.
"We're moving so we have to give our dog up."
"My boyfriend doesn't like my cat so I have to give her up."
"My dog bites people and I have to give him up."
"My dog does this, that or the other and I can't stand it and have to give him up."
Those are the most common but there a hundred variations on the same theme. All of them illustrating that the pet isn't important. It's disposable. Replaceable.
You're not saying that FlexAjaxSEO. You have a problem and you're looking for a solution and I applaud you for that. Too many others don't look for a solution though - they just get rid of the animal. They have this Michael Vick mentality that these animals are disposable, that they can be gotten rid of and others brought in to replace them. That makes me sick. It really does.
Learn about your animal. You've got a computer so research it online before you bring it home. Maybe the animal you want isn't for you. Make sure you have the space available for whatever animal it is you want. If you want a dog I HIGHLY recommend a fenced yard rather than chaining them. And find a good vet. Ask other dog owners who they go to and what they like/dislike about them. Keep them current on vaccinations, distemper/parvo, heartworm pills, etc...
You're the sun and moon to your pet. Their world revolves around you. They live to please you. PLEASE respect that.
Be careful you don't provide feedback for this barking. It's easy to get upset about the barking. The dog will probably think that you're upset about the "disturbance" at the door. If you remain cool as a cucumber, the dog will pick up that noises at the door are not a problem.
And why do you need to "get up" every time to deal with this? Call the dog to you.
(Of course, what do I know. We've had to train our dog to bark. She used to just stand at the door and wait.)
a fenced yard rather than chaining them.
A friend of mine came home to find that his dog had accidentally hanged itself. Not cool. Dogs on chains should not be left unattended.
Why? I have no idea.
Maybe she's still sulking!...KF
I hate chains. I hate collars too. Collars are a necessary evil though.
euthanizing? It's your dog. You accepted responsibility for him the day you brought him/her home.
A responsible dog owner would agree with you. The problem is that a neglected dog that barks all the time indicates an owner that never really accepted the responsibility, and likely never will. These dogs are in for a long and unrewarding existence only getting noticed, and only getting negative feedback, when they are "bad" - barking, digging holes, doing what they can do to break the boredom.
I love animals. Dogs cats, sugar gliders, ferrets, lizards, have or have had them all. They get what they need. But I have seen many pets that are truly better off dead, it is a sad fact.
Now if I could stop the cat from doing a number on the mice and occasionally birds, I would be set. Just yesterday, he got a squirrel. One more bird or squirrel and the cat goes!
PS
If its squirrel season I'd be tempted too ... ohh never mind.
Excellent dogs, I know a few other people with them and they have no problems either :)
I don't want to give up my dogs, but I can't get evicted because of them either. Also with a 6 month old baby, and another on the way, we need to get this barking under control. One of us is home all day and even then, you have to get up to correct them. They get walked by us 4-6 times a day, have plenty of toys, and the run of the living room, kitchen, dining room, yard and patio - so lots of space. Any advice?
Sounds like your dogs are the leaders and they consider you, your husband, and your baby as "their" pack. This could be a serious concern because if they feel they are in charge, THEY will discipline the babies in their way. They need structure badly because they tend to be high energy dogs. Start reading about dog psychology and identify the leader of the three of them. Correct that dog's behavior and the others will fall in line. Just like you say that the younger one falls back into the bad habits of the other two, if you correct the dominant dog, the rest will respond naturally. Works every time. Get the respect of the leader of a pack of dogs, and they will all respect you.
Good luck!
If you are located in central FL, I know the perfect dog trainer for you. Sticky me and I'll give you the contact info.
