barking

[wildrocko]

my pup is 5 months old and we are currently going through puppy training at a petsmart. One problem that I cant seem to break him of is barking at me and occasionally nipping me. I have tried NO and holding him till he calms down. Anyone got any suggestions?

[Dobs4ever]

Why is he barking? A little more info please what is going on when he barks that you don't want him to???

[Sue J]

ditto dobs4ever

[tidibole]

I HAD the same issue with my adult dog when he first came to live me. He barked and cried out of BOREDOM when we were at show...Pretty embarrassing..After speaking to the breeder I was told that he came by it honestly as his father was the same way UNTIL he went into the ring. then it was all business..ASSUMING, that you have eliminated any problems and it is just PESTY behavior. I have successfully used a SMALL squirt bottle with a heavy stream and last year bought a squirt gun that fit into my hand (out of sight) and after the first command QUIET? no response, I used the gun, he RARELY does that now!!!

[Dobs4ever]

This is one of the biggest drawbacks to classes and shows. Lots of standing around and doing nothing. Very boring to the dog. When Shrock was younger I took a tuggy toy to play with him while we waited. Just let him tug and tug and not a lot of action but enough to keep him occupied and distracted. I should have taken on yesterday in the Intl show as he got bored and started barking. I got up and walked him around. Since I train protection work I don't correct for this as barking is one thing you need them to do. I prefer to redirect as opposed to correct.

If your class does not allow you to bring in a toy for motivation then quietly have the dog do something. Stand - back up- move forward- sit down - just little things to keep the dogs mind engaged while you listen.

[RKCM]

Great suggestions. Sometimes they do get bored and toys make it fun.

I would be much more concerned with the nipping.
Nipping at you should stop because once older, it won't be half as cute. Haven't had dogs nip at me ever so not sure what to tell you to do, except tell them no and give a correction. Nips on me hurt. What do you guys think?

[Sue J]

Teeth on people is not allowed with my dogs period. When Jett was little and nipped my butt I told her "No biting!", turned sideways to her then walked off ending her fun. She hasn't nipped me for a long time now. Did mouth my hand a couple of times lately trying to lead me to get toy,etc., but has stopped that too now.

[Big Dogs]

Well here is my two cents on the barking and nipping thing. Now is the time to stop any unwanted behavior the sooner you can correct it the easier it will be to fix. One thing I would not do is hold your dog as this is probably one of the things he is wanting you to do. When he is nipping at you is he running free and grabbing as he runs by or is he doing it on lead? Do you ruff house with him allot? And if you do when you tell him to stop does he? The barking thing can get way out of control really fast. We also train dogs for personal protection on occasion and if that is your intended goal for him Dobes4ever is right I would also redirect his mindset. If protection training is not your goal I would use a correction if he was on lead, if he is off lead try to redirect. How is he with his other commands?

[wildrocko]

I do not ruff house with him. He will start barking at me sometimes after we start palying with a toysometimes I will just be standing around trying to do other stuff. The nipping comes after the barking,. He is loose when this occurs. He is not on a leash or anything. I have tried grabbing him and holding his mouth closed and telling him no in my mean voice. I have tried the water bottle thing a couple of times but it seemed like it got worse( the barking) . I dont know how to show him that I am the one in control. He doesnt do this stuff to my boyfriend. And I have also tried a pop on the nose. I dont want to hit him. And the puppy classes we are going to are just to teach him to sit/stay/down/leash walking/etc... He is very good with learning commands. I dont know if I need to enroll him in a more advanced training once we are done with puppy training. HELP!

[wildrocko]

I do not ruff house with him. He will start barking at me sometimes after we start palying with a toysometimes I will just be standing around trying to do other stuff. The nipping comes after the barking,. He is loose when this occurs. He is not on a leash or anything. I have tried grabbing him and holding his mouth closed and telling him no in my mean voice. I have tried the water bottle thing a couple of times but it seemed like it got worse( the barking) . I dont know how to show him that I am the one in control. He doesnt do this stuff to my boyfriend. And I have also tried a pop on the nose. I dont want to hit him. And the puppy classes we are going to are just to teach him to sit/stay/down/leash walking/etc... He is very good with learning commands. I dont know if I need to enroll him in a more advanced training once we are done with puppy training. HELP![/QUOTE]

[RKCM]

I would take another obedience class because I think most dogs enjoy it.

As far as the barking and nipping, I think all puppies like to nip, bark, and play. Our dogs do therapy so we can't have them nipping or scaring people by barking. It has been very simple to correct. We just gentle took their muzzle and applied pressure saying NO! We did not rough house with the puppy until the puppy learned how to be gentle. They all love to run and nip and all that, but it is just not a good habit when the dog becomes grownor when your dog is around other people. We also do not allow the dogs to lick us. When you visit hospitals etc., you can't have them do that. We have never hit the dogs or anything like that. Correction using the muzzle is all we have done. I think it's important for the dog to understand when you want calm.....and teaching a puppy to sit still to be petted is important. We are careful not to reward them for what we call "roughhousing." There will be plenty of time for that when the puppy understands how to be still.

Consistancy and repetition is the key......it took awhile, but most dobies want to please you. Keep trying unless you can accept this behavior as an adult. Hope this helps.

[wildrocko]

Thanks, I will keep trying the muzzle thing. Thats what I have been doing as of lately. So I will see how that does.

[tidibole]

Funny, I am NOT fond of licking or doggy kisses either!!LOL..And having HAD a Therapy dog totally understand the reasoning but moreso, I JUST DON'T like it, not even with puppies!!!

[OliveOil]

I've had trouble with Olive barking when she's outside---which may not be a bad thing but I can't ever see exactly what she's barking at. Maybe it's something, or maybe it's nothing but when I tell her to be quiet I want her to stop for longer than 60 seconds, lol. I think I'll try the spray bottle too. The trick is going to be getting one with a long range--she hops away quite quickly when she thinks she's going to be reprimanded.

[RKCM]

Dobermans are so smart. She may just want your attention. I wonder if she is outside alone. Dobermans seem to want to be right near you. I would look real hard at what she is either barking at or wanting of you. They will train you quickly. This might be the key.

[OliveOil]

She's not outside by herself usually, but I've had suspicions that she's just barking to get our attention :)

[SnuzerDog]

He will start barking at me sometimes after we start palying with a toysometimes I will just be standing around trying to do other stuff. The nipping comes after the barking,. He is loose when this occurs. He is not on a leash or anything.

Sounds like he is trying to train you- and escalating when you do not respond properly! Do you use a crate? You might try leaving the leash on him for a while when he's loose in the house (easier to get hold of) and taking him to crate for 'time out' when behavior gets out of hand. Although, have to be careful not to do this too much- don't want him to permanently associate the crate with discipline. Might also temporarily try a muzzle, or gentle leader - and no, they are not inhumane!

I have tried grabbing him and holding his mouth closed and telling him no in my mean voice. I have tried the water bottle thing a couple of times but it seemed like it got worse( the barking) . I dont know how to show him that I am the one in control. He doesnt do this stuff to my boyfriend.

Direct physical intervention (with your hands, feet, etc.) is not the answer. Not to be hurtful, but to me this says the problem is your mental attitude and approach. You have to know, confidently, in your mind that you are in total control. He has to be taught how to respect you, play with you and act around you. Reward with chopped treats for times when he is behaving properly- this is the foundation of positive training methods. Confidence comes with knowing what to do, and when to do it- you need good strategies for dealing with problem times. But you have to be a bit patient with trial and error to find what he responds to- not all dogs react the same way to all approaches. Sometimes just waiting them out (like when babies throw tantrums) then rewarding after a few minutes of silence will do the trick. Make it much more fun to be with you when he is behaving properly. Start reading and learning about dogs- lots and lots of great books, dvd's and such available in the library, online, bookstores et al- it's what I had to do, too!

And I have also tried a pop on the nose. I dont want to hit him.

Then don't! There's a reason it doesn't feel right- and that's because it's not the right answer. There does not ever need to be meanness- only steely, patient, loving firmness- if you are reacting emotionally, then you have been successfully manipulated! Commit to finding the better solution.

And the puppy classes we are going to are just to teach him to sit/stay/down/leash walking/etc... He is very good with learning commands. I dont know if I need to enroll him in a more advanced training once we are done with puppy training. HELP!

Ask the trainer if you can arrange some one-on-one time to deal with the behavioral issues. If you do not feel you are accomplishing anything with this person, seek out another local professional with good references from people who have a clue about dogs (breeders, vets, show people.) What you may need here is someone who can objectively observe you with the dog and offer suggestions. Do not bring your boyfriend- the dog will act differently in his presence.
You have already seen some other great feedback from others on this forum, who have alot more experience than I. Just don't give up, this may be a little scary but if you are determined you will almost certainly end up with a much more enjoyable situation for you, your boyfriend and your dog! :)

[Big Dogs]

First off your dog is a puppy and puppies act up and misbehave. Most puppy training classes are for teaching basic commands. If you are going to petsmart or some place that is similar to that I first applaud you for taking the initiative to train your dog. With that being said most places of this nature are not experienced in handling behavioral issues. The first thing I would ask if he is doing this to you only and not your boyfriend is why? Does your boyfriend spend more time with him training ? or does he follow through with commands and you might not always follow through. I think if you take a step back and look at the situation your dog believes he is higher in the pecking order for what ever the reason. I can tell you that now is the time to change his mind! As I tell all my clients there are many different ways to train dogs and many different trainers. Reading books and watching dvd's on training are fine and you can learn great information from them but use caution! People tend to not apply what they learn properly and there is no one there to correct them when they are applying it wrong or the dog does something not covered by the book or dvd. Which ends with a frustrated owner and a confused dog that may have a new problem to work through. Sorry about the rambling If you feel you need to use a muzzle on your dog you need the help of a professional trainer or if you are just using the muzzle to make you feel comfortable around the dog you need a professional trainer. As far as your attitude with the dog remaining as neutral and confident and patient is going to be your greatest Allie. As far as being physical with a dog I believe in using the least amount possible but there are times when it is called for such as biting the owner or attacking another dog correction in these situations is critical. Seek the help of a professional trainer that you feel comfortable with it will be the best money you have ever spent in the end.