[Cheesywotsit]

Hi all, please can someone give me some sound advice?
We have a 10 month old shihtzu x ,and so far hes been great ...until he found his bark! He's started to bark at everything the post man ,the paper coming through the letterbox ,the lawnmover , next doors cat , a knock at the door and people walking past the house and he also randomly barks even if nobody is there.I think you can see where im going with this even to the point of myself putting my cup on the table or closing a cupboard. Like i said hes been absolutely fine and we've had no other trouble. At first he was left in the kitchen when we went out ,but as time went on we felt he could be trusted (no chewing or surprises awaiting us)so we gave him the run of the kitchen and living room when we went out .when we're in he will bark if the door knocks etc but when we're out he stays silent (weve come home and knocked on the window purposly).A pal said that because we have given him the run of the house(downstairs only ) , then he thinks its his teratory and he wants to protect it ,and that we should leave him in the kitchen when we go out .When he does bark we either say ''NO CHARLIE'' quite sternly or put him in the kitchen for a few minutes then bring him back out telling him good boy(for staying quiet) more often then not, he will go back to the window and bark again then the same process is repeated .. bark ..kitchen...goodboy . But hes still barking away its like whatever i try it just does'nt work is there another method i could use or any advice you could give me please? .
ps i have been told to try the water spray method and im not to happy to use that one ,besides he'd only end up trying to lick the spray !
any advice would be great


pss sorry its a bit long :eek6:

 

[Clare7435]

Sounds like anxious bark to me....you could try high pitch noise...soon as he silences a shh followed by a quick good boy and fave treat....really quick process but it works and he'll soon ascociate the noise with the treat and the good thing is that you can practice it with someone elses help...letter box...lawnmower...whatever he barks at....they can make the noise and you can do the treat process....it works....good luck xx

 

[Clare7435]

Hi all, please can someone give me some sound advice?
We have a 10 month old shihtzu x ,and so far hes been great ...until he found his bark! He's started to bark at everything the post man ,the paper coming through the letterbox ,the lawnmover , next doors cat , a knock at the door and people walking past the house and he also randomly barks even if nobody is there.I think you can see where im going with this even to the point of myself putting my cup on the table or closing a cupboard. Like i said hes been absolutely fine and we've had no other trouble. At first he was left in the kitchen when we went out ,but as time went on we felt he could be trusted (no chewing or surprises awaiting us)so we gave him the run of the kitchen and living room when we went out .when we're in he will bark if the door knocks etc but when we're out he stays silent (weve come home and knocked on the window purposly).A pal said that because we have given him the run of the house(downstairs only ) , then he thinks its his teratory and he wants to protect it ,and that we should leave him in the kitchen when we go out .When he does bark we either say ''NO CHARLIE'' quite sternly or put him in the kitchen for a few minutes then bring him back out telling him good boy(for staying quiet) more often then not, he will go back to the window and bark again then the same process is repeated .. bark ..kitchen...goodboy . But hes still barking away its like whatever i try it just does'nt work is there another method i could use or any advice you could give me please? .
ps i have been told to try the water spray method and im not to happy to use that one ,besides he'd only end up trying to lick the spray !
any advice would be great

pss sorry its a bit long :eek6:

PS....water spray....not good, I wouldnt use it anyway....good on you for not using it xxx

 

[Cheesywotsit]

Thanks for the advice . I have been trying this over the weekend and it seems to be going well with situations I can control like lawnmover etc , but no so much as people walking past the window knocking at the door etc . I think it will take a while but we will get there !