Winnie is a big barker. She probably thinks barking is her job.
They adopted her six months ago. She’s is mix of Dachshund and, probably, Jack Russell. The first three and a half years of her life she lived with travellers. She would have been an excellent warning system.
They have four main areas to work on, each one in a systematic way.
Each area is a journey. Journeys start at the beginning.
Winnie barks when she hears the neighbours. She panics when one of the young ladies leaves her. The two ladies have been unable to go out together since Winnie came to them.
She gets very worked up when hearing someone knock on the door. Walks are accompanied with constant barking.
They want a calmer and quieter Winnie! The barking is a symptom and not the problem itself.
We can’t excite a dog one minute and then want her to be calm the next. Ways of getting her less aroused include not touching her quite some much or in a stimulating way. There are lots of little things that contribute to her arousal.
Neighbours
Whenever the neighbours come out of their side door or into their garden, Winnie barks. “Oh heck, they may come in my garden and I’ve been trained from an early age to bark to keep people away”.
To change this, they must change how Winnie feels when she hears them. They will use a clicker (or a substitute word like Yes). Each time she even looks at the fence and could be thinking of the neighbours they will click then feed. ‘Oh good, neighbours mean food!’. Fortunately Winnie is very food motivated.
They are not dealing with the actual barking but with what she’s feeling. So feeding while she’s barking is no problem. It just means they would be better to pop her on lead and work with her further away from their fence.
She will begin to hear a click and then anticipate food.
If the neighbours remain outside, chatting or gardening – food food food. Then come in. Keep the sessions short.
Panic when left alone
Interestingly one of the ladies can got out without much fuss from Winnie. The other can’t, even when the second lady is at home with her.
What do they do that is different? The one that is free to go out is a lot calmer with her. The lady who can’t leave is a lot more excitable with her. She touches her vigorously and indulges in rough-housing. (I suggest she should touch her less and do her best to behave calmly with Winnie).
Although this lady does most of the work (letting her out and feeding her), she may choose the lap of the other. One lady, the one who arouses her more and feeds her, is more emotional with her.
When she leaves Winnie screams. She’s immediately at her heels even when she gets up to walk towards a door.
She had to be away for three nights. Though not alone, Winnie screamed and cried for 24 hours.
A route for Winnie’s separation journey.
First step, the lady drops food before standing up. Then sits down again. Several times over an evening perhaps. Now she drops food at the same time as standing up. Now she will give a ‘stay’ hand signal and step backwards a couple of paces before returning (she may teach ‘settle’). Next she will turn around and turn back again. Food. Gradually, a step at a time quite literally, she will move further, through door and coming straight back, go for duration….. and so on.
They will work on a leaving routine, a ritual. Going always includes coming back. She should be away from the front or the side where she hears people, somewhere she feels safe.
Someone knocking on the door
She hears a knock and goes mental. Like hearing the neighbours, the sound threatens danger. She can now learn to associate knocks with food, starting with soft taps. They walk about round knocking things including the front door and build up a pattern – a ritual. ‘Knock, Behind gate, drop food’.
This won’t happen over night and needs work and consistency.
Constant barking on walks
Putting her harness on is the first trigger. Now they will put it on before a meal and leave it on, detaching the harness from walks.
They don’t drive and have to walk ten minutes along the road to somewhere open. Winnie barks furiously before they have even left their small, gated front.
Back to basics
The harness will be on in advance. Next step is in the gated front area. They will throw food around for a minute or so and then go back in. Over and over until she is quiet. Until she accepts that she’s not going anywhere.
They can use a clicker with special food for passing for people.
Now the same thing but with gate open. Next step out and straight back. Keep chucking food (if she won’t eat, they are pushing ahead too fast).
They should stand about until she’s eventually calm enough to sniff.
This will mean no walks for a short while. Once calm out of the gate, having no car, they will try running to the field. Hopefully she will enjoy that.
Help needs tailoring to the dog. This is the beginning of Winnie’s journey.
Paws for Thought: What is barking all about?
