Why was Bella barking so intensely at the neighbours? The couple have fallen out with their neighbours because of their dog’s barking. If Working Cocker Bella hears or sees a neighbour at the fence, she goes mad. She will bark in the house if she hears them. She is constantly Read more
An online consultation Why would a dog suddenly charge out and bark aggressively at someone nearby? Here is Ralph, a Springer age two-and-a-half. What prompted his lady owner to get help was his aggressive behaviour towards a neighbour. The man was entering his front garden when Ralph pushed past and Read more
Why would a previously friendly small dog suddenly become defensive and reactive after a couple of bad encounters with other dogs? Poor little Teddy is now on the defensive. He is very small, weighing only about 5kg. The three-year-old is a cross between a Shih Tzu and, surprisingly, a Border Read more
Is your dog barking at the door because it actually works? At last, after going to several dogs reactive to visitors, here were dogs that were pleased to see me! Two Border Collies greeted me, two of the most polite, chilled and friendly dogs I’ve met for a while. Absolutely Read more
Why would a friendly young German Shepherd suddenly start barking at dogs and nipping people at home? The problems they want to resolve are for Shadow to stop nipping them and to stop barking at other dogs. Both issues are really just symptoms. The nipping is a symptom of over-excitement. The Read more
He barks at children, particularly a child that may suddenly appear. He shows reactivity with fear barking at people he doesn’t know coming to the house. People walking in on him in the doorway he finds very intimidating – the late teenage sons have some very tall friends.
To deal with the barking the lady has used a water spray which seems to have ‘worked’. The trouble with quick fixes is that they work in the present but the fallout comes later. What effect might trying to scare a nervous dog out of barking have on both his existing fear of other dogs and his relationship with his owners?
Whilst it’s unreasonable to expect Brian not to bark at all – he is a dog after all, Brian’s owners are going to take over the protection role. They will also ensure his environment is managed so he’s exposed to as little ‘danger’ as possible.