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lurkette · 07-15-2004, 06:42 AM

Barking is usually a territorial response, and it's possible to train them to stop. If they've taken him to trainers and it hasn't stopped, they need to find another trainer, one who will work with them in the home, where the problem is. Often, dogs bark because they feel like they have to protect their home and family and it doesn't look like anyone else is in charge. I don't know how your parents interact with the dog, which is why it's important to get a good behaviorist to watch how they interact. But chances are he just needs some very firm and consistent training - correction every time he barks, rewards when he shuts up.

Here is some basic advice, though:

When you’re home
If your dog is bossy or suspicious, he may bark ad nauseum when you have a visitor, when joggers go by, when the kids get off the school bus on the corner, or when the next door neighbor gets a UPS package or has the landscapers in the yard for three or four days – even when you are home.

A bossy dog is often easier to cure than a suspicious one because he may simply need to be reminded that he’s not in charge. It takes longer to get the message across if you have ceded your authority in any fashion, but it can be done by making the dog work for every treat and cuddle and love tap he gets. He should sit or lie down or do a trick on command before getting anything he wants.

Teaching a suspicious dog to bark on command so you can then teach him to stop on command works as well. Carol Lea Benjamin calls this the “serendipitous” method of dog training by which the owner names a behavior in order to control it. The trick here is to know what triggers the barking so you can get it started yourself , then, just before initiating the noise, saying the name of the command.

Here’s how it works. If Ranger barks when someone knocks at the door, repeat “speak, speak” just before you knock on a wall or other hard surface. Tell him he’s good and give him a treat. Repeat several times a day until he understands that “speak” means bark. This process focuses his attention on you and gets ready for the next step – teaching him to quit barking.

When you tell Ranger to speak and give him his reward for doing so, follow it with “Enough” or some other word that means “knock-it-off!” Once he gets the idea that he must stop barking after the treat, you can begin to use “enough!” when he barks at real interruptions. Be sure, however, to allow to alert you to the presence of whatever and praise him before you tell him he’s done enough.

Good luck!

07-15-2004, 06:42 AM	#20 (permalink)
lurkette My future is coming on Moderator Emeritus Location: east of the sun and west of the moon	Barking is usually a territorial response, and it's possible to train them to stop. If they've taken him to trainers and it hasn't stopped, they need to find another trainer, one who will work with them in the home, where the problem is. Often, dogs bark because they feel like they have to protect their home and family and it doesn't look like anyone else is in charge. I don't know how your parents interact with the dog, which is why it's important to get a good behaviorist to watch how they interact. But chances are he just needs some very firm and consistent training - correction every time he barks, rewards when he shuts up. Here is some basic advice, though: When you’re home If your dog is bossy or suspicious, he may bark ad nauseum when you have a visitor, when joggers go by, when the kids get off the school bus on the corner, or when the next door neighbor gets a UPS package or has the landscapers in the yard for three or four days – even when you are home. A bossy dog is often easier to cure than a suspicious one because he may simply need to be reminded that he’s not in charge. It takes longer to get the message across if you have ceded your authority in any fashion, but it can be done by making the dog work for every treat and cuddle and love tap he gets. He should sit or lie down or do a trick on command before getting anything he wants. Teaching a suspicious dog to bark on command so you can then teach him to stop on command works as well. Carol Lea Benjamin calls this the “serendipitous” method of dog training by which the owner names a behavior in order to control it. The trick here is to know what triggers the barking so you can get it started yourself , then, just before initiating the noise, saying the name of the command. Here’s how it works. If Ranger barks when someone knocks at the door, repeat “speak, speak” just before you knock on a wall or other hard surface. Tell him he’s good and give him a treat. Repeat several times a day until he understands that “speak” means bark. This process focuses his attention on you and gets ready for the next step – teaching him to quit barking. When you tell Ranger to speak and give him his reward for doing so, follow it with “Enough” or some other word that means “knock-it-off!” Once he gets the idea that he must stop barking after the treat, you can begin to use “enough!” when he barks at real interruptions. Be sure, however, to allow to alert you to the presence of whatever and praise him before you tell him he’s done enough. Good luck! __________________ "If ten million people believe a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing." - Anatole France