Our Dogs Wont Stop Barking and Are Scaring Other Kids in the Neighborhood

An effective method that my daughter learned to help her when her dog barked is to put a couple of pennies in a soft drink can and shake it when the dog barks at in inappropriate time. The dog will stop immediately and you can then compliment him. If this is done consistently, it works and life is more peaceful.

Do you have a fenced-in yard? Have you tried letting the dogs out in the yard when you're expecting visitors? The problem with having more than one dog is they respond to each other- when one starts barking, the others join in. If you put them outside, you wouldn't feel as bad since most dogs love being outside, rather than locked up in a bedroom.

Hi S. ... I'm really not fond of the collars that give them a little shock, but I hear they work wonders in training them not to bark. Once they learn, I don't think you have to keep it on them. Barking dogs wouldn't intimidate me at all. :-)

Good luck !
E.

I am a certified dog trainer and I strongly encourage you to train your dogs. I would be very wary of the dog whisperer though. There are far more effective techniques that are not dangerous and don't require you to be aggressive toward your dogs. Look for a dog trainer who uses positive methods (if the trainer talks about using a choke or prong collar or another device other than a soft leash to control your dog, find another trainer).

You are right, the dogs are part of your family, but you wouldn't allow anyone in your family to behave aggressively toward guests, so why should you allow your dogs to do so? They need a time out, just like you would for your children. If they start barking, put them in the other room and don't let them out until they settle down. Once they are settled, you can let them out to go and calmly greet the guest (You may need to do this one by one to accomplish calmly).

Just like with kids, you need to be consistent. Every time they freak out and start barking, put them in a room until they calm down, then give them the positive reinforcement of letting them go greet the guest. The one time you let them get away with barking you erase the rest of your work. You could practice this technique by having your kids go and randomly ring the doorbell throughout the day.

Regarding Caesar Milan, here is a review that a dog trainer wrote that I completely agree with:

"People tend to forget that Cesar is dealing with behavior, NOT training. He is trying to eliminate old problems, and that sometimes require force, but should ONLY be done by a professional and can take anywhere from a few days to a few YEARS to completely fix. [Sometimes force itself can make the problem far worse!]

The training technique that a majority of dog owners in the United States (and other countries) should be using is positive reinforcement training. This is a reward based method that does not involve ANY physical punishment. BUT positive reinforcement DOES still involve punishment [just not physical, more like the removal of reward, etc].

Cesar often uses techniques that would be downright dangerous if anyone but a professional (or perhaps, someone who wasn't in front of the camera) attempted them.

I do like the fact that Cesar stresses that there are no bad dogs- only bad dog owners. While I believe this to be very true, I find that he sometimes fails to explain exactly how to be a good dog owner. He describes how one can fix a problem- but not how one can prevent it.

One of the biggest problems I have with him occurs during one of his episodes. There are blurbs that appear before EVERY episode that say "Do not attempt these yourself- please consult a professional, etc. etc."

stacy. i have two dogs that do the same thing . you have to stard training them . evan if you have to shout at them like stop it stop it right now. also if you takea news papper and slap it in your hand. and say site i said sit right now . they will learn to listen to you. and also say stay boy stay while your slapping the news paper in your hand . aftera while they will listen to you . thats how i trainet. my two dogs it might take a week or so but try that and make them site down ina cornoooooor good luck
B.

What kind of disipline are you enforcing when these events happen? I would recommend a little training & practice in regards to your dogs not jumping up on visitors. Usually they are just looking for attention, but if the visitor turns his/ her back to the dog and doesn't give any attention until they are in the proper down or sit command, eventually i think your dogs will learn to be proper greeters. They won't learn if you lock them in a room and with 3 to train at once it might be quite a feat as they are all competing for the attention. My sister has 3 dogs & the same issue. When i go to visit, i simply turn my back or put a knee up to prevent them from jumping on me & once they are settled give them each a good pat to reward their good greeting. but the key is to get your visitors to do their part as well. your kids friends might be good practice if your kids just inform them to turn their backs, while they give the appropriate command to calm the dogs, they be sure to love on them like crazy for listening! good luck!

I have a very strong 2 year old lab mix and my daughter has a 2 1/2 year old husky. We have all used the Dog Whisperer methods since they were puppies along with basic training. Cesar is very zen-like and his calm assertive energy creats a peaceful atmosphere. The past couple years could have been very stressful with our strong willed dogs, but instead we've found ourselves better able to handle lots of life's problems. We have never had to yell at our dogs or treat them badly. If you know in your heart that what you are asking of them is for the best and will not cause harm, you have an inner strength that projects itself as positive energy. I highly recommend watching Dog Whisperer, National Geo channel, Friday nights @ 8 and most ____@____.com 'It's Me Or The Dog' show, on animal planet does have good training techniques, but personally, I don't like the trainer.
The Monks of New Skete are supposed to be having more training shows on animal planet soon. I've watched those in the past, but they didn't help me much.
In the meantime, enlist your guests in the training needed. Your kids are all old enough to help you with teaching the dogs manners.
Our dog is also a jumper. We have tried putting the knee up but that did nothing. Turning our back and walking away didn't work either, he uses his paws like hands and grabs hold. A friend suggested catching/holding paws gently but firmly (the monks recommend squeezing, but I won't use painful technques) and wait until he calms (about 5 to 10 seconds) and then let his paws down with the 'off' command. I think this technique shows signs of working!

There's no shortcut - just consistent training. There are "bark collars" out there for persistent barking, but they won't stop the jumping.

There are training schools, trainers who come to the house (and train the dogs but also the family members, who must reinforce everything on a consistent basis). Your kids are old enough to understand the need for this. You can also rent videos from your video store or the public library. The dogs won't figure it out unless and until the family develops a consistent set of commands and discipline.

Good luck!

I would go right out and get a bark collar!!! I myself own a large dog (bullmastiff), and he is every bit a part of our family as the rest of us. We are very thankful that the breed itself is a "quiet" breed. He rarely barks at all, not even when company comes over. But, I have to say that my sister in law has 2 springer spaniels and they do nothing BUT bark. It is obnoxious when we visit and also when they bring them everywhere they go. Many of the family and friends have had SEVERAL discussions to the issue and everyone cannot understand why they do not do something like a bark colar. I truley hope you do solve your issue so you do not end up the topic of a not so pleasant discussion between your family and friends like my in-laws. Again, it's not that I do not love animals, but I think drastic issues need drastic measures. I guarentee it if you use it properly and use the training techniques with the device, you could fade the collar quickly. Best of luck to you and your 4 legged friends!! L. C.

Hi S.!
I know this might sound mean to do, but if your dogs learn to behave around people then their lives will be better and yours too...I have two Boston terriers and they too were crazy little beasts when people came to visit. I have a friend that works at PetSmart and he recommended a shock collar. I didnt want to do it because I thought it would really hurt, but can I tell you that in two days my dogs dont bark like they used to. I felt the shock and it doesnt really hurt it just is a surprise feeling. I have taken off the collar and now they bark to warn that someone is here, but not the continuous that they were. Im not sure if this works well with really furry dogs though like your Golden, you may have to shave a little spot on its neck. I have a home daycare and they were scaring the kids!
Out side we got something that looks like a birdhouse, but it sends off a sound like a dogwhistle everytime the dogs bark. (Not allowed in the house or I would have do this instead.) This works great and even our neighbors dog doesnt bark as much outside!
As for the jumping we are still working on that. A friend told me to turn our backs on the dogs and ignore them and not talk to them or pet them until they stop jumping then praise them and if they jump turn your back again until they stop...after a while I guess they get the hint..we will see!

Don't use shock! That is inhumane...dog obedience school, there are even people who will come to your house and train them there .

Hi S.,
I am a mom, an owner of 4 dogs and I also happen to be a professional dog trainer! As long as there are no fearful or aggressive tendencies behind your dogs' behaviors when guests come over the problem is usually pretty easy to fix. It will take a family effort for practice times, but teaching your dogs that visitors are fun and can bring them good things as long as they are well mannered is often the key to fixing this type of VERY common nuisance behavior. I would suggest that you hire a trainer to come to your home for a lesson or two so you can get some practical-hands on advice and practice. if you let me know what area you live in I may even be able to recommend a trainer to you. Good luck!
S. Althen, CPDT

I've done some dog training. Your dogs may be a part of your family but you are a part of your dogs pack and if you or one of the other human pack members don't assert yourself as pack leader they will either pick one of their own kind or exist in a state of high anxiety. Your three dogs should NEVER be allowed to run around outside all together without a dominant human leader present. I suspect one of your dauchands is the instigator in the barking, however a large golden is very intimidating. Take your biggest trouble and work with that dog first and without the other two. Remember, while training: no shouting, it's only human barking and the dog learns that it is o.k. Do not repeat comands. Give a comand once then either praise or correct the response. Praise in a high pitched voice (yes even men) correct in a growly voice (yes even women) Food rewards should be intermittent. Intermittent (as in every forth or fifth reward) is some of the strongest reinforcers of behavior; works on humans too, which is why many children whine because we inadvertently reward intermittently the negative behavior. This brings me to another point, be consistent. If you are pack leader you do everything first. You eat before your dogs, don't feed them before you eat. Walk through a door before the dogs, don't let them run ahead of you. This includes while they are on a leash. You are the leader, you lead everywhere. Your neighbors will thank you for it but more importantly you will have happier dogs.

My mom also has three dogs that are definitely her "family" and although she DID train them, she uses Cesar Milan's theories about pack dynamics to make them happy and more manageable. It is very easy for 3 dogs (regardless of size and training) to mentally overpower their owners and especially guests. Cesar also has a number of books and DVD's that you can purchase if you are unable to catch the shows on TV. Someone mentioned that Cesar uses force but the only times I have seen that was with his "red zone" cases (i.e the kind of dog you would NEVER have around 5 kids because they are just flat out dangerous for someone who is not Cesar to deal with.) and even then, it was considerably less force than the animal control people would use to capture (and destroy) an animal of similar viciousness. Cesar explains that there is a difference between training and respect. It comes down to, if you didn't believe your boss had any authority over you, would you listen to their teaching? Same with the dogs that don't respect their owners. Cesar tackles the issues of respect, THEN you can deal with issues of come, sit, stay, etc. (and you'll probably be more sucessful!)

Yes - watch the dog whisperer. My parents have a very hyper welsh terrier - and always jumped all over people when they first came in the door, and he is a very aggressive "playful" dog. watching the dog whisperer and using his techniques definately helped. he still wants to greet who comes in the door but it's more sniffing around then actually jumping up on any one, and he calms down alot faster - only 5 min. vs. 15-20 minutes. And he has been very good w/ my daughter from the start (now 18 mos old). if you have comcast for cable - there are episodes OnDemand - and you can set your DVR to record the episodes when ever they are on.

also another thing that helps - is making sure he gets enough play - OUTSIDE - once a week he goes to a dog park on sunday mornings (nashua dog group - belavance beverage has a couple of acres fenced in - and they allow dogs to run all over it on sunday mornings.... this helps w/ his behavior and he's not as hyper.

they have collars that have a sensor on the dogs'vocal box. when they bark they'll get a harmless spray of citronella! i've heard good things want to try it myself for over-excited beagle!

I have a few friends who have tried different things. Try searching "animal behaviorist" + ct or "animal communicator" + ct. You may be able to find some help that way. Good luck!

What I am going to say you may have already heard, but you need along with your family members need to go to some obiedent classes. These classes help the owners solve problems like yours and others along with teach everyone how to change the dogs behavior in all the same way so that the dogs don't get confused.
You should be able to find classes by contacting your local animal shelter, a dog kennel, a vet, a breeder, and a kennel club.
Good Luck!!

Are the dogs happy to see the company or are they guarding your home???
If they are guarding your home, you need to work on your commands with them as to who is a stranger and who is a friend. My new puppy sounds like a 2 or 3 yr old when he barks and we are still training him to not jump up on company, he is very happy to see anyone that comes over

Is it possible to have all the kids in the neigborhood over to have a meet and greet the dogs time, have them all bring a little treat or you provide them. This way here the kids will learn about you dogs, the dogs will want to play with these kids and you will still feel welcome in your neighborhood

Hi S.,
I have a similar problem with my lab mix. His bark is very intimidating but he is great with my son and our family children. I'd like to see the other responses. Thanks and good luck.
J.

We've had this problem with our dog and did try everything (3 different trainers) before resorting to a bark collar. Let me warn you, this was not an easy decision, nor a "quick fix". The bark collar got our dogs barking under control (but did not eliminate it) to the point that I could train him without him being in a frenzy. He's better about barking at nothing (he'd just bark if he heard any noise at all), but we are still working on the door.

If he barks and runs to the door, I tell him to sit and let him know that I can handle it. Once he's sitting and calm, I tell him "it's okay". If he remains calm and quiet, I give him praise, attention and treats. Right now we're making progress with people walking by the house. Then we will work on people standing on the doorstep and finally we will do people knocking on the door.

I'd start with the ringleader first as you have 3 of them that are probably feeding off of each other. Do you have a crate? You might want to crate the other 2 while you are working with the ringleader.

S. P- The LL Bean Citronella bark collar is harmless and worked well with our two dogs..good luck!

My great Aunt has three dogs in her house as well and the newest one barked and growled at my daughter the other day. She has this clicker that she got at a Pet shop and whenever they bark like that she clicks it and they don't like it. It seems to work. I have also personally used a water bottle. I had a mini pin mix so he was a small dog but he hated that thing. lol I made sure I got him in the face so he has to pay attention.

Hi, we used to have a Basset Hound who jumped on everyone who came to our house. We started keeping her lease right by the door and when someone came over I would put the leash on, stand back from the door a bit and stand on the leash so it would not allow her to jump. Then I invited to visitor in. I know that this will be hard with 3 dogs but it will work eventually. Maybe you could put 2 dogs in another room and work on only 1 dog at a time. Well good luck. BTW how old are your Dachshunds. We just got 2 that are 11 weeks old today. Did you try to attempt to housebreak them at the same time? Having difficulty not having them have accidents in the house, I can't watch both at the same time without eyes in the back of my head LOL. Any advice you have concerning this breed I am all ears. Thanks soo much and good luck.

We have a dog as well who loves to bark at all the kids getting off the school bus. We are actually working with a trainer from Sit means Sit. It is great!

S., I just watched over the weekend on Animal Channel a show called, "It's me or the dog." It says that you should tell your visitors to ignore the dogs and when they do jump up on them to turn their backs to them. That'll discourage them. And regarding the loud barking, the lady said, don't yell at the dogs. Just make a loud and sharp sound the way they do when dogs bark to each other. Give out a big EH! and give them a look telling them that YOU MEAN BUSINESS!!! I hope this helps.

You could try putting the dogs into another room but not shut the door. Use a gate. Let the visitor come in and get comfortable and the dogs will still be able to see who came in.
When they settle down some you can release the gate to have the dogs see your visitor and get use to him/her.

You could try letting the dogs out one at a time or all 3 at once.

Good luck

We have one golden who does the same thing - I can't quite imagine how it must be with 3 dogs!! I had a dog trainer once advise me to put our dog on a leash before answering the door. I'm not sure how that would work with 3 dogs, but perhaps your kids could help out since they would be old enough to handle your dogs on a leash. Good luck!

There are a few trainers in our area that actually come out to your house. One in particular is very affordable and I've found to be extremley effective. I;m not sure if I can give that info here so please let me know if you'd like his number.

My main concern for you is that your children be involved in any training. They are clearly old enough to help in the training process, and would be very helpful when their friends come over. Everyone has to be involved or the dogs will misbehave with the one who's not in any pecking order.

I love how you include your fury friends as your family. Hat's off to you. However outsiders do need to uderstand this as well, or at least they should be respectful/understanding while visiting. I'v got a ton of fury family members, so there are a few situations where certain friends just can't visit if they're too afraid. I feel bad, but I'd rather have a happy family than to have to cater to people who can't be around animals. Besides, it could end up a safety issue and I definitely don't want that. Even though my puppy wuppy wouldn't hurt a fly, one never knows for sure.

I like what the others have posted! I might try some things with my dog!... thanks!

"...they are very much a part of our family." Well, then, treat them like family. Would you let your kids get out of control this badly? Seeing as you have 3 dogs, and they all feed off each others' behavior, I would suggest the services of a dog trainer. It will be money well spent, and your dogs will be much happier with a little discipline (just like kids - funny how that works <g>). You can find reliable trainers by asking your local animal hospital. Good luck!

as an owner of a large dog who is very intimidating I can relate to your stress. My best advice is manners training for the dogs and also teaching the kids who come to visit How to approach and respond to your dogs. This will take time and effort but it is possible :)
When you know people will be arriving, leash your dogs and after the first inital barking(they are dogs and they are doing their jobs by letting you know someone has arrived) tell them *quiet* or *enough* and have the dogs sit and calm down Before you welcome your guests inside. Once inside -no speaking to them, no looking at them no touching them until they are calm. Praise the dickens out of those dogs when they are behaving-they need to know what you want from them and what you expect. Tell the kids the dogs are in training and their help is needed but they need to follow the rules so the dogs can learn.
Dogs get soo excited over waving hands, running, squealing kids - the kids need to learn inside manners also :)
A good long walk or hard playtime with a ball each day followed by some basic obediance for each dog will also help establish you as their pack leader and should give you calmer/happier dogs also.
Good luck and my best to you
J.

Hi S. -

Call Bark Busters - they will come to your house and teach you how to control your dogs. If your dogs bark when people come to the door - they probably think that they are the leaders and that they have to protect you, your husband and kids from whoever is at the door. Bark busters will help to teach your dogs that you and your husband are the leaders of the house.

Hi S.,
If you don't want to separate the dogs from the arriving guests then I believe you have two good choices to choose from -
1. Hire a dog trainer who will come to your house and work with you and the dogs to teach them to change their behavior.
or
2. You educate yourself with books/internet on how to train the dogs not to behave in that manner.

It would also be a great lesson for your kids and they can help in the training which ever way you choose to go. It also beats having to get rid of the dogs!

Good luck,
S.
Dog trainer for over 20 years

How about a barking collar? It worked for my cousin's Bassett Hounds and another friend is getting them for her two dogs because she keeps getting fines from the dog officer for excessive barking. You have your hands full with five kids and doubt it would be easy to get everyone on the same page to train your dogs. Make it easier on yourself and buy a barking collar. They have them at Walmart.

I don't know how old your dogs are, but the saying "you can't teach an old dog a new trick" is untrue. You should consider hiring a dog trainer. As you have 3 dogs it would probably work out best to have one come into your home as opposed to going to a class. Well worth the expense for the long term peace of mind!!!

good luck...from a fellow dog lover.

For your (and their) own good, TRAIN THEM!

A good place to start would be to have your whole family watch "The Dog Whisperer" on the National Geographic channel. Cesar knows dog behavior better than almost anyone.

There are great books out there. I would lean toward those written by Carol Benjamin, The Monks of New Skete or Cesar Millan.

Your dogs somehow got the message that they are doing their jobs by creating a ruckus. (Yes, dogs do need jobs to be "healthy and balanced individuals", as Cesar would say). You must be a leader and show them what you DO want from them.

In the mean time, here's a short cut to end the barking:

Teach your dogs to "speak!". Once they know what "speak" means, it's very easy to teach them "NO speak!".

Good Luck!

We have spoken with a trainer named Myrna Milani who is in New Hampshire (she has a website www.mmilani.com) about how to work with our dog and our upcoming baby (due in June). One of her tips for every dog owner is something she calls a "serene homecoming." It involves completely ignoring your dogs when you or anyone else enters the house. Don't make eye contact, don't pet or touch them. If they jump on someone, that person should turn and walk away without emotion. You would only pet or address your dogs once they have gone to their beds and are completely relaxed (for some dogs that means sleeping). Then you can go over and pat them and say hello gently. If they are in their bed and still following you or your guests with their eyes, they are not calm and should be ignored until they are calm (i.e. dozing or sleeping). Myrna says if you and your trusted guests do this consistently most dogs will learn the behavior in 10-14 days. They will learn that when someone comes into the house it is a calming experience, not an exciting experience. Her goal is for the humans to initiate the interactions, not the dog. Myrna writes "it sets dogs up to make a choice and thus use their minds: Either the dog can act up and be ignored, or he can politely wait for his owners or any visitors to greet him. Not surprisingly, when consistently offered this choice, most dogs choose to lie quietly within a matter of weeks."

Remember...consistency is the most important thing. Good luck!

The citronella bark collars work wonderfully and are completely humane. We got one b/c we have a little dog who barks and a 2 week old baby. So far, we are completely pleased with the results. You can purchase them on Amazon.

That one's easy. Use barking collars or muzzles. We've had similar issues and they take care of it. People get hung up on them being inhumane or something but we're responsible for our animals behaving in certain ways and sometimes changing behaviour or modifying it needs other tools and we need to be willing to take those steps. Your neighbors will probably thank you too.

I hope this helps and isn't too strongly worded but I obviously have a strong opinion on the matter having known a lot of people who won't do what I'm suggesting.

Good luck,
M.

S., I would suggest you watch the Dog Whisperer, Cesar Milan on National Geographic or get his book or CD. He's dealt with this same issue on his show.
Elaine

i have a dog who also has a very intimadating bark and often would wake my son up from his nap. Instead of a shock collar i found one that released a lemon scented solution into his face every time he barked in less then a week, he had dramatically changed, now if he starts up again we just put it on him for a couple days and he calms right back down. to stop his jumping, we would always greet a visitor together him in a sit and me leading him up to the person, eventually he got it but still occasionally forgets and we have to reinforce it again. just like kids it is consitency that helps reinforce the good and bad behaviors!