Help - barking

[Rocks on fire]

My beautiful Franco is now 1 every time I take him for a walk he barks constantly this has always been the case I’m getting nasty looks and comments thrown at me he seems to be really over excited every time we are out walking he is a lovely boy and not vicious but his bark sounds so aggressive does anyone have any advice about this I would be so grateful

 

[Ravenbird]

Barking is a self-rewarding behavior - in other words he does it because he likes to. Since you say this has "always been the case", I'm thinking you have let him do this since he was a puppy? Have you ever tried to make him stop? Dogs will do whatever they want, unless you train them that some behaviors are not appropriate. If you pop the leash and say no every time he barks that would be a start, but if he's been doing this for months with no correction then he may enjoy his obnoxious behavior so much that it will take harder consequences to hush him up.

If you had a 13 year old child who yelled vulgarities at people on the sidewalk as you shopped what would you do? It's rude and should be stopped, and as the parent you are held responsible. This dog behavior is comparable.

Your Franco is indeed a beautiful boy. Enlist in some dog obedience training classes with a trainer who understands how to reel in his over-excited behavior on walks. When he is trained to walk politely you will be getting compliments instead of nasty looks!

 

[Oh Little Oji]

What is he barking at? If I could be around this situation, I'd be analyzing what Franco is barking at, and what is making him bark. Yes, I agree with what Ravenbird said above – some dogs just like to bark. I'd be trying to hone this issue down to a finer point if I could.

Does Franco bark at people? Does he bark at dogs (probably). Does he bark at things that move, like grass swaying in the wind or leaves blowing along the ground? Does he bark as sounds?

These are highly intelligent dogs. Is he just barking for all to hear and barking the same no mater what he's looking at focusing on, as if to say "Hey world, hear me!" Does he seem relaxed? Does he seem nervous? Could he be insecure and thus barking out of a fearful sort of defensiveness?

I've always done my own training.. If your life and situation allows, I'd recommend it. Do basic obedience training and think about the NILIF concept (Nothing In Life Is Free). Once you build a solid foundation of Franco obeying you and following commands and looking to you for direction as leader, this should be easily controllable.

My previous Dobe from working lines had a real problem with all other dogs. He'd bark like a maniac if a dog got within a block or so as we were out walking or running. He sounded and looked aggressive. I got it under control when he was fairly young because I worked hard on it from early on.

One more thing: I have always taught my dogs to bark on command and be silent on command. They go hand in hand.

 

[Rocks on fire]

thanks for the replies I do try my hardest to stop him in his tracks he is fine with people it’s just joggers bicycles random cars and other dogs . I just wanted some tips on how to get around dealing with this

 

[MyBuddy]

thanks for the replies I do try my hardest to stop him in his tracks he is fine with people it’s just joggers bicycles random cars and other dogs . I just wanted some tips on how to get around dealing with this

Is there someone that can help you create a scenario where you can control the situation? Like maybe having someone ride a bike around you while you correct/reward your dog. It's easier to do in a controlled situation where you know it's going to happen rather than suddenly coming upon a biker. Keep it short and as soon as he is calm and has his attention on you, I would reward calmly so as not to excite him again and walk away. If you do it enough, he should become immune to it.

Might be a little difficult or take some time, seeing that it's been going on for so long but I think it can be done.

It sounds like he is triggered by motion, (joggers, bikes, cars) which triggers his prey response. Doing several short training sessions in a controlled environment is what I would do.

You can even walk him by playground or a child's baseball game. Keeping a distance but allowing him to see the action and know that it's nothing to get excited about.

And in other times, training him to keep his eyes on you will help keep his attention on you. Reward him for looking at you. Let him know that you are controlling the situation not him.

 

[Ravenbird]

I just wanted some tips on how to get around dealing with this

Firm but fair, no means no, consistency (if sometimes it's ok to bark and sometimes it's not will only encourage him to "see if it's ok this time"), and if your correction doesn't change his mind that means your correction is not strong enough. My dog had explosive outbursts like this, didn't care whether I was popping the collar or turning the other way, she just ignored me. At around 6 months I began using a prong collar and I later used an e-collar. Both of these involve finesse, not power, they are respected by the dog and help you work at preventing the unwanted behavior so corrections are needed less and less. Prevention is so much better than correction! Start watching Franco closely and use your correction: "no" and a leash pop, when he looks back at you give him a tidbit treat as a reward for looking at you. Never give him a treat if he doesn't look at you, reward is for acknowledging you, not an apology for popping the leash! Do this correction BEFORE the barking begins. Do it when he sees the bicycle or the jogger! Correct him for looking at them, because once he starts barking his mindset is in a whole different place and now you have to bring him down to normal. So much easier to bring his attention back to you before he escalates! Hope this is the kind of tips you are wanting to hear.

 

[LucyXIII]

Do this correction BEFORE the barking begins. Do it when he sees the bicycle or the jogger! Correct him for looking at them

Is this a leash pop? Or a "No"

This is a scenario I don't want so I'm trying to have a plan to prevent and correct it in place.

 

[Ravenbird]

Is this a leash pop? Or a "No"

This is a scenario I don't want so I'm trying to have a plan to prevent and correct it in place.

Totally depends on the dog in my opinion. For the dog described above and his age and doing this for a long time, I'd say both. If you are starting out with a young puppy it can be a simple soft tug on the collar to get his attention and a cheerful "nope!". Every dog is so different. The point is, if you ask them to stop doing something and they ignore you, if you don't fix that (ignoring you) behavior, then you are teaching him that he doesn't have to respect you! There are so many easy Dobermans that are willing and happy to oblige your wishes with little to no corrections, but there are some really really tough puppies out there too which can ultimately overwhelm new owners.

 

[Kswoodssue]

I agree with @MyBuddy in that you might create the situation in a controlled way. Eg start with the bicycle etc across a parking lot. With each pass, move the bike closer. Fill your pockets with chicken or cheese or hot dog bits and continually reward the heel position when the pup’s focus is on you. You might also start with simple commands when standing close to the bicycle etc. ie sit, stay, down. Move on until you can push the bike (shopping cart, etc) with your pup on leash at your side. Our Sasha has always been hesitant with boxes, bikes, large men with beards etc. Frequent exposure has helped curb that immensely. In my humble opinion, fear and barking are just as often associated with each other as aggression and barking, and a fearful dog can be unpredictable. Set your pup up to succeed. I personally find a shock collar one more tool to insure everyone’s safety and compliance.