Barking dogs

I have two dogs. Some of you would say that is two too many.

I love having them, except for one thing: They bark. A door slams somewhere in the neighborhood, and they bark. I drop a pencil on the floor, and they bark. The mailman puts the mail in the box, they bark. I come home at night, they bark as soon as the key hits the lock. Bark, bark, bark. Full-throated, uncontrollable barking, well after they've been asked to quiet down.

They didn't used to be this way. It's developed over time.

Anyone have any suggestions? It makes our home feel chaotic, and it can be really, really embarrassing when I'm trying to interview a source, for example, on the phone.

 

Thanks. Good perspective.

 

Our dog (miniature Schnauzer) barks like no tomorrow. I take the trash out and come back in and she barks like I'm an intruder who she has never seen before. She barks at kids riding their bikes past the house on the sidewalk. We take her to the front door, let her watch us ring the doorbell, and she still goes batshit.

We tried everything - shock collars, putting her outside when she barked for no reason, etc. We finally gave up. At least we know if someone ever tries to burglarize our house, we'll be aware of the situation.

 

You can buy a training collar that when they bark sprays a shot of harmless citronella at their nose.

I use them for my 2 dogs when they are outside for a long period.

You could also use spray bottle and every time they bark hit them with stream of water.

Like Moddy I don't mind the barking but I also want to be neighborly.

 

I have the same collar for my dog. Works very well.

 

Wish I could find a clip online, but last night I happened to watch the beginning of Fox's "Raising Hope." It featured Kate Micucci (you may remember her from Scrubs as Ted's girlfriend who played the ukulele — she is a fave of mine because she also has a series of songs she calls 'Playing with Micucci'). Anyway, on the show she's caretaker of several dogs. She was singing to them about not barking when the mailman sticks letters through the door or cars go by, etc. It was pretty cute.

 

I trained my dog to keep it to a minimum when he was a puppy by scolding him and bringing him inside whenever he began barking at people or other dogs walking by. He learned that if he barks, I'll bring him into the house. Now I just remind him, "No barking," when I let him out. He won't bark unless someone he doesn't know is physically at our fence.

I'm sure this won't work for all dogs, especially hounds which take barking to another level, but it worked well for my Irish terrier.

 

Outing alert: Dick Whitman is David Richards.

http://www.theonion.com/video/tiny-dog-has-been-barking-nonstop-for-6-years,14251/

 

Dick,
If nothing else, you can tell the dogs that if they don't stop their behavior, they will have their names printed in the paper (/crossthread).
Sorry, I couldn't resist.

 

Our dog had a huge problem with being alone when we got her, howling and barking like crazy. This was a particular problem because we were in an apartment complex.

We tried sitting in the stairwell for a few minutes, then coming in, then going back out for twice as long, hoping that she'd eventually get used to us not being there. We'd pop in and scold her if she started barking.

Didn't work.

We finally had success with the aforementioned citronella spray collar. It also made the house smell lovely.

That said, as long as your neighbours don't mind, I wouldn't worry about it too much. Better than having them rip your couch to shreds or eat your drapes, as my wife's old dog once did.

 

If you're my neighbour, your dogs can bark as often and as long as they want---as long as I can't hear them.