Barking is offending the neighbours---

[Superscout]

Hello,
Our beloved GSD is 19months old and the most awesome dog we have ever owned. He is sweet, bright, loves the family [three young kids] and qiute obedient. He has been trained to sit, stay, come, go to kennel, down, stand etc. but we are at wits end with his barking.

He doesn't bark inside, doesnt bark on walks or runs even when approached by other dogs or humans but is always alert to danger.

When he is in the back yard, however, he barks constantly and any/everything including the neighbors on either side. THey have complained and even called animal control when he was about a year old. We have tried the positive reinforcement, quiet commands, even a shock collar.

Any suggestions other than he just needs more exercise/attention etc. as this is just not the case.

Thanks

[msvette2u]

Can you bring him inside when he's doing that?

[Stevenzachsmom]

My dog has never been left outside unattended and is never allowed to bark at the neighbors. If I was outside with my dog and she did not stop barking when I said - back into the house she would go. Keep you dog in the house. Easy solution. End of problem.

[Miss Molly May]

The only way to stop the behavior in my opinion is to not leave your pup outside alone!

[msvette2u]

I always say, "if they're barking they are done peeing" so in they come

[Superscout]

Thanks everyone for your replies.
Actually, Scout spends most of his time inside but we have a fenced 1/2 acre back yard that he loves to be in--also has to be let out for elimination. I work and Wife runs three kids around so there are several hours per day that no one is going to be home--i am not keen on locking Scout up in his kennel for extended periods of time while gone there is too much stuff from kids things etc for him to have run of the house for extended periods. He comes in every afternoon and evening and then goes to his kennel at bedtime for the night.

Given the fact that he will spend some hours outside and some by himself, i need a workable solution.

Thanks

[Twyla]

You don't want to hear it but dogs do bark/dig from boredom.

First question would be how much time does he spend in the backyard alone? Second would be what kind and how much mental stimulation is he provided?

Another thing to consider - is this barrier aggression? Does he stand in the middle of the yard and bark or chase up and down the fence and bark?

Woolf is DA and of course we are lucky enough to have 2 dogs as neighbors who have bad doggy language and bark constantly. It took time everyday working with him so he could learn to ignore them using watch me, ball play and tons of rewards for no reaction. He reacted, he came inside... period. It wasn't a quick fix but now 99% of the time he doesn't react and when he does, a quick no and he stops.

[Kittilicious]

When it comes to neighbors and my dogs barking, I figured something out. They were making them bark. They would egg them on to bark more. I figured this out because our other neighbor can be outside with company over and my dogs could care less, but the other neighbor comes out and they go nuts... so I told the neighbor he can't complain because he created it.

Not a solution, but it could be a reason why he's barking in the first place.

[msvette2u]

How many hours would he be in a crate/kennel?

It sounds like you've tried everything else known to mankind so unless you want to give up your dog, or let him get poisoned (has happened, with nasty neighbors and yours aren't happy already!) maybe that's the only solution.

If your wife is a SAHM (as I am) she could put him in just before running errands and just let him out when she's back home.

[Stella's Mom]

Yeah I agree with the other posters. Bring him in the house if he is going to be barky.
If you want him to have more time outside, take him for a walk.