Still Barking

[we4elves]

So Matty still barks at people coming up to us...Distracting, socializing, treats aren't helping...Does anyone else have suggestions...

She barks...people walk up she smells their hand...they give her a treat...than she barks at them again...not constantly, but every 5-10 seconds..in obedience class the instructor was doing the stand for CGC and she barked at him every time..She'll never be able to get her CGC if she doesn't stop...Does anyone have any other suggestions?

I say enough...and tell her no..but she has no clue what that means and I don't know how to get her to realize...enough means stop barking either!

Just getting frustrated...

[Whiteshepherds]

Is it a fearful bark or just an excited happy to see you bark? Body posture?

[we4elves]

I would say fearful, she smells, backs up..and starts barking...scary enough so that the instructor didn't finish the exercise with her. I just don't know if I should keep correcting her,(tell her enough, no and make her sit)..it almost seems like that makes it worse...

[ShenzisMom]

Shenzi has the same problem. She was terribly abused so she thinks everyone is out to hurt her. My suggestion is to find people who are not scared of dogs like your instructor and work with you, not against you.
Does she tend to stop the barking after 2-3 minutes? I find that once she is able to REALLY smell someone and gets a feel for them shes ok. But my god if the person is staring her in the eyes looking like a bugged out retard she never stops and good for her. If a person is acting suspecious why should your dog like them? I tell these morons to stop looking her in the eyes your making her uncomfortable, stop putting your hands over her head, pet her chin/chest tell her to sit-give her a treat and she'll love you to death.
God, non dog savvy people piss me off.
I literally just wrote like 10 minutes worth of ranting in this post and deleted it.
Don't let people who are going to hurt your progress by acting like morons approach your dog.

[VChurch]

Minna has the same problem. She's not bad when we're out walking, she'll typically keep walking and I can tell her 'leave it' and she'll not focus on it so much.

It's mainly when we're standing still somewhere, or right in front of the house she'll bark at other dogs and the dumb teenagers in my neighborhood. I don't know how to get her to stop either, I've tried telling her to sit or leave it or distracting her or using treats....nothing works.
Hopefully it'll get better.

[JakodaCD OA]

the key I find for a dog like this, is to have EVERYONE put her on IGNORE. No eye staring, no touching, no treating from strangers NOTHING..She does NOT exist to strangers (or people she tends to bark at)

If you want to work with someone, figure out what her comfort zone is..that is the zone where she does NOT react. So get a friend who's willing to help out..approach, as soon as the dog reacts, turn around and back up to the point where there is NO reaction..Walk in circles, go thru your obed commands, reward for being quiet..keep her moving in her comfort zone.

(I would have the person helping you to stand in one spot and not move at the beginning of this and NO staring or watching the dog, tell them to ignore her, give them a newspaper to read

Also have on hand HIGH VALUE treats (hotdogs, chicken whatever, used ONLY during these times and for good behavior)...

You want to start closing that "zone",,it could take doing this daily for short intervals, and I would say best with no other distractions.

As you close the "zone", and keep rewarding for good behavior,,hopefully you get to a point where you can stop, have her sit/.down/stand whatever, and start carrying on a conversation with your "helper"...If she shows interest in the person, FINE,,as long as she is quiet, your "helper" has her still on IGNORE...Have him toss random treats, (the high value stuff),,still ignoring..let her call the shots..

IF she's a food hog, she's going to start seeing those "strangers hands" as a FOOD dispenser..

I wouldn't push strangers on her or allow them to pet her, stare at her, she's obviously reacting out of fear/i'm gonna get you and if I bark enough you'll back off..

Using a clicker to mark her good behaviors is also a big plus..you click, you reward, she learns to associate the click with YOU getting a good behavior from her and SHE gets rewarded for it..

Just some ideas