[Feather]

My girl has found her voice.

Barking at strangers walking past, fine. Barking at strange cars pulling up outside our house, also fine. Barking at me walking home along the road, odd but okay, I can deal with it. Barking at rubbish bins on the footpath on bin night, I can sort of understand.

Barking at next door's dog, who she sees most of every day, and the neighbours themselves, who she sees at least twice every day, I am puzzled by. It's a real alarm bark, not just random "look at me" noise. What's going on in her little 15 week old head and how can I stop it?

 

[car2ner]

My gal dog does a "Hey, where are you come on out" bark at my neighbors. Annoying but harmless. When my neighbor's old gal GSD comes to the fence it becomes a more aggressive bark. Then the old gal slowly moves away and my gal-dog changes to a more excited bark. The old gal does it on purpose and seems disappointed my gal-dog isn't there to play her noiseful game. It is like the old gal is the queen of the fence game. My neighbor and I both watched this behavior a few times and agree, the old gal starts it and my dog falls for her ploy every single time. It is something to do with the fence. It gives them bravery to " talk smack" with each other.

I personally don't like it, too much noise and my gal gets over excited running back and and barking. I would consider using a long line for correction and instruction but I don't want the leash wrapping around the legs of my big-boy who used to play nicely at the fence with the neighbor's old gal. From him he use to do a play bow and they did some synchronized bouncing before she moved off bored. This is about the only time I'd even given an e-collar on my gal-dog serious thought.


If your pup does anything like mine did growing up, they will bark at strange things to test them. Once tested they might be ignored. Even this week, my big-boy barked at a new sign put up along a road we frequently walk along. Once tested it became a none issue. It was fun watching them respond to new things. A confident woof is good. Always barking at the neighbor might take some teaching. What might you want her to do instead? An alert bark and then run to you for a treat and a down stay? At her age the down stay will have to be short but it might be worth a try.

 

[Nurse Bishop]

Google 'teach stop barking command'. We don't allow BS barking. Inga will bark alarm bark any time she sees something out of order on this ranch. Such as a wild hog or coyote crossing the pastures, humans down on the road or when someone drives up.When she barks the true alarm bark- we go check it out and then say good girl, Enough.

 

[Sabis mom]

Nuisance barking is not allowed in my house. Shadow is welcome to bark at the derelicts in the alley or the weirdos hanging out/hiding behind the garage. She may alert me to strange goings on, or a knock at the door. She may not bark at the neighbors, the neighbors dogs, birds, squirrels, leaves or the wind. I do let her howl with the sirens. My command/cue to cease the noise is " I got it". She gets one free bark after that, because most shepherds are afflicted with last word syndrome, and then she goes in the house. ANY nuisance barking gets yard privileges suspended.

It doesn't matter why they do it, most municipalities have noise/barking laws so nip it in the bud. I have lived in this house for 2 years and one of my neighbors informed me the other night that she did not know I had a dog until her husband mentioned it. I like that.

 

[Nurse Bishop]

Hey, Inga does the one last little bark thing too woof