Re: Barking is out of control

In Reply to: Barking is out of control
Category:   Barking
Posted by:  Jonna
Posted on:  November 15, 2002 at 17:54:27

: I have ready many posts on this subject so it's nice to know I'm not alone. I truly appreciate the hunting nature of my pup and don't mind that he barks to alert me to things. But when I say Quiet, it should mean Quiet. My neighbors have been very tolerant so far but it won't last forever. (I live in a condo). He barks at EVERYTHING!!! I will be calling on his original trainer for some new excersizes, since what I've been doing hasn't worked. (rewarding for quiet, teaching to bark, the whole shibang).
: I was curious how you all felt about the anti-barking collars. Not the zappy ones. They scare me. If I wouldn't wear one I can't expect my dog to. But I have seen ones that make a loud noice or have a bad smell. I wanted something that will help in the training of the Quiet command and some have a remote so I control when they work. I DON'T want to stop his barking all together. He needs to be a jack ... he just needs to learn to be a quiet jack when mommy says so.
: I am very leary about these items. I want to do what is best for my dog. Any words of wisdom?

Response:

Hi Jonna,

The only kind of anti-barking collar I've used is a 'zappy' one, and it worked. I have one adult terrier who's a mindless barker (barks to hear herself bark) and she was setting all the other terriers off for no reason whatsoever. She was, in essence, teaching the other terriers bad habits. We used an Inotek collar for about a week (remote control) and it broke the habit. Now she only barks for good reasons.

I would not recommend using this type of collar on a young pup though. Have you tried simply walking away & ignoring the terrier when he starts barking? Jack Russells love being the center of attention, and oftentimes ignoring them gets results. It seems like "rewarding" him for being quiet would be counter-productive. He'd learn that bark = treats & attention. Just my thoughts.

Best,
Judy