How to train the new dog not to bark (back) at neighbours dogs

[LimitIsUp]

I have a new rescue from Romania (aged about 18 months) - this is day 3. She's lovely in many respects, but she will run up to the perimeter fence and bark at the neighbours' dogs and they will bark back. Often they will initiate the barking and she will respond (its definitely two way). I have two other dogs (6 and 14) who will also bark but are very obedient and will stop within seconds when I shush them. The rescue dog is more persistent - looks at me quizzically, and carries on. At the moment I am taking her indoors when she barks - but its a pain, I want to be able to enjoy the garden with the dogs without having to resort to going back indoors when she starts barking at the neighbours dogs.

I'm a bit rusty on training and can't remember what I did to get my other dogs so compliant!

Just done a spot of quick googling and came across this:

"Do not reinforce your dogs bad behaviour by shouting, giving it attention, encouraging it or praising it for barking. Totally ignore it when it barks, turn your back, avoid eye contact and walk away. Dogs do not like to be ignored so he will do what he can to get your attention even if it means barking more or he has to stop barking."

^^ This is sooo not going to work. I could ignore and walk away and she would happily keep it up for ages. NDN would definitely not tolerate this (she's one of those with breath taking double standards who will not tolerate any noise from us, whilst completely oblivious to the fact that she frequently blights our live with her excessive noise)

Any advice on training her not to do this?

[LimitIsUp]

.

[LimitIsUp]

Anyone?

[BiteyShark]

When mine was younger and would bark at everything in the garden I used to give a 'ah ha' type command to interrupt the behaviour but if that didn't work I would bring him straight back into the house. He doesn't bark much at all outside. If he does happen to get startled by anything or try and join in a conversation with another dog it's straight back in.

Yes it's a pain to keep bringing them in but mine soon got the idea that outside fun stops when he obsessively barks.

[Booboostwo]

You are right ignoring the barking is not likely to work because the dog is making her own fun when barking and will just continue to do so.

Giving commands to stop barking won’t work either because you haven’t trained the command.

What you need to do is disrupt the unwanted behavior and then you have an opportunity to reward the desired behavior. If you can stop the dog from going to the fence to bark in the first place, so use her name and recall her then reward her as she comes to you. If the recall doesn’t work yet use some really nice, smelly food to distract her attention from the fence and reward her for paying you attention.

If you can’t stop her from going to the fence you need a really nice treat that will draw back her attention from the barking, then as she comes for the treat click and treat her.

Try to work on her training with the barking dogs as a distraction. So you won’t be able to sit in the garden to relax for a little while,instead you will be engaging the dog in training and play sessions.

As she begins to get the idea and stops barking you can start adding a voice command to the behavior.

[LimitIsUp]

Thank you Bitey and Booboo

[jinxpixie]

If you can distract and prevent the barking then yes that would be great but to be honest that may be too hard to do at the moment. You have a new dog, new environment and as yet not any training history with the dog. This of course will come.

You are have way there if she is looking at you as she barks (clever girly you want to use this focus)

Do you use a clicker? If so have the dog close to you and every time the neighbours dog barks click and treat your dog. Be close to your dog do not recall, do not say anything just give her the tasty treat.

We are aiming for a pavlo dog reaction, neighbours dog barks and she will come running to you for a treat. This is not rewarding the barking, this is marking the neighbours dog barking with a treat.

She may bark to initiate the neighbours dog barking but then she will come back to you for a treat.This will take time but not long in a day or two she will be turning back to you for the treat as soon as she hears the dog bark.

Make it easy for her by always having great treats and also being close to her. You may need to have distance from the neighbours dog to start with.

If you dont use a clicker just treat her everytime the dog barks in the same way.

[LimitIsUp]

Thanks jinxpixie

[Funf]

Some dogs its just in them ours is the reverse never balks when out as she is a hunting breed. Some dogs are designed to bark, some are in the middle

[helpwithpuppyplease]

When your dog barks say 'quiet' and as soon as it stops barking (even just a pause) treat it.
Do it every time and soon it should stop barking when you say 'quiet'

[billybagpuss]

Ours barks at the door which is opposite the stairs, so we have trained ‘on your step’ so she has something else to do other than bark. Lockdown has been difficult as there is much more activity outside and her usual routine in disrupted but having the step as her safe quiet place has been good, we call it the good girl step.