To not want to use an Anti-barking collar on my 10 month old pup ?

[Elmofan]

A neighbour from the back of us has just knocked in to threaten to report my pup for barking ...
I'm home all day with my pups ( i have two cockers) they are mostly kept indoors with me but whenever i let them out to play in the back garden one of them goes nuts barking at everything . He is a very anxious dog , very nervous . I have tried the quick spray of water whenever he barks but this does nothing he carries on running and barking like its a game
Its only for 10 minutes at a time, she says her husband works nights . I was very apologetic
my dogs sleep indoors and are put in bed at 9pm each night .
I'm upset and i rang my local vet & pet store for advice .. option one is very expensive training which we just can not afford right now and the other is an anti barking collar also expensive and cruel IMO :(
Any other ideas ?

Sorry what?! Dogs are not important what a sweeping statement! Wh
At about the guide dog who assists in crossing the road The hearing dog that alerts its owner to the smoke alarm the assistant dogs that are trained to do household tasks for those with disablities, the pet dog that allows an autistic child to be less isolated!

Sorry dogs even pet dogs are important!

He really is a clever boy ... Not a peep out of him since this morning ... i have let him out the back & through an opened kitchen window i have shhheach time he seems like he is going to kick off ... he stops immediately and looks towards me then lies down .. i go out and give them a treat then & lots of cuddles
fingers crossed this lasts

Would a DAP collar help?

Sorry - posted too soon - it's a pheromone collar that helps calm nervous or high strung dogs.

[[http://www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/adaptil-dog-appeasing-pheromone-collar-for-dogs DAP collar]

DAP collar

Well Naught I meant pet dogs. Working dogs are another issue. And all highly trained.

Pet dogs allowed to bark uncontrolled - or crap in the streets or the parks, anywhere except the owner's gardens - are a nuisance and in the case of crapping in the park a danger to children.

And they are less important than children, which is where I came in!

christ imagine having citronella plunged up your nose every time you spoke! I'd find that fucking torturous and I don't have anywhere near the number of smell receptors as a dog has.

I have no experience of dogs, in fact I am bloody scared of the things from being badly bitten by an out of control Alsatian at the age of seven.

However I see dogs as living things. It is not reasonable to treat a dog cruelly or expect a dog to be 100% silent. Neighbours need to give and take a little bit. Allowing a dog to play out in the garden late afternoon maybe a compromise. Certainly long term the dog needs to be trained when it's appriopiate to bark.

Neighbours need to give and take a little bit.

Exactly - a little bit. A lot less than if it was children. That's all I meant and I stand by it.

The thing is though, I don't like dogs barking...I purposefully pick the dog at a rescue centre that isn't barking or breeds not usually know to be particularly barky.

But a dog barking at a cat for a few minutes isn't really as big of a noise nuisance as children playing out all summer for instance.

So they're not really comparable anyway.

The situation the OP is describing, while not desirable isn't really up there with a dog that's out all day barking at everything that happens.

Andrew you've not actually added much here have you I don't think you did say that neighbours need to give and take a little bit with dogs - just that dogs are shit and kids are great. Very helpful.

andrew did you read the bit about pets that act as companion dogs for autistic children?

My sister has sevre depression and anxiety she wouldnt be alive without her pet dog that acts as a therepy dog, just an pet dog from dogs trust but means everything to her! My niece has classical autism didn't speak until she was 7 again without her pet dog that's been with her since she was 4! She's now 15! Neither of them would speak interact with anyone without their dogs! Neither are trained working dogs!

Now tell me dogs even pet aren't important!

I did Naught and your stories worry me. What is the use of letting anyone get so dependent on a "companion" which (barring tragedy) is going to die long, long before they do?

In any event: whatever the reason for keeping a pet, it can't be allowed to bark and bark and bark in a semi or flat; or to shit in the streets or the park unless cleaned up. Can it?

Er for quality of life now?! Maybe! To see my niece smile and actually be part of this world is the most incredable thing and I'm Aspergers myself and don't get facial expressions bit her smile is the most bloody beautiful thing in the world.

My sister well it allows her to function to fulfil her immense protential she's at Oxford able to study and probably add more to this world, but without her dog then at best she'd be recluse at worse not here or in hospital.

I seriously suggest you read up on the value of companion dogs!

Ok actually another value to pets a neurotypical relative of mine's best friend died very suddenly, and I mean best friend inseparable, the grief showed up very large issues in his marriage that then collapsed dramatically, his dog got all the tears and the how did we end up here's while he put on a brave face for his children the dog stayed with his ex and the children it sadly passed while he was out of the country working a short time after. Does he regret it, no because the reality is the dog imporoved his and his children's lives at the time!

Right so we shouldn't be dependant on human companions either then because my friend died when he was 33, leaving his 31 year old partner, my mothers first boyfriend died at 18 she's now 60. My best friend as a child died when we were 12. All of them had compaions that out lived them by a long way! So erm no different to out living a dog actually worse than out living a dog! Oh and all three deaths were natral causes! No illness.

As for the shitting in parks that's the fucking owners faults and there are laws and fines that make it illegal not to clean up but some people are going to ignore them like they do every other bloody law! Barking most dogs don't bark insessently like I said earlier those that bark like that are often in distress themselves because their owners are neglecting them! Again a human causimg the problem not the dog!

Do not use this you will never forgive yourself. Unless you are cruel.

I Am so glad you are taking your neighbour's complaints seriously. It is difficult for dog lovers to understand how distressing and distracting a barking neighbour's dog can be.
Good luck with humane training of your wee dog

And i completely agree in the great scheme dogs are NOT important compared with humans.
However I have never allowed my children to screech and scream in the garden for ten minutes at a time

I can vouch for how soul destroying it is to listen to someone else's dog bark for hours on end - however in my case it is my neighbour's dog whilst they work long hours and pop home at lunch to let it out for a quick pee. Poor thing is so bored and fed up but the noise just goes through me some days. In your case you are at home so this is not the same issue. Do they really need to go out every hour? I would ask your neighbour for their sleeping times and not let your dog out the back during these hours but take him for a quick run somewhere else instead. Are you home home or do you work from home?

littleredriding actually that's a good point both my sister and my nieces dogs show more emotional intellengence and compassion than andrew! Like I've said neither of them are trained working dogs just pets! Does that mean andrew isn't as important as them!

they are very very valuable and important little creatures!

I haven't read whole thread.

I am a qualified trainer though, and will help as much as I can for nowt, let me know where you are. Sounds like everyone is a bit stressed.

I keep my emotional intelligence and compassion for my own species and especially for children. I have never harmed a dog and never would - except in defence of myself or any other human being - but they are not part of anyone's family in the sense that humans are, and if you prefer canine to human company that says a lot about you and nothing about anybody else.

I agree with Andrew. While dogs are a nice companion to have in the family, they are not as important as children which. They are considered property, which is an extension of you. A dog barking is no different than if you were to blast your stereo in the middle of the night. If you can't keep your dog under control, then you need to give them to someone who can.

That said, there are easy ways to teach your dog not to bark.

1. Always go outside with them, have them on a leash. They are puppies after all and need to know the rules.
2. When dog barks, promptly remove him and take him inside. Let him back out only when he's calmed down.

If that doesn't work:

1. He barks anyway, teach him to bark on command. If you know he's going to bark say "Speak" when he barks give a treat.
2. Then teach him "Quiet". Tell him to be quiet when you know he'll be done barking, and give him a treat.

That way he only barks on command, and it's a cute trick to get him to say "hello" to the neighbor kids. :)

If he's anxious, show him you're alpha (as well as training him about barking) so he feels more secure. Dogs need a hierarchy, if you are not alpha they will assume the role and that will stress them out as they cannot control you or tell you what to do. I did this with my anxious dog and it worked wonders. I suggest you use lots of treats, it helps.

1. Never let them enter or leave the house before you. Enter first, and make them sit then enter.
2. Go to every room in the house, make them sit at each entry way as you entered and only allow them to enter at your permission.
3. Make them "earn" their food by sitting before you put the food down and only eating when you say "ok".
4. Only allow them on your lap/couch/bed on your permission. If they paw up, or jump up for snuggles, tell them to lay down. Then allow them up when you want them there.

Remember, dogs are animals not your kids. They can only behave as well as a dog will let them, and they need to be trained like a dog not a child who can reason and think for themselves.

Your not being very compassionate or emotionally intellegent about the needs of your own species andrew I was talking about the needs of your own species those who are autistic or of have other health problems!

They clearly get more understanding from their dogs than they do you!

Pack hierarchy is a load of bollocks. Thinking of someone racing to each room to get there before their dog so they can then say "come in" is pretty funny though