Daisy being ghastly with barking and guarding

[saffronwblue]

I know I have posted about this before. Daisy, 10 month now lab/border collie cross is just getting harder and harder in the evenings. Tonight I had a friend over and daisy barked constantly so that we really couldn't talk. I paid Daiz attention, I ignored her, I put her in the crate, I gave her a bone - she just barked and barked. She has a really sharp bark that goes through your head and it just about ruined the evening.
She has decided that she has to guard the dishwasher. If anyone goes near it she gets in between and barks and growls. We are trying to ignore and praising behaviour that is good, but nothing seems to be working. Today she had two short walks and a long ball chasing session off lead in the park so I really thought she had had enough exercise to be relaxed in the evening.
I would be so grateful for any advice.

Bumping as we have had quite a tough weekend despite lots of exercise and play. I am going to get a trainer in but would appreciate any advice to get us through the interim.

I'm not an expert and I don't know about guarding but something struck me re the barking incident. You said that whilst she was barking she got attention, ignored, put in her crate and given a bone. That's 3 out of 4 things happened whilst she was barking that were good (I include putting her in her crate as a good thing as it meant you were interacting with her).

I'd say you need to practice your ignoring skills!

Thanks, MotherJack and fair comment. I was just so desperate for her to shut up relax and embarassed that I could not have a normal evening talking to my friend that I just tried everything I could think of.
I have put in a call to a dog trainer.

I do hope that you live in an isolated location, saffron.

We are currently being subjected to a neighbours puppy who yaps all night disturbing the whole street - and in particular, my DC who need their sleep and are going to school sleep-deprived and exhausted.

So hope you will be able to sort this out ASAP for all concerned.

Fargate that sounds awful for you and poor DCs. We are not isolated but once we go to bed D does not bark - it is all about getting excited around us. It is times like dinner time or the morning with people rushing around getting ready for school that sets her off.
I am now sifting through all the different dog trainers on the net, their philosophies and wide ranging prices!

Knowing what I know now, I would only go with either APDT trainers APDT, or those with the same philosophy and a shed load of proven cases behind them. In the meantime, I would recommend you buy "The Culture Clash" by Jean Donaldson. I was recommended it on here. I honestly wish I had read it years ago.

It's unpleasant when any neighbour has a problem. I do hope yours understand you are trying to work towards a solution, Saffron.

I do totally get the hope and desire for an evening talking without interruption. Ain't puppies cute (It's one of the reasons why I'm a sucker for the oldies )

fargate I am very grateful that I have such fantastic neighbours. I have a 14 week old pup who has issues with barking at night. He barked from 4.15 this morning until 4.50 when I got up, and that was a good night for us he also has a loud bark, not a little yap. This has now gone on for 4 weeks.

They have said not to worry about disturbing them, he will 'get it' eventually, and they know that the noise is actually much worse for me and my kids, and we are being disturbed even more.

They were the same when my kids were babies and cried at night.

However, neither have I moaned about the late night parties thrown by their teenage daughter while they were away, or the drunken BBQs everytime the sun comes out. We haven't mentioned DIY noise from them, and they ignored the DIY noise from us.

Unless you live in a detached house surrounded by land, you have to accept that neighbours produce noise, as will you. I am sure they are even more eager to sort out the barking than you are