Puppy alert barking!

[Hightideattheseaside]

My 4.5 month old lab puppy has started barking at people walking past our gate. We’re at the end of a road so doesn’t happen often but it’s wrought iron so she can see right through. She’s been in the garden loads due to the weather.

I call her to me or take her in when she does this. She’s still fairly small but sounds loud and intimidating! What can I do for this? I don’t want a dog that scares people. She’s so soft when people come in the garden she just wants fuss but people obviously don’t know that at first. And if it carries on it will get worse as labs aren’t exactly small dogs.

I don’t know many people so don’t really have a supply of friends that I can get to parade past the gate while I stuff her with treats. Any tips gratefully received!

Block her view from the gate. Can you put something on the gate so that she cannot see through it.

I could try but it’s a short gate so she will still see people over the top of it.

If you can rope in friends or neighbours to walk past - arrange via text. Then be outside with her, and get her to focus on you as they walk past - look at me. Treat and repeat. Soon she'll look to you instead of barking and you'll have broken the association.

Will the gate need to be replaced as she gets bigger anyway - I guess she will be able to jump over it soon .

I would not worry about focus just when people appear so does the best treat in the world. Think Palov, bell rings (actually it was a metronome, a bell was never used!) food appears.
I also am assuming that if it is a lowish gate she can not be in the garden unsupervised so whenever she starts to bark throw a treat onto the floor.

No you are not rewarding her for barking , you are changing her behaviour when she sees the trigger. Soon she will work out see people go to you for a treat. (especially if a lab, clever and food motivated )

In this day and age I’d be more concerned about her being too accessible to a thief than whether she barks , only takes a few seconds for someone to reach over and grab her if the gate is fairly low .

agree with Polly. as soon as the barking is triggered, call her to you ro her basket and start dropping a few small treats. get somebody come to the gate, to help practise with.

also, if you're not averse to a little stick with your carrot, water pistol.....

@oldwhyno

agree with Polly. as soon as the barking is triggered, call her to you ro her basket and start dropping a few small treats. get somebody come to the gate, to help practise with.

also, if you're not averse to a little stick with your carrot, water pistol.....

Ohhh I dont give commands to basket or recall to me. It is important not to.

Just person is here so treat appears.

I would never ever use a water pistol

She’s not unsupervised as I’m sat by back door working while she is mooching in the garden. But the way the gate is positioned you only see people last minute. And as I’m working she notices them first and starts barking which is why I have to call her back to me. I don’t think she’d be able to jump it as it’s a curved gate that comes up to my chest. But I may have to replace it if she shows signs of jumping (none yet).

I guess I’ll just have to keep her in when Im working as I can’t get the treats to her in time. A shame as she loves to bask in the sun. Then I guess just have treats with me to throw down at other times and try and get people to walk past.

If you start with the treats when you are out with her and then gradually increase your distance from the gate she will more than likely see the people and then come to you for the treat even if you are a distance away. Hoefully even when you are indoors if she can see you.

I didn’t suggest she was unsupervised , an 8 yr old spaniel went missing near us that was in a front garden while it’s owner was gardening out the front , a van stopped and grabbed her . Fortunately they got her back after about 10 days of mass publicity .