1 year old dog suddenly barking more

[Toddlerdogwoes]

My beautiful gorgeous boy is being a bit intense and odd and getting worse. He's been barking manically at two dog types while out walking - no incidents or obvious reasons for reacting to these breeds. I try to treat as soon as I see them but sometimes he'll spot one first and then start barking like mad. He'll calm down and shake it off but then he's really off - trigger stacked?
Plus he barks at everyone who goes past and goes mad if the door rings/ he sees a pigeon outside or hears next door dog. Also past few days has starting manically barking at us when eating as he wants some. I don't give in but treat him with food when he stops barking. He's 15 months now and was castrated at 9 months. Could it be waning testosterone causing fear? I love him so much but the barking earlier made me cry. At which point he jumped up and started licking me and looked all worried. Like I say he's a sweetheart. Is there any good distraction I could try or just really home in on settle training ? Exhausting though it is to have endless treats ready at all times and accessible. I'm knackered and peri menopause is killing me so I'm not feeling myself. Maybe I'll ask GP for testosterone gel and give me and the dog some....
Thanks for reading. Just helps to get it out that I'm worrying. He's had a vet check recently and eating and drinking well - needs to lose a little weight but shiny coat and bright eyes. He's fabulous but doesn't seem A1 happy.

What breed is he? Some breeds are barkier than others.

He's also bang in the middle of his teenage phase which is a really tough time for most dog owners.

Is there a reason you castrated him so young?

Don't give the dog testosterone gel without a vets being involved.

Are you on the Dog training advice and support Facebook page. A few have similar names but one is run by behaviourists and trainers and has really good information available.

Can you afford a behaviourist? If you are really struggling to stop this behaviour, it might be best to do this soon.

Does sound like it could be trigger stacking. If hevis constantly, get stressed about noises outside, a walk may just be too much on a bad day.

What breed is he?

The vet advised he could be done at that age and id read so much conflicting advice I went with it. He's obviously being adorable this morning and super cuddly. I think a lot is fear so I'm going to ramp up settle training and he responds well to treats so I'm sure it'll be ok. I was just emotional and overwhelmed last night and as expected most dog work falls to me. He's going out with dog Walker today. We use her from time to time. She's a neighbour and also grooms him so he will LOVE that and have a good run about. He's a terrier by the way.

Unfortunately terriers are known for being pretty yappy - I've never ever met a quiet one

At home I would try and avoid all triggers - so while you can't stop people knocking at the door, you can hide his view out of the window (blinds, curtains or window film) so minimise what he can bark at.

Don't let him in the garden unsupervised - go out with him on a lead and if he barks, bring him straight back inside so he learns that barking stops the fun.

When you're eating can you pre-empt the behaviour and give him a chew or something as a distraction and keep him settled in his bed or crate. Ours knows "bed!" as a command which means "go and lie down on the sofa" basically. He does that while we eat. It means getting up him and returning him a lot at first but it was well worth it in the long run

@Yesiknowitsacrossbreed I was joking about the testosterone gel. I'd never give him anything without vet prescribing. I was trying and failing to be dry and humorous. Apologies.

I'm on the FB group so will have a read again of modules. He's currently throwing tug toy to me and wants to play. We love him so much!

It's a tough age

Keep up with the treats, try very hard to keep calm and appear relaxed at all the things he is not relaxed about. I know that's hard when you feel like crying

I try to treat as soon as I see them but sometimes he'll spot one first and then start barking like mad

Have a think about the order you're doing this in. It reads like it happens in this order:

1. You see another dog but your dog does not see them
2. You treat your dog
3. Your dog eats the treats
4. Your dog spots the other dog

This is the wrong order (sorry!). What this does is risk your dog thinking treats are an indicator that another dog is present. So treats start to become a "get ready to react" sign.

What you want is this:

1. You spot the other dog and mentally prep yourself, plan how to keep a distance from them, but otherwise do not react
2. Your dog spots the other dog
3. You give your dog a treat
4. Your dog eats the treat

In this order, the other dog becomes a sign that treats are coming and - eventually - rather than worry about the other dog, your own dog sees them and then looks straight to you for the treat.

At first, your dog will bark after step 1, but perservere. Try not to ever get too close to the other dog so the greater distance you can achieve, the better. It just helps ensure your dog is a bit calmer and in a better state to eat the treat you offer. Repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat. It takes a lot of repetitions sometimes.

Don't feel bad or sad about cutting a walk short if you've both had some stress, such as already getting past one or two dogs. Much better to have short walks that you both enjoy than longer ones that end with you crying and the dog worried and stressed by it all. It's not failing to do an about turn and go straight home if you feel yourself getting overwhelmed.

And, as pp said, terriers do like to bark. It's their thing . So expect some level of barking forever, though they do tend to calm down a little as they mature. In the end, you'll miss the barking. We lost our little JRT last year (known as Barky McBarkface) and now her barking is nothing but a bunch of funny stories we tell to remember her by.