Dog barking outside

[HippyMoon]

We have a scared rescue who we adopted in March. She used to bark in the garden every time she went outside and it took her a while to learn to come when called. I would say she now barks in the garden 50% of the time, and comes inside within 30 seconds of being asked to, every single time, which is fantastic progress. However, we'd ideally not want her to be barking in the garden at all - it's not play barking (which she does sometimes do with her sister), it's barking because she sees something and wants to alert us.

Our current method is getting her in the minute she begins to bark at something and telling her no. Obviously we've done something right due to her listening and the barking halving, but she does still bark in the garden. Is this forever, or is there something else we can try?

Breed-wise she is a rescue from Hungary, we think she is a Kuvasz cross Mudi, so sheepdog/german shepardy.

Have you tried impulse training, and training her not to bark?

We used to have a barker. Every single time he went into the garden he barked. Every time he barked we bought him in immediately (within 5 seconds of the first bark)
He still barked every single time. For nearly 10 years.
Our dog now never barks. Perhaps once a month if that.
I think sometimes it's just breed/genetics.

Is she in the garden alone or are you with her? Does she have to go in the garden? Our Romanian rescue is on constant alert to danger and warns us abiut everything. He has got a lot better in the house and will only bark roughly twice when someone walks past or he hears a car door open or close. He doesnt go in our yard because he is scared of it for some reason but that is fine he is happy with his 3 walks a day.

You could try desentisation. Basically, you’d need to stay with her outside for say 5-15 minutes at a time, multiple times throughout the day (whenever you can - just little and often). Ideally, don’t let her in the garden unless you’re going to be out there with her, while you’re training for this. Or at least as much as possible.

When she hears a noise, give her a treat as long as she’s not barking. If she barks, say “quiet” and reward the second she is quiet. You then try to build duration and reward her when she’s quiet around sounds for longer and longer.

Over time, this should help her to ignore typical sounds as well as learning to be quiet on command.

Another thing you can do is play games with her outside and do tRick training outside and so on, so that she doesn’t associate being in the garden with purely being on guard. Playing with her should cause normal noises to become background noise for her, if that makes sense, because she’ll be learning to focus on something else.

I had this problem with my dog when I adopted him too. He would bark at every single sound outside the window. I used the steps above and it’s helped so much. I’d say he barks 70% less, so quite a lot of change! Pretty much only barks at noises near the front door now. Good luck!

@whatisthisinhere

Have you tried impulse training, and training her not to bark?

By impulse training do you mean this kind of thing? www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/teaching-your-pup-self-control/

If so yes - sit and wait every time for meals, she knows settle, leave it, wait etc, and we use commands even when we don't need to in order to keep her trained. Not sure how we'd apply this to barking though. We tell her no barking but I'm not sure if she gets it.

@uppidydoodah

We used to have a barker. Every single time he went into the garden he barked. Every time he barked we bought him in immediately (within 5 seconds of the first bark) He still barked every single time. For nearly 10 years. Our dog now never barks. Perhaps once a month if that. I think sometimes it's just breed/genetics.

This sums her up! She's in every single time she barks even once. Might just be the breed I suppose!

@Hellocatshome

Is she in the garden alone or are you with her? Does she have to go in the garden? Our Romanian rescue is on constant alert to danger and warns us abiut everything. He has got a lot better in the house and will only bark roughly twice when someone walks past or he hears a car door open or close. He doesnt go in our yard because he is scared of it for some reason but that is fine he is happy with his 3 walks a day.

In the garden alone or with her sister. She still has fear around walks where we might bump into people and fear of the car so the garden is unfortunately where she gets most of her exercise.

Tbf she doesn't bark at every sound anymore, but does still bark half the time, which is obviously an issue.

@dustofneptune

You could try desentisation. Basically, you’d need to stay with her outside for say 5-15 minutes at a time, multiple times throughout the day (whenever you can - just little and often). Ideally, don’t let her in the garden unless you’re going to be out there with her, while you’re training for this. Or at least as much as possible.

When she hears a noise, give her a treat as long as she’s not barking. If she barks, say “quiet” and reward the second she is quiet. You then try to build duration and reward her when she’s quiet around sounds for longer and longer.

Over time, this should help her to ignore typical sounds as well as learning to be quiet on command.

Another thing you can do is play games with her outside and do tRick training outside and so on, so that she doesn’t associate being in the garden with purely being on guard. Playing with her should cause normal noises to become background noise for her, if that makes sense, because she’ll be learning to focus on something else.

I had this problem with my dog when I adopted him too. He would bark at every single sound outside the window. I used the steps above and it’s helped so much. I’d say he barks 70% less, so quite a lot of change! Pretty much only barks at noises near the front door now. Good luck!

Thank you, we'll give this a go! This is a great idea.

In the garden alone or with her sister. She still has fear around walks where we might bump into people and fear of the car so the garden is unfortunately where she gets most of her exercise.

I think unfortunately you are going to have to be in the garden with her at leastbfir now so she feels more secure and also so you can treat good behaviour such as being quiet or stopping barking on command.

@Hellocatshome

In the garden alone or with her sister. She still has fear around walks where we might bump into people and fear of the car so the garden is unfortunately where she gets most of her exercise.

I think unfortunately you are going to have to be in the garden with her at leastbfir now so she feels more secure and also so you can treat good behaviour such as being quiet or stopping barking on command.

Sounds like it doesn't it! We'll start the desentisation training idea above from tomorrow. She learns quickly so hopefully it goes ok!