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Original poster

Urgent help needed - barking dog

38 replies

Pineapplemonkey · 15/12/2023 21:39

I’m usually over on the puppy thread but this is such a huge problem I feel I need to cast my net wider, I am at the end of my tether and just want to cry.

Pineapplepup is 18wks old, female mini schnauzer. We’ve got through the uncontrollable biting, the toilet training , lead walking difficulties and eating issues, I thought we were doing pretty well now, but the last few days, beyond awful.
She just will not stop barking. This isn’t a bit of yapping or being a bit chatty, it’s full blown, ear splitting barking interspersed with loud howling. She goes to the patio doors when she needs to go out in the garden, the second I open the door, the barking starts and she runs to the bottom of the garden whilst barking and just doesn’t stop. I must be driving the neighbours mental. I go into the garden with her each time and the only way I can get her to stop is to pick her up and take her back inside. Then of course she never actually gets to do what she went out there to do. Any minute now she will pee or poo on my floor because of this. She’s also intermittently doing the same barking indoors. The odd occasion she goes outside and doesn’t bark, the minute she hears any noise such as another dog barking in the distance, she starts up with her barking.

This cannot go on, it’s literally breaking me, I have a permanent headache from the noise. I just don’t know what to do.

She’s healthy, well fed on high quality food, she sleeps well, is walked, kept occupied with her many toys and is never left alone.

I’ve got an appointment with a behaviourist in a weeks time (free with my pet insurance) but I’m struggling to make it to the end of today, I can’t go on like this for another week- any helpful suggestions welcome.

OP posts:
cryinglaughing · 15/12/2023 21:52

No help but mini schnauzers are notorious for being yappy dogs 🙉
Hope your behaviourist can be of some help.

tomatoontoast · 15/12/2023 21:56

A bark collar changed the game with our dog.

A few barks and a couple of corrections and the issue was resolved.

IngGenius · 15/12/2023 21:57

In the short time dont let her charge down the garden.

Have her on a lead and calmly walk into the garden.

margotrose · 15/12/2023 23:19

Put her on a lead so she physically can't run out to bark.

yellowduckling1 · 15/12/2023 23:41

margotrose · 15/12/2023 23:19

Put her on a lead so she physically can't run out to bark.

This! My uncle has one and it barks relentlessly also!

pponk · 15/12/2023 23:45

I've never met a none barky schnauzer.

the collar did work a bit for me when my dog developed a habit of barking at passers by. it just makes a beep sound which puts them off their barking stride

VelvetandLace · 16/12/2023 00:33

Is there something in the garden she is barking at? A cat or squirrels perhaps?

As PP have said, I think it’s worth putting her on a lead to take her out calmly, rather than letting her burst through into the garden to rampage.

Terrrence · 16/12/2023 00:54

Wait until she is barking. Have treats ready. Wait until there is a break in the barking. Say your command word for stopping barking 'quiet' 'silence' 'finish' whatever you want and give her treats at the same time. Keep doing this when she breaks off from barking. Before long she will understand that whenever you say that command you want her to stop barking. This worked really quickly on my dog and he would not win any training awards. Don't try it when she is running round the garden bathing as she won't be able to focus on you. Wait until she is inside, barking at a cat passing your house or whatever sets her off indoors.

margotrose · 16/12/2023 07:55

Mini schnauzers are notoriously yappy and barky so you are going to be working against their breed instincts to some extent.

I have a beagle and he used to behave in a very similar way - the only solution was to put him on the lead and physically go out with him, and bring him inside every time he started up. He's five now and I genuinely can't remember the last time he barked in the garden!

FloofCloud · 16/12/2023 08:10

I have a 20 month old Samoyed and they're notorious woofers. We did as above, took her out on the lead first thing when she always needed a wee and said shisshhhh shusshhh go wee wees - now every morning f we say the same and she goes out quietly and has a wee
The rest of the time she's still woofie and we're working on that by ignoring her and turning away from her - it'll be a long process. They do calm down a bit as they get older

FloofCloud · 16/12/2023 08:13

... oh and we call her in from the garden if she woofs and tell her no, when she comes in with out barking she gets a treat 'good girl not woofing'
We also teach her to bark on command 'speak' and when she woofs she gets a treat ... so 'no speak' when she barks

tinymeteor · 16/12/2023 08:27

Some good advice on here. It won’t change overnight but you can train for calmer behaviour. Just to add: make sure you’re not reinforcing the behaviour yourself. If you yell at her for barking she will just think you’re all barking together. Be quiet yourself, distract and divert her into other behaviour (not easy with a bonkers puppy I know). Good luck

hiredandsqueak · 16/12/2023 08:30

We have a dog that barks at everything. Her favourite spot is by the front door as she can see through the glass. I tell her away every time and quiet before she is allowed back. It does mostly work but if it's a barky day she gets three chances before I stop her access to the front door

Original poster
Pineapplemonkey · 16/12/2023 08:48

Thank you everyone, lots of things to try.

She went out first thing and did her business and didn't bark at all. The second time she went out, she saw a security light come on several houses away and started the barking. Had to pick her up and take her in. Third time, she went on a lead. She hated it but was quiet, until she heard what sounded like a puppy somewhere in the neighbourhood and then went apoplectic so had to pull her inside where she continued to bark at the door. I then used treats and when I got a gap in the barking gave her some and said 'enough' each time.

Work in progress I think

OP posts:
margotrose · 16/12/2023 08:52

It won't change overnight, you just need to be consistent. I try not to let her in the garden off the lead and let her get to the point of ignoring you though - it will undo any good training you've done.

FigTreeInEurope · 16/12/2023 09:05

Take your dog everywhere with you everyday - if you can. I've always taken my puppies to work, and to busy town centers, on buses and trains, public parks, pavement training in a busy city. In my experience, busy, occupied dogs, that have exposure to lots of different situations, never have these kinds of behavioural issues. They really flourish with stimulation all day, every day. I've never done much actual training, just lots of exposure to life. It's a game changer in the first year of a dogs life.

Original poster
Pineapplemonkey · 16/12/2023 09:16

FigTreeInEurope · 16/12/2023 09:05

Take your dog everywhere with you everyday - if you can. I've always taken my puppies to work, and to busy town centers, on buses and trains, public parks, pavement training in a busy city. In my experience, busy, occupied dogs, that have exposure to lots of different situations, never have these kinds of behavioural issues. They really flourish with stimulation all day, every day. I've never done much actual training, just lots of exposure to life. It's a game changer in the first year of a dogs life.

I do agree with all this and do take her everywhere with me, don't have a lot of choice as it's just me and her in our home!

Probably slightly limited in the fact we are in a small town and I work from home. We don't have public transport or busy city centres but I've worked on getting her used to traffic, roadworks, people etc.

It's really just at home she's like this. She goes to my parents once a week whilst I do my one day in the office and they don't get a sound from her. She does bark a bit on walks but is usually easily stopped using distraction.

OP posts:
snottymcsnotface · 16/12/2023 09:39

FigTreeInEurope · 16/12/2023 09:05

Take your dog everywhere with you everyday - if you can. I've always taken my puppies to work, and to busy town centers, on buses and trains, public parks, pavement training in a busy city. In my experience, busy, occupied dogs, that have exposure to lots of different situations, never have these kinds of behavioural issues. They really flourish with stimulation all day, every day. I've never done much actual training, just lots of exposure to life. It's a game changer in the first year of a dogs life.

And this is why I've never had a barky guide dog puppy. Nothing is a novelty!

MatildaTheCat · 16/12/2023 09:43

Do you have foxes around your house? They drive dogs demented. Our lad would charge down the garden barking madly. Oddly he didn’t bark at all if he was on his lead so that’s what happened in antisocial hours. At other times I’d give him a minute or two before insisting he came in.

Original poster
Pineapplemonkey · 16/12/2023 09:51

MatildaTheCat · 16/12/2023 09:43

Do you have foxes around your house? They drive dogs demented. Our lad would charge down the garden barking madly. Oddly he didn’t bark at all if he was on his lead so that’s what happened in antisocial hours. At other times I’d give him a minute or two before insisting he came in.

If we do I've never seen any! I live on a small housing estate and am surrounded by other houses meaning lots of noises and lots of other dogs.
My garden is only 32ft long and 15ft wide so I can't imagine there's a lot in it that I don't know about

OP posts:
Bandolina · 16/12/2023 10:41

I'm afraid some dogs, especially some breeds, are more barky than others and I think Schnauzers are one of them
Mine is a flock guardian type so he likes to guard and that involves barking at things he perceives to be a threat unfortunately including birds, cats and the postman. He doesn't do it on walks only at home. If he was a small dog I think it would be more socially acceptable but he's big and has a big bark. He is not really an ideal dog for a terraced house but we did not know that when we rescued him.
We manage it largely by prevention as our attempts to train him not to do it have been a complete fail (DH does tend to shout at him for doing it which doesn't help)
-preventing access to the front door and the window onto the street or he would hang out there ready to bark

  • in antisocial hours if he goes out for a wee he is only allowed in the garden on a lead accompanied
  • he does usually only bark a few times (although often in a volley very loudly) and he will respond to being told quiet. He seems to feel happy to stop if we have acknowledged the alert and downgraded it!
margotrose · 16/12/2023 11:24

And this is why I've never had a barky guide dog puppy. Nothing is a novelty!

Unlike the guide dog breeds, mini schnauzers were originally bred to be ratters and are described as alert, territorial and good watchdogs. They're always going to be noisier than a Labrador no matter how much you socialise them.

Of course socialisation is really important but you do have to factor in breed when it comes to behaviour.

namestevalian · 16/12/2023 16:20

pponk · 15/12/2023 23:45

I've never met a none barky schnauzer.

the collar did work a bit for me when my dog developed a habit of barking at passers by. it just makes a beep sound which puts them off their barking stride

Total nonsense .

I have a side dog walking biz and foster lots of MS as I am involved in the groups and I'd say they are 50/50 on if they are barkers or not

You need a behaviorist NOT some cruel anti bark collar

pponk · 16/12/2023 16:22

@namestevalian how can you say its nonsense? I've never met one. have you been following me around ??

also I never suggested a cruel anti bark collar. they're banned for a reason.

namestevalian · 16/12/2023 16:24

I'm talking about it these anti bark collars ! Cruel . And very likely to cause other problematic behavior .

Yes they are MORE prone to be yappy dogs than labs but with careful management this can be dealt with .

Which is why you need a behaviorist in asap to see pup in their environment .

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