Labrador barking

[rubeelum]

She has just turned two. Gets x3 30 min (average) walks a day and spends most of the day snoozing around (we both wfh). We had two DCs who wrestle/play too.

Unfortunately our living room etc is upstairs so we look out over the street with a huge floor to ceiling window. Lab barks goes psychotic if she spots a cat, will bark at some dogs or people going by. She also will bark if the door goes. As I wfh though I am on meetings a lot and I’d like to train her to just chill out and not bark. It isn’t constant but at least 1-2 times a day. DH takes her in with him when I have meeting for now. Any tips in terms of training? Does it lessen with age?

Blurred window film up to her eyeline?

Privacy film on the windows.

You won't be able to train effectively while you're working as the timing has to be spot on, so I would just be lazy and set up the space so the dog has nothing to bark at for begin with.

Does she get any mental stimulation? Exercise is all well and good (although realistically I’d go for an hour and then a 45 minute walk - assuming this is all off lead - because thirty minutes 3 times feels a bit mean) but labs are intelligent. They need mental stimulation. It could well be she’s snoozing for lack of anything better to do but is actually beyond bored and barking is her way of entertaining herself or trying to get attention.

Try that first and then considering de-sensitisation training and positive reinforcement of her not barking. A behaviourist would help.

We got frosted window filming up to about 1/3 of the way (depending on height of your dog). The dogs trust recommended this. It has definitely helped, wouldn’t say stopped the barking completely but only minimal now. Training wise dogs trust advised as soon as the dog barks say ‘quiet’ as soon as your dog stops barking then need to reward straight away. This can take awhile and you need to be constantly on it. I can see an improvement in our dog but again not 100%.
With regards to the door try the quiet technique again but again you have to be on it. Also think accepting that a dog is a dog and they are going to bark as they are protecting their territory (again dogs trust).

I tried the frosted film on my large window , similar set up as you describe Op. dog just clambered on the sofa so she could see above the film 🤦🏻‍♀️She is many things, but not stupid 😂

I probably had more time on my hands than you do, so I sat with her and rewarded her for not barking at passing strangers. She still growls at cats and foxes but the all out barking has ceased.

Hadn’t thought of the window thing thank you! Tbh it might be the easiest as she’s not a complete nightmare and thinking about it it really is that one window.

@Killingoffmyflowersonebyone I’m confident it’s not boredom. Thirty mins is my estimate -
it can be longer though she’s not got too much stamina. I know when she gets bored as she comes to harass me or DH. It’s more she’s defending us which is sweet but the ginger cat over the road poses no threat 😅

@dearg my girl is pretty smart so might have to cover the whole window 🙈

Why doesn't she have much stamina? I'd find that pretty concerning in a two year old Labrador. She should be able to go all day.

I have a two year old Lab X lurcher (we think) and she would be bored to tears with only 2 x 30 minute walks per day. She currently has 45min off lead walk first thing, 30 minute half on half off the lead walk midday then a 60-90 minute walk after work off lead. Weekends she get two walks of around 60-90 minutes each off lead.

She comes to work with me and recently she has started barking at all sorts of different things and won't shut up - she gets shut into my office when I have visitors and barks (clearly for attention) if she isn't allowed to see them. Currently working on stopping this! She barks at all sorts of random noises and shadows but will generally shut up once told.

My old Labrador used to lie on the balcony, but then started barking at passing people. I used to bundle him indoors away from the window and shut in another room for five minutes. I didn't speak to him at all. Took perhaps three repetitions before he got the message.

Our Lab needs a ‘job’ when someone knocks on the door. That job is to go to her bed and wait for us to deal with the visitor, not her. We had to move her bed closer at first, as it’s through two rooms and her arousal was too high to navigate two doorways at first.
Knock - Bed command - treat in bed.
Now she goes to her bed if there’s a knock at the door. It took a bit of time and you can’t really do it on your own when you’re in a wfh meeting, but if you practice when you’re not she should get it pretty quickly.

We have window blinds and she can’t see out, though.

@sunsetsandboardwalks says who?

Genuinely didn’t expect to get comments about her walks. Just put that in for info. This is her schedule:

• weekday morning - average 30 min walk sometimes off sometimes on lead. Mostly off. Sometimes ball sometimes sniffy.
• weekday lunchtime - average 30 mins down at the beach swimming, stick, playing. Occasionally this is sniffy walk.
• weekday evening - often longer than 30 mins tbh. Can be up to 90 it just depends on the day. Playing with dogs at the park where we often meet up with friends who have labs. Sometimes just a calm walk.
• she’s with both of us all day at home otherwise so not on her own.

Weekends she’s out and about loads more but it varies. I’ve only dealt with weekdays as that is when we wfh.

Your dog thinks he is great because he thinks his barking is making people walk past your window therefore keeping you safe😁. My cocker spaniel is very noisy. I only open the door/reward him when he quietens down. It has worked to a small degree but you may have more luck with this method with a lab. My spaniel is very highly strung.

We just have to shut the dog out of the front room unless someone is in there to monitor him. or keep the curtains shut. He goes crazy barking at delivery people and passing motorbikes otherwise. He has to stay in the kitchen diner where I am when I am wfh although he would love to go on the sofa.

I don't think I have the time energy and patience to try to train him out of what is a pretty strong instinct for him.

She needs something to work her brain. It likely isn't boredom but it sounds like she is under confident, therefore reactive. Giving her brain work will increase her confidence and make her feel more content and calmer generally. Play based training is a game changer for dogs like she sounds. She's not defending you. She is reacting either through boredom, frustration (most likely - she wants to get to the cat but can't) or lack of confidence (look! look! scary!). All of those reasons can be helped with general mental stimulation. You cannot train out reactivity but you can work with the cause and eliminate it over time.

Well, the fact that labradors are bred to be active, working dogs means that a young, healthy one shouldn't remotely struggle with their stamina.

I'd be genuinely concerned that there was something else going on if she's only managing 30 minutes of exercise at once. I walk multiple Labradors and they all happily manage to walk for 4-5 hours without issue.

EDIT: missed your update, what you describe sounds fine but I would worry about joints if you're throwing balls and sticks a lot.