# Learned Barking



## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

It seems every year ,some expert comes up with a new type of dog barking . This one is one we all know and love. Here's my interpretation.

Learned Barking 

Learned barking, also known as request barking ,is the result of our intentionally or unintentionally reinforcing one of our dog's other types of barking. It is usually just one bark ,followed by a pause and then they wait for your reaction. I think you've all seen this. They all do it, or they wouldn't be dogs. If they get no reaction ,they will repeat their plea. This can really escalate into nuisance barking. ANY sort of attention, ie. looking at, talking to, yelling at, is still reinforcing. Most often it is attention seeking. And punishment is certainly not an option because in most cases what we consider as punishment , actually is reinforcing for a dog ,in the way of attention.
Examples include door opening ,begging for food, wanting to play etc, etc, etc. A dog would have to be pretty stupid not to have discovered that this experiment usually works. We are WEAK LOL. How many of you have had 
company pay attention to your dog when he barks. I think all of us. The best way to keep this from becoming a real problem is simple. Ignore them when you know it's one of these request type pleas. 
Another example of learned barking can be from previous experiences. A dog may get excited with car rides. He's learned that getting into the car can mean good things or sometimes bad things. This can lead to a learned form of barking that is even more irritating as this is usually an excited form of barking with much more vocalization. Remedies for this are more complicated. 
But I know we've all seen this in our dogs many times and yet we somehow are overpowered by our desire to love and acknowledge our dogs. With their requests for attention we need to realize that too much of anything is not good. Pay attention but watch out ,attending to every cry for our attention can lead to a very demanding and annoying dog, even the Havanese. LOL 
Woof. Hope that gets your replies. If it doesn't , I'll woof again.


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## DonnaC (Jul 31, 2011)

Baxter and I are really working on this. He knows he is not supposed to bark, and I know I am not supposed to respond, and most of the time we are both following the rule. But, he gets impatient when his nonverbal cues aren't working or when I am busy, and I get nervous about the whole potty thing.

I am going to get a bell this week for that.

He does a very good job of monitoring himself, and will sometimes just mouth a silent bark. Very funny.


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## Diann (Apr 25, 2011)

I've run into a situation the last couple of mornings. I went back to work and shower in the morning. I take Lucy in bathroom with me and give her toy to play with. However, while I'm in the shower she starts whining and howling. I can and do ignore her, but she doesn't stop and I eventually have to come out which is then her reward for acting inappropriately. Suggestions?


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## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

give her a special treat that she only gets when you take a shower???


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## coco (Feb 26, 2011)

Coco has started something new in this area. He barks at people in my apartment complex when walking him in the early morning. He knows them and doesn't bark at them during the day at all. Just in the early morning around 6:30-7:00am or when it is dark. He has such a powerful bark, like a howl that It startles me and them and I'm getting nasty looks about it. Any suggestions?


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

Diann said:


> I've run into a situation the last couple of mornings. I went back to work and shower in the morning. I take Lucy in bathroom with me and give her toy to play with. However, while I'm in the shower she starts whining and howling. I can and do ignore her, but she doesn't stop and I eventually have to come out which is then her reward for acting inappropriately. Suggestions?


 Keep doing what you're doing. Don't acknowledge her in any way, when you get out. Eventually she will discover that nothing scary happens when you're in the shower. Does she do this when you're behind a closed door? Because I'm thinking this is not really a learned or attention seeking barking but a separation issue.


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

coco said:


> Coco has started something new in this area. He barks at people in my apartment complex when walking him in the early morning. He knows them and doesn't bark at them during the day at all. Just in the early morning around 6:30-7:00am or when it is dark. He has such a powerful bark, like a howl that It startles me and them and I'm getting nasty looks about it. Any suggestions?


. That's a little more involved. A different type of barking issue . I have a long article that might help. Too long to post here. Email me privately at [email protected]


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## Momo means Peach (Jun 7, 2011)

Dave, I've never had a dog before, much less one that is supposed to be a watch dog, so, I really have no point of reference, but, Momo is over zealous, in my opinion, being a watch dog. I can understand if the door bell rings that she would bark. However, if she hears my husband in the bedroom or in the back rooms, she starts barking furiously and growling and runs to investigate. Sometimes, if I'm really not expecting it, she'll startle me so badly that I let out a little scream. :redface: Is this normal behavior - not my screaming :biggrin1: - for a watch dog?


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## DonnaC (Jul 31, 2011)

Baxter does this, too -- barks at sounds in the house, even if they come from folks he knows. Or, if one of us just appears in an unfamiliar place, he'll bark. My sense is that this barking is anxiety and insecurity, not "protecting," and we're working on not over-comforting him when he gets upset like that. We just try to act like everything is normal.

We have the watch-dachshund to compare him to. She patrols the yard and barks comandingly at anything untoward and then marches back in and settles down (no, we don't love this behavior, but I think it's what we mean by "protective" barking). Baxter doesn't do that. He'll yip and then hide behind my leg and, like I said, bark even in the house. We took him to Sonic with us last night when we went out for shakes and had to go home because he got worked up over a U-Haul parked next to us.

I think that's anxiety. Dave, does that sound right?


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

Momo means Peach said:


> Dave, I've never had a dog before, much less one that is supposed to be a watch dog, so, I really have no point of reference, but, Momo is over zealous, in my opinion, being a watch dog. I can understand if the door bell rings that she would bark. However, if she hears my husband in the bedroom or in the back rooms, she starts barking furiously and growling and runs to investigate. Sometimes, if I'm really not expecting it, she'll startle me so badly that I let out a little scream. :redface: Is this normal behavior - not my screaming :biggrin1: - for a watch dog?


 Hi Donnie, how old is Momo? Going by your join date I'm guessing a few months. With noise sensitive dogs ,generally you want to replicate the noise at a lower level and the first time you make the noise with an accomplice LOL you give Momo a special treat . This should gradually increase in loudness . Example vacuum cleaner. Turn the vac on at a distance and as long as there's no barking you give a treat. Slowly get your accomplice to move closer with vac and you have your dogs' attention downstairs lets say. Accomplice slowly moves closer while you're treating Momo. Get the idea. It has to be a very slow increase in the noise level. Same idea as thunder phobia. A CD is played , slowly increasing the noise level. Hope that gives you some idea on desensitizing. Momo could be a a fear imprint age. ? Here' where a good breeder will introduce noise training in the first few weeks that they have them as newborns.


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

DonnaC said:


> Baxter does this, too -- barks at sounds in the house, even if they come from folks he knows. Or, if one of us just appears in an unfamiliar place, he'll bark. My sense is that this barking is anxiety and insecurity, not "protecting," and we're working on not over-comforting him when he gets upset like that. We just try to act like everything is normal.
> 
> We have the watch-dachshund to compare him to. She patrols the yard and barks comandingly at anything untoward and then marches back in and settles down (no, we don't love this behavior, but I think it's what we mean by "protective" barking). Baxter doesn't do that. He'll yip and then hide behind my leg and, like I said, bark even in the house. We took him to Sonic with us last night when we went out for shakes and had to go home because he got worked up over a U-Haul parked next to us.
> 
> I think that's anxiety. Dave, does that sound right?


Donna, the hiding is an indication that he needs more socialization to the world's people and noises. Get him out as much as possible and introduce him to noises gradually. Example . See a garbage truck down the street. Slowly walk toward it. So long as he's not reacting in any way , give treat. As you get closer keep giving treats. Do this sort of thing with any sort of noisy item or place. Get the idea.


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## Rosie Tomato (Jul 31, 2011)

This is a very useful thread. Rosie is 8 months next week, and seems to be barking more and more. She is definitely trying to get attention, or something she wants most of the time. our trainer said to "correct" her with the leash or a tap and/or sound. It's not really working. I do think any attention is reinforcing the barking as some people have mentioned here. I try to reward her in the moment she stops barking; when she's able to sit and be quiet for a second, with praise. (we're off treats for the moment due to recurring diarrea issues.) It's hard to tolerate any barking because we live in a small apartment in a small building, and I worry about my neighbors. 
A second, and very different type of barking seems definitely to be anxiety related. Rosie is a psychiatric therapy dog in training and comes to work with me every day to an adult day treatment (group therapy) program. She does a great job giving love and attention to everyone, but when I need to leave my office to do a group, or even just to go to the bathroom, she barks incessantly. She has barked for the entire 45 minute group period. This is anxiety provoking for my clients (and ME!). She will also generally pee by the door the minute I walk out and close the office door. She barks & pees regardless if there is anyone else in the office. (I share with a part time staff.) I've started taking her with me to groups, just to avoid the barking eventhough she's still not really able to relax enough during them not to be a distraction. Any ideas?
Thanks so much!
Debbie


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

Rosie Tomato said:


> This is a very useful thread. Rosie is 8 months next week, and seems to be barking more and more. She is definitely trying to get attention, or something she wants most of the time. our trainer said to "correct" her with the leash or a tap and/or sound. It's not really working. I do think any attention is reinforcing the barking as some people have mentioned here. I try to reward her in the moment she stops barking; when she's able to sit and be quiet for a second, with praise. (we're off treats for the moment due to recurring diarrhea issues.) It's hard to tolerate any barking because we live in a small apartment in a small building, and I worry about my neighbors.
> A second, and very different type of barking seems definitely to be anxiety related. Rosie is a psychiatric therapy dog in training and comes to work with me every day to an adult day treatment (group therapy) program. She does a great job giving love and attention to everyone, but when I need to leave my office to do a group, or even just to go to the bathroom, she barks incessantly. She has barked for the entire 45 minute group period. This is anxiety provoking for my clients (and ME!). She will also generally pee by the door the minute I walk out and close the office door. She barks & pees regardless if there is anyone else in the office. (I share with a part time staff.) I've started taking her with me to groups, just to avoid the barking eventhough she's still not really able to relax enough during them not to be a distraction. Any ideas?
> Thanks so much!
> Debbie


yeah Debbie, leash pops usually don't "correct" the behavior. Rosie's barking sounds like a separation issue. I think you have to work on this anxiety with slow increments of being out of sight. Does she do this any time you go out .? Baby-gate her in various rooms away from you to practice "semiabsences." Ignore any barking. Practice several brief absences every day. Go out and come back in a matter of fact way. Keep departures and arrivals low key. Never make an entrance when she is barking. Wait for a 10 second lull. Increase mental stimulation in the form of training and predatory games.
Make her work for her food. Hide it around the house before you leave or
stuff it into Kongs and hide those. Tire her out physically before long
absences. Make her bring a toy to you when you come home, then play
together with it. Once you get her better at home, you have to take it on the road sort of speak. Try to do the same sort of thing at work. Slow and easy wins the race.


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