# Barking at own image in windows and mirrors...



## louise (Dec 5, 2008)

OK - what do I do about this one?

Ellie barks a little too much - when the bell rings and things like that, but it's not intolerable and I would like her to stay as a guard dog, so I'm willing to live with it.

But recently she has begun noticing her own image in a window or mirror and barks and growls and can't be calmed down. I've tried to reassure, I've tried showing her I'm there too, I've tried bringing her up to the image and trying to touch it with her paw etc. Nothing is working and the barking is becoming problematic. My neighbors will complain soon - and they'll be right!

I don't want to use some punishing device because it isn't exactly "nice", and because I want her to bark appropriately in guard dog fashion.

Any suggestions as to how to calm her down or teach her about reflections?

Thanks.

Louise


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## hedygs (May 23, 2007)

Sorry that it is making you nuts Louise. Will you really be angry at me if I tell you that I LOVE when puppies do this. Just cracks me up! :laugh: I think there is a whole website of videos with puppies finding their arch enemies in the mirror.


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## hedygs (May 23, 2007)

Does this remind you of anyone?


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## Mraymo (Oct 30, 2007)

I love that video. So cute. Louise - I am trying to teach Izzy "shush" so she'l bark but then stop. I do go up to her and pull on her chin hair gently. I read another post where someone said they say "Thank You" and their dog stops. I like that idea and may try that.


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## Beamer (Jan 29, 2007)

Beamer used to get upset and whine and whine when he saw his reflection on whatever... But he outgrew it after he was a year old or so.. lol

Ryan


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## Redorr (Feb 2, 2008)

Lola outgrew this at about a year old. For a while we put a cloth over the floor mirror just to calm her down. I also trained her not to bark, using a jar with coins.  She still barks at arrivals, doorbells, etc. But now no longer barks at anything else, including her reflection.


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## ivyagogo (Sep 11, 2007)

Gryff did it too. It was hysterical. I am often very sad that those puppy days are over. Don't worry, Ellie will outgrow it too.


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## Scooter's Family (May 23, 2008)

Murphy does it too. We have a painting of the kids over our fireplace and it's big, almost life sized, and sometimes Murphy will notice it and bark like crazy! That's hysterical, it's as if he wonders why they're up there instead of playing with him! He barks at his shadow too.


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## louise (Dec 5, 2008)

I'll try pulling a little on her chin hair and see if that helps.

I think it's adorable, but it can go on for 20 minutes or so and my neighbors (I live in an apartment house) don't think it's so cute.

I also do say thank you whenever she does anything I ask her to do and that always seems to be understood - but I can rarely stop the barking so that I can say thank you!

Louise


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## Evye's Mom (Dec 16, 2008)

I am glad to know Evye is not the only one....every night she barks at that dog outside our slider (her reflection). Now Bentley has just started barking at Evye's barking !!! Grrrrrr. Our entertainment center has glass doors and if she's running by it, she stops dead in her tracks and barks at the dog inside it.

Ann, had to laugh at the Murphy barking at the kid's picture !!! 

Evye barks at ceiling fans too.


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## Scooter's Family (May 23, 2008)

They're so funny but I can see how it would be a problem if it's bothering other people. I know somebody bought a noise maker that only the dog can hear and is using it to get the dog's attention when he barks. Just enough to stop and reward. Maybe that would work. Or a can with coins in it that you could shake?


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## louise (Dec 5, 2008)

Taking hold of her beard actually worked to quiet her down twice tonight. It may be "the answer" although it's more likely just luck.

I will try the jar of coins next.

Do you know anything about the noisemaker? Where it can be purchased? Usually she's barking so loudly I have to scream to get her to pay attention to me!

Louise


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## Scooter's Family (May 23, 2008)

Someone else posted this link, I can't remember who it was now. I think I may try it too!

http://www.kingwholesale.com/Shopping/ProductSearch.cfm


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## louise (Dec 5, 2008)

Thanks for your suggestions and encouragement. It is very hopeful to hear that many people had their dogs stop doing this around 1 yr old. I also have tried holding onto her beard and saying be quiet. I have the feeling that holding her beard tells her something - like maybe that I'm serious :-}


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## Scooter's Family (May 23, 2008)

I just ordered the thing to help with barking, and a few other things.


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## DukesMommy (Jan 29, 2009)

*I have that noise maker thing*

I works like a charm! Duke HATES that noise! I had my elderly MIL and SIL stay the night with us, and Duke just barks and barks when anyone comes over (which is not that often!) I didn't have time to figure out anything else to get him to stop, so I got the noise maker. He barked once when they got there, and that was it! It was soooo nice to not have him barking constantly!! Hope it works well for you!


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## Scooter's Family (May 23, 2008)

I'm looking forward to it! Now when someone knocks on the door I have to pick them both up and I hate it, it's embarrassing. I'd like them to stand back a bit and wait. School is out for the kids in less than 3 weeks and then I'm really going to start working on training as I'll have more time and be able to work with the dogs separately. I should have this device by then too! So glad to hear it's working well fo ryou.


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## djones2 (Aug 27, 2007)

*Spyro watches TV*

Spyro watches TV and barks at the dogs and animals on the TV screen. We think it is so funny, so it is hard to make him stop while laughing. We know not to encourage, but it is one of the things we will miss when he stops. My son says we are too easily entertained. HA!


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## vipbrj (Apr 13, 2009)

Wall-E still does this and he is somewhere between 4-6 years old (according to the vet)

It's pretty funny because it's not a full-on bark... it's more of a soft "woof" followed by a long silence then another low pitched "woof"


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## Lina (Apr 26, 2007)

Kubrick FLIPS out at the TV when animals come on and it's very very annoying. Other people think it's cute but my husband and I can't stand it. Especially when he gets very loud (which he does), it's not fun at all. I tried EVERYTHING. Coins in a can, clapping my hands, shushing him, putting him on time out, getting mad (when nothing else worked, LOL)... everything! Finally I took a step back and decided to go the good old positive training method that I use for everything else. Can we say light bulb moment? Now every time he goes to bark at the TV I calmly stand up and tell him to sit with a treat in my hand. At first he'd take some time to calm down and sit, but he always did it and I could see him calming down. Now he's getting much better and a couple of times lately when he sees an animal on TV he'll instead run to me and do an automatic sit waiting for his treat. It's slow going and we're still working on it, but for now this is the best method I've found.


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## kelrobin (Jan 21, 2008)

Ah, Carolina, I wish that would work with Jackson outside. He loves to fence guard with the barking, and we continue to work on behavior modification.

Jackson used to bark at his reflection at the back door, and it was pretty funny. He also barked at the vacuum cleaner, exercise ball, and anything big and out of the ordinary. They do get better as they get older (but then they aren't a puppy anymore :baby: boo hoo)


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