# Life with Brody - barking



## misstray (Feb 6, 2011)

One of the ongoing issues with Brody has been his propensity for barking. He's a vocal/chatty little guy. This is ironic since one of the reasons I chose a Havanese is because they don't tend to be yappers.

At home (I live in an apartment) he wants to bark every time he hears someone in the hallway or outside. He's actually pretty good at home, in that he stops when I call him to me, or if he just can't seem to stop I tell him to go into his house (I usually just have to tap his crate) and he'll settle down. He'll even crate himself if he just can't seem to settle down.

At work, and this is sometimes an issue, he wants to bark at everyone who comes in the office. Now, people are coming in and out all day long and he's been coming to work with me since day 1, so you'd think he'd be used to it. I'm pretty sure he's just excited to see them, but somehow he still doesn't compute that people aren't going to come over and pet a dog who is barking at them! What works is shutting his crate door and if he still won't stop, then covering the crate. He gets ridiculously excited (and loud barking) to see children and he ends up scaring them and so they don't want to come near him (which is understandable, I certainly don't advocate telling a child it's ok to come pet a dog that is barking crazily at them).

He probably meets 10-20 new people each day. Granted he meets children less often because I don't have kids and don't have friends with little kids. Hanging around parks and school yards would be creepy!!

I tell him he's good and try to occasionally treat him when he's being quiet with people around. We actually had a whole week where he didn't bark at anyone while at work (a couple of weeks ago). I was so happy.

The major, major, MAJOR issue with his barking, though, has been in the car. Whenever I get to work, home, a parking lot, gas station, drive through, etc. he just goes ballistic with the barking. He drives with me almost everywhere, so this happens multiple times daily. He doesn't do it at stop signs, traffic lights, etc. He works himself up into a frenzy and he either doesn't hear me because he is so excited or he chooses to ignore me. Normally he's really good at responding to me when I call his name. But when he's in that state in the car, all bets are off. It's excitement barking. He's so excited to get wherever we are going, see new people, blah blah blah. 

I am pretty sure he's given me some hearing damage in my right ear. I hate to even say it, but there have been times that I've been so fed up with it, that I've started to dislike him. I love him, but there have been days where I just really didn't like him one bit because I was just so fed up. This has been going on for over 2 years and I've really tried to be patient and work through it. 

I've read so many articles and tried so many things. I'd sit in my car with my fingers in my ears and try to ignore him until he stopped. I think he still thought that the barking did the trick. I'd try to circumvent it by distracting him before the barking would start, but that didn't work. I really, really tried to not yell, but sometimes I'd reach my frazzle point and turn all "Excorcist" on him with my head spinning 360 degrees and screaming. That honestly seemed to be the only thing that would startle him to silence. I'd always feel bad for losing it and like a failure.

I tried both citronella and sonic bark collars. Unfortunately, neither can be used in my car...something (I suspect the radio) other than his barking sets them off constantly. I felt bad for even trying those because I hear so much against using these types of devices.

Anyhow, 2 weeks ago I picked up a can of "Pet Corrector". It's basically just compressed air and it makes a hissing sound when you spray it. You don't spray it on him or anything, the sound just startles. Frankly, I was skeptical it'd do anything. So, colour me amazed when we started to approach home, Brody started in on his barking frenzy, I grabbed the can, gave it a short shot and there was instant silence. He immediately just sat down in his seat and was completely quiet. I've only had to spray it one more time. All I need to do if he starts up (and I can really tell he is making an effort not to start..he'll make other little grumbly noises instead) is just pick up the can and he stops.

I've been really happy with him. And I make sure to tell him how good he is and treat accordingly. He's still ridiculously excited to be home, or to have arrived wherever, but the loud, loud, LOUD barking for the moment seems to be under control. This makes ME very happy. This makes me much happier with my usually sweet boy. This makes our relationship better and I can just like and love him again.

Maybe I'm a bad person for having to resort to this. I don't think he's been emotionally traumatized by it. I've hesitated even posting about it for the last 2 years because I've just felt like such a failure and I've already tried everything that's been posted about handling barking.

So, that's where we are at with the barking at this point in time. May it continue in this positive vein.


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## Suzi (Oct 27, 2010)

I have a feeling that the noise was so upsetting and luckily he did associated it with the barking so now all you have to do is pick up the can and he remembers. Mine bark too sometimes its worse than others. I do try to expose them to the situation they're afraid of some say they are protecting me. I have no idea . Today Zoey was barking at a little boy. I asked the boy if he was afraid of them and he said no. I talked to him for about five min and the sisters had calmed down.I put Zoey on a chair by the boy and she was fine. So I do baby steps . I feel there's a fine line between bad barking and good barking. Its hard to teach them the difference. Mine would never make good watchdogs as far as protecting me but it is nice to know when a stranger is at my door or whatever a situation could arise where they are good for barking. I tried a can full of pennies once and it did work. The second time I tried it Maddie peed the floor. I felt really bad and have never use that technique again. I think we know when we're not doing something right and if Maddie hadn't peed the second time I tried that can of pennies I would have used it again even if others say it is abuse. Just telling you about my experances and agian I glad it is working.


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## gelbergirl (Jun 9, 2007)

Henry barks and barks in the evening at everything going on outside the window.
Most evening I can not even really watch tv. I wonder if this little can thing could work. I really just want 1 hour without barking.


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## morridon (Oct 2, 2009)

I also used the pet corrector and it does work. Now I just pick up the can and she stops barking. It is amazing that a little thing like that works! What an invention!


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## Ruthiec (Jun 18, 2013)

Tracy, please don't beat yourself up about this. You've clearly tried everything else you can think of before doing this so it must have been desperate. It would have been awful if your frustration with him turned into anger and turned you away from him.

Hopefully that one episode and the presence of the can is enough to teach him the control he needs. Good on you for being patient for so long.


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

professional help is needed. ASAP


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