# Excessive barking



## Fluffball (Jul 21, 2011)

Hello ya'll 
I write this post to you with red eyes and lack of sleep. So it is becoming really anoying, and exhausting that my little Uli barks with the slightest noise.. 2 am, 4 am... and so on. So i don't get much sleep and i daydream with putting her in a box going to the north pole, now when she stops the barking is time for me to get up... sigh sigh.
Has any of you found a way to prevent this? i can handle her barking during awake hours and yes it might be good to have her pick up noises for safety during the night but it is extreme right now.
I welcome any suggestions.

Thank you


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## tra_po (Aug 14, 2013)

Where does she sleep?


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

this system works if you take the time, most people don't follow through. 

The goal is to teach the dog the meaning of the words "bark" and "quiet" (or
any word you want to use as an "off switch). First, you have to teach the dog
to both bark and then stop on cue for treats. To elicit the barking the first few
times so that you can practice, you need something you know makes the dog
bark, like the doorbell or a weird noise outside. You may require a helper for
this. Arrange the following sequence of events:
1. You cue "Bark!"
2. Doorbell or other prompt
3. Dog barks
4. You praise: "Good! Wonderful!" after a few barks
5. You cue "Quiet"
6. You show the dog the treat (to prompt "Quiet")
7. The dog's (eventual) distraction from barking by the treat
8. Three to five seconds of quiet during which you praise: "soooo
gooooooooood!"
9. You furnish treat after the three to five seconds of perfect quiet
10. Repeat with less and less visibility of the treat prompt (you still furnish after
perfect quiets)
11. Repeat with longer and longer durations of quiet before furnishing the treat
12. Practice with pretend visitors a few times
Do it over and over till the dog knows the game. It may take a few sessions so
hang in there. How do you judge whether he knows the game? He knows the
game when he barks on the cue and doesn't need the doorbell anymore, and he
quiets on the first quiet cue without having to be shown the treat. You still give
him one from your pocket or from the cupboard if he quiets on cue, you just
don't show it up front anymore. If he ever interrupts a quiet time with even a
muffled bark or two, give him a no-reward mark such as "Oh! Too bad" and
start counting the quiet time from the beginning again. He has to know that
barking during the quiet time was a mistake that cost him his treat.
You have to acquire the ability to yo-yo the dog back and forth reliably between
bark and quiet in training sessions before you try out your "Quiet" cue in real
situations. Barking is strongly motivated for many dogs and you've got to build
them up to actual visitor trials. The most common mistake is trying to use the
"Quiet" cue before it's well enough conditioned in training sessions. Think of
"Quiet" on cue as a muscle you're making stronger. The more practice, the
stronger the muscle.
When you can turn barking on and off anytime and anyplace (you've
conditioned a strong muscle in other words), you may now start practicing
"Quiet" on cue when the dog barks on his own in real life situations. The first
couple of times, the dog will respond poorly to the "Quiet" cue so you have to
be ready. Have really good treats handy and go temporarily back to showing
him the treat up front if necessary.
A good adjunct for fuel-injected, turbocharged barkers is to teach them downstay
as well as quiet. To earn their treat, they must hold a stay on a mat near the
door and keep their mouths buttoned for the full duration of the quiet period.
The hardest thing about bark training is how futile it seems the first couple of
times you try, either in a training session or during your first real life dry run.
It's also the most interesting thing about this training because, no matter how
bad it seems to go the first time or two, it gets better rapidly if you persevere.
Many people never get over the .hump. The best thing to do is thoroughly
understand the instructions and simply practice with a Zen-like resolve. This
procedure works if you give it the critical mass of training.
You can also do the down-stay on its own, without putting the considerable
effort into teaching the "Quiet" cue. This is a great solution for those dogs that
can't bark while lying down. If the dog is nuts about toys, another variation is
to cue and prompt the dog to fetch a favorite. He may not be able to bark and
carry the toy. At the very least, it will serve as a muffler. Tennis balls make
great mufflers.
Finally, you can teach the dog that barking after being told to "quiet" gets him
an instant time out away from the action. Most dogs find front door goings-on
sufficiently fascinating that it really bugs them to be banished to a back room.


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## Fluffball (Jul 21, 2011)

She sleeps with me which is much worst for me since she takes off the bed like a diver. I have tried the bark on command which she does but when we get to the step of the quiet, she is more interested in the surroundings than her treat. I have had her choke on the treat while trying to bark right after she gets it.


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

without seeing what you're doing, it's hard to tell. Just stick with it, and if you do have no luck, hire a trainer. This is easy to teach with some professional help. Wouldn't involve more than one lesson. Is she accustomed to the outdoors . Quite often dogs who alert bark a lot are lacking in socialization to the sights and sounds of things outside.


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## gelbergirl (Jun 9, 2007)

Can you put Uli in a create? Not as a punishment, but more as a place to calm down, no barking. It also might reinforce to Uli that you are the pack leader, you'll keep everyone safe so she does not have to do it.
Maybe even tire her out before bedtime? Please let us know how it goes.


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## Tuss (Apr 22, 2012)

Dave's advice is very good. I have a barky dog and am struggling as well (not my havanese but my labradoodle). Luckily she doesn't bark at night at home.

Is your dog crate trained? Sounds like your dog is very reactive and trying to protect you from small sounds. Maybe if you put your dog in a crate to sleep you would be better off. Put the crate in a quiet room and even a blanket over the crate to muffle sounds and sights might help.

My dogs sleep in my bedroom (either on the bed or beside) but when i'm traveling I often crate them so they don't bark. This is especially true in hotel rooms when they hear people in the room next door or hallway and think someone is in my house coming to get me and therefore must warn me. Somehow when they are crated they feel safe and therefore don't feel the need to bark a warning.

Also, make sure you're not accidently rewarding the behavior. If you are giving the dog any affection, patting, treats or any positive attention during the barking (even if you're doing it to get them to settle down or stop) the dog can perceive it as positive reinforcement for the behavior and will then continue to do it stronger. Try to just ignore the barking and then reward the quiet. (as hard as that is in the middle of the night). Positive reinforcement is much stronger than negative in training, especially in a smart sensitive little dog like the havanese!


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## Rob'sHavanese (Jul 31, 2013)

I have sympathy for your situation but I have to say that your picture of Uli is adorable. Not that this helps at 2 am. :boink:


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