# Barking driving me batty



## Lizzie'sMom (Oct 13, 2010)

I was just reading the yapper thread and this problem is a little different. I had posted before that my mom's Pom (Preston) "taught" Lizzie to bark. She has a cute little woof that she uses when she tries to get the cats to play and her welcome home bark that ceases once you greet her, but she is now barking at dogs outside.

Our neighbors Lab visits our house about 10 times a day. She goes in the garage if the door is open, sits on the front walk and barks, wanders up and down the driveway and up and down the street. So, Lizzie has started barking at her. Today 2 neighbors were walking their dogs and stopped to talk in front of my house and Lizzie ran from window to window barking. The windows are low enough for her to put her front paws on and look outside. After they left she rang the potty bells. Luckily, she really did have to go potty and did not bark when we were out there. 

Should I worry about this or try and correct it?

Oh, I should add that she will be 9 months old Dec 28.


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## Kathie (Jul 31, 2008)

Yes, I would start correcting ASAP! You sure don't want that to become a habit. It is understandable that she would want to bark at a dog that is in "her" territory but after the first bark or two I would say "It's okay. Quiet!" Hopefully, she will get the message but it might take some time.

Abby is three and has always been the quietest dog but just lately she has been exercising her vocal chords, too! I am on top of it and she seems to settle down quickly, thank goodness!


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

yeah that' s typical watchdog barking. Like Kathie said, it can escalate. Sometimes management of the situation is the simplest, ie, blocking her view of outside. . Has she met this wandering Lab.? That would be a good idea, but might not solve the problem. Generally to stop barking of this nature, you have to teach a shush or quiet command. You can't try to teach the command when your dog is all wound up though. One of the best anti barking things you can do is to do more socializing with your dog. A dog that doesn't meet lots of dogs on a regular basis with be more reactive in general. I have a great article on the different kinds of barking and how to teach shush. But it's a liitle too long for posting on the forum. , if you would like it , email me privately at [email protected]


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## Lizzie'sMom (Oct 13, 2010)

Thanks, Kathie and Dave. Dave, I will e-mail you when I get to my computer. No, she has not met the lab because I am afraid of her. She always has the hair up on her back and she is trained to hunt. I am not afraid of dogs (except her!) and she has met the mix, Newfoundland, and Golden down the street and does well. Next time the Lab is over I will take Lizzie out and meet her. We have about 33 dogs in the neighborhood and over the summer she met quite a few. We don't go to classes because she gets car sick and I feel that is too stressful for her.


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