I just got the Leerburg Basic Dog Obedience today and so I have spent the evening watching most of it.

My little dog seems to have a lot of prey drive and (after I was watching this video) I think she is probably about even tempered so far as soft vs hard dog.

But the barking. I mean barking, barking, barking. I have not been very successful with that. I mean, she is a prolific barker and will bark at the presumed sound of a leaf floating in the next town.

I started aversive training last week with the barking and it was doing a little bit of good. But if, for instance, she is in the car with me, or if someone comes to the door or if other people are involved in any capacity, there is no way I can make her stop barking.

She wants to please with training as in sit, down, etc., but the barking is really something else.

I still tether but have been giving her more time loose in the house (however still with 5 feet drag line.)

The aversive training I have been doing goes like this:

Let dog have run of house...

She goes to door (back door that we always go out, she doesn't do this at the front door) and barks...

I got to dog with bold body language, sternly say no, pop on collar/leash....

Walk off.

Repeat.

She may not even go to the door. Sometimes lying on her rug with toy/chew. Jump up bark.

This has been working pretty good at home.

However, if someone is really at the door, I think I could hang her and she wouldn't stop barking.

Also, for instance, I stopped at a drive-thru window for a beverage and when the girl opens the window, she barks, barks, barks. This also happens at the bank drive-thru or anywhere there are people.

Hi Nora!

Well, a couple of things popped out at me in my sleep-deprived state:

 Quote: Nora Ferrell

I still tether but have been giving her more time loose in the house (however still with 5 feet drag line.)

The aversive training I have been doing goes like this:

Let dog have run of house...

Does she bark when she's tethered? If not, then maybe you should go back a few steps and keep her tethered a little longer.

Also:

 Quote: Nora Ferrell

She goes to door (back door that we always go out, she doesn't do this at the front door) and barks...

I got to dog with bold body language, sternly say no, pop on collar/leash....

Walk off.

Repeat.

Did you notice if she stopped barking when you went to her? Most dogs will stop if you come bodly walking up to them, if only for a second. I would examine the situation to see if I was accidentally correcting for STOPPING barking! Even if there's only a small pause in barking before you give the correction, you could actually be correcting her for the very thing you want her to do!

I'll come back later... I want to say use an e-collar for this or a no-bark collar, but I'm too tired to really tell if that's appropriate!

Hopefully some refreshed member will come in and help where I haven't!

Your questions are very insightful (is that a word?). Made me stop and think about timing.

Yes, she does bark while tethered but not as much.

When I first started the aversive training, she continued to bark, but soon (after several repetitions) she would stop before I got to her. Now, sometimes, I will put a LOUD foot on the floor and she will stop if just for a moment. So does that mean it was working or was I maybe starting to punish her stopping barking.

When someone is at the door, or if she just sees someone, especially someone new or see someone while I am out (I have her with me almost all the time) she barks like craaazzzzyyy. And won't stop.

I have tried the aversion while in the truck with her but no luck at all.

She will even sometimes bark while she is in her crate, if she thinks she hears an out of place noise but that usually stops quickly.

Nora, since you've got this issue in so many different places and you're concerned about your timing...take a look at this as an option:

http://www.leerburg.com/815.htm

The good thing about this is that the correction from the collar will be timed very well, more consistent than you as a human can be, and it won't matter if you're standing right there to correct. Can be used in the car, too, where giving a well-timed and proper correction can be difficult at best.

I know this collar has made a huge difference for some people. Give it a shot. Perhaps you could do this on your own, but it would take a lot longer, and I think it's not worth the effort when this is available to you and can be so quickly effective. Also, the dog will not associate the correction with you (in other words, barking like mad when you're not around to correct and making the neighbors nuts, etc.) Used properly, I also think it's humane and won't have the negative effects that an accidentally unfair correction given by you can have on your relationship with your dog. Not saying you've been unfair so far, but we're only human after all...mistakes can happen!

Just my (now awake ) two cents.

What Amber said.

I'm one of the people it made a huge difference for. It works very quickly.

Thanks all, for the recommendation. I looked at the ecollar.

I'm not sure I am ready for that. It still looks a little scary for me especially with such a small dog.

I experimented some today with how I was timing, etc.

She is not bad at all when tethered. A bark, a no and that's usually it unless there really is something to bark at.

When let loose (still on drag line) to have run of the house, she eventually makes her way to the back door and barks until I come and body language bully her into another room. I didn't do any leash pops, just body language and 'no, shh'.

Took her thru a drive-thru to elicit what she has been doing and bark, bark as soon as the window is opened. This time instead of trying to give the clerk the money, etc., I concentrated on her with a 'no-shh'. There were three barks.

Took her to the vets (no appointment for her just to get flea stuff) and there was no barking when seeing other people. A little aloof, but no barking.

This evening she has barked at the TV, barked at the phone ringing and barked when someone was at the door (which is good).

So maybe I have made some progress.

I have a gut feeling that it is a dominance issue and that she isn't recognizing me as the dominant dog and hence, barks more often and longer than I desire.

Also, after my experiment, I think she also wants to go outside to play. She is very energetic and since the weather has improved, she, of course, wants to go outside all the time to play.

Since she is better when tethered, do you think I should go back to 100% tethered and wait for her to get older? She is about eight months.

Nora, I don't know if this applies or not but I'm getting the impression you're trying several different things to stop the barking. Maybe too many things. Try to stick to one method so the pup doesn't get confused.

You said you're hesitant to use the bark collar and if I had a small dog I would probably be hesitant too unless an expert or two I trust would tell me it's ok. How small is your 8 mo old pup, exactly? That might be a factor with a bark collar. It's hard to tell how small she is from the picture, since the picture is small (weight, height, breed).

Thanks, Sandy.

I quit doing the leash pop yesterday after I read the other posts.

I may be doing too many things. It has also crossed my mind that I may be expecting too much too soon. I am watching the Basic Obedience DVD and I think it is on that where I saw that is takes 30 repetitions for a dog. I am applying the 30 reps to this barking thing, too.

Dog breed is Schipperke, 8 months, 8 pounds and about 9 inches at the withers and I have had her about two months.

I know that training is not breed specific but breed temperament can be different.

Her breed was for watch dog and vermin catcher/chaser.

Although I do believe that ecollars and such are the most humane way in many training situations, I don't think I am qualified (at least not right now) to use it correctly.

Her barking ISN'T non-stop. It is very, very frequent. And it is with a noise or sometimes maybe a noise she hears that I don't.

I want her to bark for the door and normal things like that. But I don't want her to bark at the phone and TV (maybe she doesn't like Cesar!).

The reason I think it could be a dominance issue is that it seems like she is barking when she wants without reason to need and when I try to use the body language (the way Cesar Millan does) she doesn't back up as quickly as I think she should. Sometimes I have to give a little push.

Also, I think in the car or if I am holding her she is empowered to bark more.

Nora,

I'm not trying to talk you into anything (honestly!), but I just wanted to bring out a quote from Ed from the link I gave you to the collar:

http://www.leerburg.com/815.htm

 Quote: http://www.leerburg/815.htm

The Tri-Tronics Bark LimiterXS is much smaller, lighter and still the most effective and reliable bark collar on the market. It provides very gentle but persuasive control of excessive barking. The Bark LimiterXS can be worn by even the smallest dog.

I certainly understand people's hesitation in using something new, especially with a small dog. But a bark limiter is different from an e-collar...the difference being that the handler doesn't need to worry about administering the correction themselves, the timing or being present.

I also want to point out that a properly used bark limiter will not cause physical damage to the dog's neck, and frequent leash/collar corrections can. Also, the collar does have variable correction levels...it's not just one stim fits all.

I only posted this follow-up because you had said you were worried about the bark limiter on a small dog, and the one I linked you to I chose because it is fine for even very small dogs.

Aside from the collar, I think tethering would certainly help you out. For one thing, she just automatically is less barky with it on. For another, you will be there in order to give her a more well-timed correction than if she was across the room. And tethering will help if you if you're right and this is a dominance-related thing.

This won't work in the crate or car though, but the bark collar will. If you feel like you're making effective progress with your method and you're comfortable with it, then I think you should stick with what you're doing.

But if you reach a wall, I would consider this tool; it's just what I have experienced to be the most effective for the situation you've described. Just giving you more food for thought down the road, though, and hopefully clearing up any misconceptions about this bark limiter and size limits.

I promise, I don't work on commission! I wish you luck no matter what method you use.