Leslie Downey wrote 04/28/2008 11:10 AM Barking at me every night #192641 - 04/28/2008 11:10 AM
Leslie Downey Webboard User Reg: 09-21-2007 Posts: 50 Loc: Offline	My 12 mo old Bouvier has this annoying behavior every night around 7-9 pm. He stands in front of me and barks very loudly. It seems like he wants something- I'm thinking it's more food, or a better selection. I have tried a couple of things- putting my hand up and telling him back off, quiet, and correcting him with a prong collar, but he just doesn't give up. He's exercised, he's taken outside. If I gave him a steak or a bone, I'm sure he'd stop, but I don't want to reward him. The only thing that has worked a little is closing my eyes and ignoring him. But it's really loud and he'll try it again. I don't want to put him in his crate since he'll just whine. He is a whiner as well- outside the bathroom, downstairs, etc. I have also used toys to get him interested in something else, and that works in the short term, until he gets disinterested. It's basically when I sit down to relax at night with a book or tv or to make a phone call. He's fine all day. Is it just boredom? Leslie Downey
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Charles Bois wrote 04/28/2008 11:23 AM Re: Barking at me every night [Re: Leslie Downey ] #192643 - 04/28/2008 11:23 AM
Charles Bois Webboard User Reg: 07-15-2007 Posts: 50 Loc: Canada Offline	Sounds like he's found a fine way to get your attention! There are more experienced trainers than I on this site, but I personally would put him in his crate and ignore the whining or give an occasional sharp "sht!" Eventually he'll figure out that this behavior (barking or whining) will gain him no success. "In dog years I'm dead."
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Mike J Schoonbrood wrote 04/28/2008 12:05 PM Re: Barking at me every night [Re: Charles Bois ] #192645 - 04/28/2008 12:05 PM
Mike J Schoonbrood Webboard User Reg: 04-30-2005 Posts: 2784 Loc: Toronto, ON Offline	Stil! Af! or in English... Quiet! Down! Meaning: Teach him a command for stop barking, and tell him to lie down somewhere I don't mind if a dog barks at me, as long as they stop barking at me when I tell him to knock it off. Focus on his OB. Queit is quiet and down is down. If he's lying down and being quiet he can't stand in front of you to make noise
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Charles Bois wrote 04/28/2008 12:10 PM Re: Barking at me every night [Re: Mike J Schoonbrood ] #192646 - 04/28/2008 12:10 PM
Charles Bois Webboard User Reg: 07-15-2007 Posts: 50 Loc: Canada Offline	Ya - great advice Mike. According to Cesar Milan "sht" is Mexican for "Stil! Af!" LOL "In dog years I'm dead."
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Diane Joslin wrote 04/28/2008 02:49 PM Re: Barking at me every night [Re: Leslie Downey ] #192657 - 04/28/2008 02:49 PM
Diane Joslin Webboard User Reg: 01-09-2007 Posts: 368 Loc: Las Vegas, NV Offline	Hi Leslie, We have a similar situation with one of our dogs, Nickie. He will be fine all day with my hubby, getting plenty of exercise, short spurts of obedience commands, little naps, etc. Then after I come home from work, get dinner over with, and sit down to relax, we have both dogs in the front room with us while we watch a little TV. Nickie will be fine and perfectly content for nearly an hour. Then he gets the same way your dog does. He stands in front of me and barks. I tell him "quiet", make him sit, etc. That lasts about 5 seconds & then he repeats his barking. Lately I have tried something different. I say to him, "Nickie, guess you are getting very tired. Time for bed!" Then he gets into his crate and is quiet until the next morning. It's almost like a little child who gets cranky but doesn't realize that they need to take a nap or go to bed for the night!
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Leslie Downey wrote 04/29/2008 10:34 AM Re: Barking at me every night [Re: Diane Joslin ] #192737 - 04/29/2008 10:34 AM
Leslie Downey Webboard User Reg: 09-21-2007 Posts: 50 Loc: Offline	I tried his ball last night and that gave him something to do, but he keeps losing it under the sofa and he barks until I get it out. He eventually quiets down and hits the floor with a sigh and a big schlump. I try and call my 85 year old mother every night after dinner and she can't believe the noise he makes on the other end. Maybe I'll try the crate for awhile. He doesn't sleep in it though. He sleeps quietly on the floor at the top of the stairs or the foot of the bed. He does have food issues. He picked out the tiny bits of american cheese out of his kibble and ground turkey and didn't eat any of the rest. Sometimes I think he's barking because he wants a better dinner. But Flint River Ranch kibble and ground turkey I think is good stuff.
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Mitch Kuta wrote 04/29/2008 10:42 AM Re: Barking at me every night [Re: Leslie Downey ] #192739 - 04/29/2008 10:42 AM
Mitch Kuta Webboard User Reg: 01-31-2005 Posts: 464 Loc: Ovilla, TX Offline	That's a sign to go raw all the way. Really not that hard if I can do it and have been with three dogs for over a year now. Not much more cost than with premium kibble. I am not that smart but think it is not good to mix raw and kibble as both are digested differantly or something like that. MJK
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Leslie Downey wrote 04/29/2008 12:26 PM Re: Barking at me every night [Re: Mitch Kuta ] #192747 - 04/29/2008 12:26 PM
Leslie Downey Webboard User Reg: 09-21-2007 Posts: 50 Loc: Offline	I cook the turkey. But we eat ground turkey, it's good, I don't know why he doesn't want it sometimes.
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Carol Boche wrote 04/29/2008 12:41 PM Re: Barking at me every night [Re: Leslie Downey ] #192748 - 04/29/2008 12:41 PM
Carol Boche Webboard User Reg: 10-30-2005 Posts: 4531 Loc: South Dakota, USA Offline	I would definitely separate the meals. One kibble and one raw. Digestion rates are approximately 4 hrs or so for raw and up to I think 14 hrs for kibble. And, it is not really raw if you are cooking it, which will destroy the nutrients in the meat. Also, to get back on topic, what are you doing when the dog barks and whines at you? Are you talking to him, petting him to get him to stop or anything like that? I would put him in his crate every time he does this and throw a sheet over it if you cannot implement a "quiet/down" command as Mike suggested (which is a great idea). It sounds as though the dog has been rewarded somehow for this behavior so he knows it will get him something that he wants if he keeps it up. Those habits can be easy or difficult to break depending on the dog and the handlers consistency. Until The Tale of the Lioness is told, the Story will Always Glorfy the Hunter
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Cathy Goessman wrote 04/30/2008 01:24 AM Re: Barking at me every night [Re: Carol Boche ] #192809 - 04/30/2008 01:24 AM
Cathy Goessman Webboard User Reg: 12-03-2007 Posts: 1231 Loc: Phoenix, AZ Offline	If you correct hard enough to make him think about it every single time he opens his mouth he will eventually realize that barking gets him nothing but corrections and find something else to do. Whining can be dealt with the same way. But give him a fun alternative other than annoying you. A stuffed kong or other interactive food toy would be great. If he won't eat a good meal you have put down for him don't try to dress it up with cheese or cooked meat, neither of which are really heathy for him. It gets picked up until the next meal. He'll get hungry enough to eat it eventually and it'll go a long way towards proving to him that you are the pack leader and you decide what happens when. Consistency is the biggest thing to remember. It sounds like you've got a pretty persistent dog and if you give in even once he's bound to keep on taking his chances.
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