This is long but I want to try to cover the details...
Recently (basically since Monday) Keiko has been throwing an absolute fit whenever I leave the house. I have one roommate and live in a duplex so my bedroom is beside my neighbor's bedroom. On Wednesday, my roommate told me that she barked (not cried) for about thirty minutes straight...long enough that my roommate opened my bedroom door to check on her and make sure that I hadn't accidentally left her out of her crate (which I did on Monday :blush.

No, she has not been getting adequate physical exercise the past few days as this week marks the beginning of the first round of tests for me. However, in the past a lack of physical exercise has never caused these drawn out barking sessions in the crate that she started up this week.

When I take her home to visit my parents, she is also quite horrible about being left alone in the crate, no matter how far we jog or bike & train before she goes in. Leaving on some music or even leaving the windows open does not seem to change this. If I'm the only one leaving and I leave her in a crate in the kitchen or community area (where my family is) she will still make noise. The way I have handled this is the same way I handled crate training at school - I don't let her out of the crate when she's barking. I don't make a big deal when I leave the house and I don't make a big deal when I get home. I have never walked into my room if she was barking. Previously I'd decided that I will continue to handle it this way and if she doesn't seem to "grow out of it", then I would try a bark collar.

Before this week, she was fine here (not at my parent's house) when I would leave - quiet, and if she did cry at all it was usually whining which quickly died off.

I have a bit of a dilemma now because yesterday after a fair amount of time training and playing, I left the house to study. Our neighbors left a note on our door saying that her barking at 11:30 was keeping them up. I don't want my neighbors' to find my dog a nuisance and I certainly don't want to keep my fellow college students up at night or in the morning.

Keiko is a year old now. Is this possibly a "phase"? Do you think a bark collar is an appropriate solution to this problem? I am leaning towards using one but wanted to get some other input. Tomorrow we will return to our exercise schedule and see if the biking helps, in which case I would hold off on the collar.

 Quote: Jasmine Dillon

Do you think a bark collar is an appropriate solution to this problem? I am leaning towards using one but wanted to get some other input. Tomorrow we will return to our exercise schedule and see if the biking helps, in which case I would hold off on the collar.

The exercise is definitely important...I'd still go with having the bark collar on hand for when you do need it.

Also, it strikes me that perhaps when you were with your family, and not around while she was crated, they may have given her some attention while making noise in her crate. Your roommate checking on her after 30 min. of barking would've reinforced that as well.

JMO

leih

 Quote: leih merigian

Your roommate checking on her after 30 min. of barking would've reinforced that as well.

Thanks Leih! This is what I was thinking as well...I figured it might have reinforced the "if I get louder, I get attention" syndrome. I'd like to give it time to go away, having my roommate ignore her no matter what but now that my neighbors have complained I'm not sure what to do.

You also raise a good point about my family. I do ask them to ignore her but even just eye contact could have reinforced the behavior.

Buy a TriTronics bark collar.

I was resistant to bark collars for the longest time, I didn't like the idea of not controlling the correction, but I have a dog that will sit at the fence yipping for 48 hours straight (no exaggeration) if I let him, so that changed my mind a little!

Works great, and has enough variation in strengths to accommodate a softer and harder dog. Definitely like the TriTronics over the Dogtra's, and I wouldn't waste my money on any other brands.

Yes, one of my biggest concerns or reservations about the bark collar is that I can't control the correction! Thanks Mike, your post makes me a little more comfortable with the idea.

After reading both of y'alls posts, I think I am going to go ahead and get the TriTronics Bark Limiter to have on hand. Do you know if there is much difference between the XS and the (new?) G3?

I don't remember what the differences were, but I remember wanting the newest model over the old one. I'm sure I had a reason for it!

The senser is supposed to be improved. I don't remember if I can change the contact points on my older one. I know on the new ones, you can.

Alright, thanks guys!