Hello!

I have an approx. 7-month-old Malinois bitch who is currently in training for Mondio.

I've searched a little bit on here about people teaching the "quiet" command, but I'm having a hard time adopting those methods for my situation.

I've always sort of battled separation anxiety with her, but things had vastly improved until about a week ago, when she started to come into her first heat. Up until then, she had been calm in her ex-pen, calm in her crate, and very well-behaved when I started letting her loose in the living room with me. Now she is a raving lunatic.

She's suddenly back to leaping at the sides of her ex-pen, whining/talking/barking if I go out on the patio (still in her view) or down the hall (out of her view).

I came home from work last night at about midnight and I hear her just barking non-stop. Not crying, not whining, but her big "grown up" bark. She sounded so stressed that I wondered if something was wrong, or someone was in the apartment. So I crept inside, but everything was fine. I waited until she was quiet before letting her out, but it wasn't as though she really had to use the bathroom, either - she was sort of nonchalant about the whole thing.

Normally, I wouldn't be so frustrated with this - but all my other dogs have been raised in a house, not an apartment. So, I didn't have to worry too much about neighbors getting upset while a dog worked through some noise issues.

Since this is all ex-pen or crate related, should I try to mark the "quiet" from a distance and maybe toss a treat over the ex-pen? What about the barking in the crate when no one is home? It's hard to predict if and when she's going to do that.

I am pretty sure her heightened anxiety has to do with her current hormonal state, but I want to curb this behaviour.

Thanks, guys!

Erica

What type/duration of exercise does she get on a daily basis?

 Quote: konnie hein

What type/duration of exercise does she get on a daily basis?

At least 3 very long training sessions per day, combined with a 15-20 minute walk. I tried walking her longer to see if more exercise + tired puppy = quiet puppy, but it did not seem to change anything.

I just got home from work and she was flat out barking like crazy, again. I know it's not that she's recognizing the sound of my car, either, because I drove a work truck home tonight.

I started putting "quiet" on command today and she picked up on it quite fast.

However, this night-time barking is a different story and it's confusing me quite a bit.