Great reply Amber. A lot of small dogs bark excessively, usually with insecure temprament, (fear based) so when people correct a dog for insecurity, reactions vary significantly. A bark collar would be more clear to the dog, than a mistimed neck
correction. Just something to think about. Yelling is a definite no no. Your dog certainly can be trying to communicate with you also. Him barking you shhhhhishing.

I had great success with an electric collar on an English Pointer that I had a number of years ago. I kept the collar on her for only a few days and her incessant barking stopped. I don't know how the collars would affect a very small dog. Some toy breeds are very yappy by nature and it may be difficult to stop the barking without using the collar.

 Quote: Amber Morgan

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 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.

 Quote: Roni Hoff

Great reply Amber. A lot of small dogs bark excessively, usually with insecure temprament, (fear based) so when people correct a dog for insecurity, reactions vary significantly. A bark collar would be more clear to the dog, than a mistimed neck
correction. Just something to think about. Yelling is a definite no no. Your dog certainly can be trying to communicate with you also. Him barking you shhhhhishing.

Nora, these are 3 of the experts that I would trust, Ed, Amber, and Roni, and so would now feel no alarm about using the e-collar to which Amber linked. So if I had a small dog, I'd do it. More for her sake than for mine because as has been posted on this forum numerous times, barking is self-rewarding. It can be a hard habit to eliminate. It can get downright obsessive.

Also because you've only had her 2 months, I would be more hesitant to administer corrections until you have a good bond and are sure she knows what is expected of her. Not wanting a dog to bark is a bit more difficult to make clear to the dog than other basic commands. So the collar would help keep you out of the correction picture for the meantime.

Edited to add: I don't think she knows what you're trying to tell her when you try to get her to be quiet. Another excellent reason for the no-bark collar.

Edited by Sandy Moore (04/09/2008 10:39 AM)
Edit reason: another thought

 Quote: Sandy Moore

Nora, these are 3 of the experts that I would trust, Ed, Amber, and Roni

Thanks for the compliment, Sandy...but I don't belong in the list with the likes of Ed, Cindy or Roni! Not even close. But thanks, though!

There are lots of experts on this forum - it's really amazing that we have so many. I definitely consider you to be one of them. Someone who can train like you do deserves the title. You also mentioned Cindy, and I forgot to look up further in the thread to see that she had posted also, and who is definitely an ace of an expert in my book.

So Nora, there you have it . I truly believe you can't go wrong with the bark-collar, not after these people have advised and/or suggested it to you, even with your 8 pound pup.

I'm just the opposite of an expert, but since I'm going through my own similar problems, here's what I'm doing - I'd be interested to know whether it would be considered an effective technique or not.

Darwin is pretty dog aggressive and he barks mostly at other dogs walking past - he can see them from the front window. Interestingly, he doesn't bark on walks, only from inside the house. We've tried "no bark" together with corrections, and it works if he's not too excited. But when he's really got overexcited about a passing dog I block the view and try and get him to sit (not always successfully). Once he's sitting I keep telling him in a gentle voice, "no bark" and "good boy" and stroke him continuously. This really seems to help; it's as if he wants to do what I ask and appreciates the positive feedback. He knows what he's doing is wrong and it seems to make him feel better to be doing something right. He still can't help himself from letting out the odd bark, but you can see that he's trying to control himself. In the end he settles for growling and eventually lies down and stays quiet - for about 10 seconds. Oh well, it's a start.

I apologize for being so late getting back to this post. I have had company and then my dog got a little sick.

But, I have read the posts from my emails.

It does appear that the experts advice is for the collar.

I will try this in the near future.

I quit trying to correct her and have gone back to more tethering.

She still barks if someone is at the door and that's OK. But she isn't as barky when she is tethered.

I am going to wait at least a few more weeks and possibly longer due to it being pointed out (and I agree) that I haven't had her a long time yet and part of it could be that she is still just simply growing up and I am simply dealing with a pup when I was used to an old dog.

Thanks for all the advice and I will be back after I get the bark collar.

Here is another update.

I have completely quit any kind of aversion or discipline training with the abundant barking.

I have re-searched this discussion board back to 2001 as well as other google searches for the barking.

My conclusion is that I need more experience with the dog and just being with her.

After re-searching this web site, I am against any aversion for this including spraying with water bottles.

If I ever make another mistake like this, someone, PLEASE, let me know.

I feel so guilty thinking how I mis-handled the barking.

For now, we are still practicing tethering and the times I let her go thru the house (still with drag line) and she barks, I go to where she is and say 'shhh'. She stops. I am not loud and am very calm. This seems to be helping some.

After more time with the dog, I will try the ecollar for barking.

Thanks for all the replies.

Have you actually trained a "quiet" command?

The same way that I prefer to teach the dog what I DO want when a visitor comes in instead of yelling "No! No jumping!", I like to teach what I want instead of correct for what I don't want. More fun all around.

Of course, it's not for everything, and I certainly do use corrections when needed.

But catching even accidental wanted behavior and marking it, then rewarding, reinforces that behavior pretty darned quick.

I have a barker rescue who bark-bark-bark-bark-bark-barked every time someone approached our door (or even our gate).

Now (months later), after one bark, I say "OK! I'll get it," and praise that warning bark. (I am extremely calm at this point; any excitement or stress in my voice, even though it's bark-related, I think might be evil-stranger-related to him.)

I now pre-empt when possible, too. When I see that the lawn guy's truck (or UPS or FedEx) has pulled up, I go ostentatiously to a window in the room where the dogs are and say happily, "Oh, goood! Lawn guy!" At first I even brought Mr. Barky over to the window to show him and say "Good lawn guy!"

All this took a while (weeks, maybe a couple of months), but what a difference it made in the house!

And he still gives a warning bark, which is marked and praised.

I forgot to add that barking is self-rewarding. It's fun.

So when I started teachin no-bark to this dog, I started with high-value treats and I kept up with the marking and rewarding for a long time.

Also, I concentrated on delivery people. When someone comes to the door and the dog barks to warn them off and they GO, it must be very satisfying to the dog. Someone comes, he barks, and they leave! So I practiced with them every time.

All JMO!