Hello

[Jessica's Mum]

Jessica is 7 months old. We've been lucky enough to have her for almost 4 weeks because her previous owners found her too much of a handful! she's just a puppy, not naughty at all.
there is one small thing though and it has only just started. she won't stop barking when friends come to the house.
Logically I think it is because she knows I am going out, (she is never left alone), but it is becoming difficult because she is so adorable everyone wants to say hello and she just won't have it. It's not aggressive barking, she usually weaves in and out of my legs where she knows she is safe but she won't stop. Any suggesstions?

[suzysu]

Sorry no help with the barking I'm afraid - just wanted to say glad to hear little Jessica now has nice home where you are prepared to help and look after her.  Well done!

[daftcockers]

The only way I could stop one of mine barking was to have a plant water bottle, and move the nozzle so that it dosent give a fine spray, but a long squirt (if you know what I mean.), when he wouldnt stop barking I would just give a little spray in his face (this doesnt hurt them), but they soon associate it to them barking and it soon stopped him.  

[looby lou]

another way is the abistop antibark collars - the ones with the spray that shoots out when they bark. the spray can be fresh air or citronella. I used the fresh air one . When the dog barks it fires a spray under the chin. The noise of the spray along with the gush of air makes them stop. The downside however is that they can learn to bark to empty the little canister very quickly. it worked in the short term with Millie, if she becomes bad again i just put the collar on her empty and she shuts up straight away.
   

[Gilly]

I would be inclined to tell people NOT to pet her until she has stopped barking    She is barking for attention and obviously she get's it, she then associates the barking with being petted and knows it will get her what she wants.

My cocker girlie is a barker & talker. I've got used to it and it doesn't bother me I just talk over the top of her and tell people to wait until she calms down. It doesn't take long for her to get the message as she stops and sits at their feet patiently waiting to be petted, but hell mend you if you stop stroking her as she paws you to death
 

[PennyB]

I would be inclined to tell people NOT to pet her until she has stopped barking    She is barking for attention and obviously she get's it, she then associates the barking with being petted and knows it will get her what she wants.

My cocker girlie is a barker & talker. I've got used to it and it doesn't bother me I just talk over the top of her and tell people to wait until she calms down. It doesn't take long for her to get the message as she stops and sits at their feet patiently waiting to be petted, but hell mend you if you stop stroking her as she paws you to death

I agree. Ignoring her while they come in until she stops barking and then they can greet her on their terms.

Abistop collars are great as a last resort for persistent barkers, but may in this case its more about training the visitors.

It also might be worth getting her used to being on her own sometimes as you never know when you'll need it. Better to do it now to avoid any problems later. I made sure my two can be on their own either together or separately as I can't always guarrantee I'll be around all the time (even though I work from home).

[JaneES]

I am a fan of the aboistop anti bark collar, but each dog behaves differently with it:

Oliver - he thinks its a medal and walks around very proudly wearing it, but doesnt bark!!  
Charlie - mmmm he barks at it until you put it on him then instantly shuts up and goes off in a huff - keeps quiet though.  He now has to wear it ech morning before he gets outside with the others as he has a terrible habit of running out barking all the way around the perimeter!  Not very popular with the neighbours at 6.30AM unsure:  
Harvey - my Italian Spinone, he barks until the cannister is empty then carries on barking.  I have tried the mustard spray and the citronella but he seems to like them!  
Simon - he doesnt have to wear it, he is perfect!  

You can sometimes get a good deal from EBay.  

Good Luck!

[Tracey J]

I don't mean to hijack this thread  but I'm really interested in this subject.  Molly has gone from being a silent little girl, to the barking demon from hell.  Funnily enough, this coincided with Brodie coming home   .  My OH had wanted me to get one of these collars (maybe he meant for me to wear it! ) but I didn't know much about them.  Is there a time limit for wearing them ie. can they be worn through the night?  I know Molly's mum is a barker, and if Oliver is too then I've got pups with double bark genes!!  

[Colin]

An aboistop collar worked well with Jimmy - until I lost it.

I only had to wave it at him and he'd stop barking. The idea is supposed to be that the dog thinks it's the barking that causes the squirt and is not linked to the wearing of the collar, I suspect Cockers are just too damn smart for that though. Jimmy was.

Try and find one with an on/off switch though as the one I had used up the battery all the time it was in there - a design fault that alerts the dog to realising it is the collar making the squirt and not the dog's own behaviour as you are constantly fiddling with the battery, putting it in and out.

Ooh, and welcome to the forum Jessica's mum.  

[PennyB]

If she is only barking like this when visitors come I would still try the training the visitors route 1st, unless she's barking a lot of the time regardless of visitors.

You've only had her for 4 weeks so there's time to still find out what she's really like and try out different things.

She's just going into adolescence now and so may begin some wonderful challenging behaviour that goes with all teenagers (or may be not, some cockers breeze through it). If she's your 1st cocker it also might be worth taking her to training classes as well where you'll get some face to face advice re anything else that comes your way.

[Colin]

Just to add, my above post was mainly direcetd to Tracey's question.

Inthe case of the original poster's 7 month old pup still settling into a new home there is the danger that the use of an Aboistop collar might make her associate being squirted by the collar with visitors to the house, not a good idea really. Best to follow Penny and Gilly's good advice first rather than run the risk of creating a deeper longterm problem.

[Gilly]

Maybe I'm a bit old-fashioned, or tight    

As I always wonder what we did before they invented such things as the Aboistop   Not that I don't think they are a good idea probably even a better idea if you have more than one dog who barks.

All dogs are different and I think Cocker's are a barky breed    Buttons barks when she goes outside to let the neighbourhood she's outside. She barks if someone walks past the house, if she hears any strange noises basically she barks at anything  

I'm, not sure if it annoys my neighbours, probably, but then they have got a yappy Westie so I don't really care      

[Sophie]

Hi

Just to put my 5 penneth worth in on the Barking theme.  We have three Cockers; Sophie who is 5 and two of her daughters; Millie and Sasha both just over a year.

Sophie has always barked a little: A Cocker thing I expect, but when she was pregnant ane even more so once the pups were born she began barking at everthing and everyone.  Visitors to the house were the worst, but we put that down to being protective of her litter.

Our two little darlings have progressively got worse than Mum and will bark at noises on the TV even.  We are considering getting the Aboistop collars for them as training seems to have no effect.

When out for walks they bark at passers by or anyone who comes close.  That having been said, we have recently taken them to training classes without Sophie and they behave much better.  They still bark, but just a little to let the bigger dogs there know whose boss. Ha Ha.

Anyone got any suggestions before we get the collar (s)

[Jessica's Mum]

Wow so much advice, thank you all!
I have had some problems accessing the site over the past couple of days and was so pleased to be able to log on today and read all the replies.

Jessica definitly barks at everthing, including passers by. I must admit I have put this down as a cocker thing. She's usuually just letting everyone know she's around whether they like it or not!
It's been @ 16 years since we had our last cocker, Holly, and although she barked she never did at visitors.

the collar might be a good idea a little later on then. She is changing a little at the mo I think because the vet said her first season is due very soon. This we have never experienced as we had Holly spayed before her first season. I'll let you know how we get on.


 

[Maria]

Hello Jessica's mum - or is it Jackie??

Just to say I don't have anything to add really on the barking, (as you know Boysie still has some 'issues'), but to say hello to my friend Jackie and the gorgeous Jessica who I haven't been able to cuddle for a few weeks, but who has truly landed on her paws into a lovely family who love her to bits!

Welcome to COL Jackie!!

Maria