Hi
I just received this from Dr Spook and its all about Cockers barking and how to stop them doing it when it is inappropriate. Hope it helps...
To a Cocker Spaniel, loud short words like no!, shut up!,
don’t bark!sound just like barks. Think of it
this way. The dog barks to signal a potential
problem.
Now you (who are suppose it to be the leader of the pack)
come over and bark too. This clearly indicates that you
agree that this is the right timeto sound the alarm.
Lets step back briefly in time to understand why a
Cocker Spaniel barks
The procedure worked out by wild dogs to stop barking is
really quite simple.The pack leader, the puppy's mother, or
any pack member who is obviously higher in dominance ranking
can give the signal for silence.
To stop barking, the dominant animal places its mouth over
the offender's muzzle, without actually biting, and then
gives a short, low, and breathy growl.
The low growl will not be heard very far, and is short in
duration. The mouth over the muzzle is not actually inflicting
pain, so there is no yelping or attempt to escape. Silence
usually follows immediately.
You can copy this behavior as a simple way to tell your
Cocker Spaniel to stop barking when it is near you. With your
Cocker Spaniel sitting at your left side, slip the fingers of
your left hand under the collar at the back of the dog's neck.
Pull up on the collar with your left hand, while your right
hand folds over the top of the Cocker Spaniel's muzzle and presses
down.
In a quiet, businesslike and unemotional tone, you simply say,
"a Quiet." You repeat this silencing maneuver whenever it is
necessary.This may take anywhere from two to a couple of dozen
repetitions to associate the calmly stated command " Quiet"
with an end to barking.
What you have done in this instance is to effectively copy the
way in which the pack leader will silence a noisy puppy or other
pack member. Your left hand on the collar is simply immobilizes
the head.
Your right hand serves the same function and communicates the
same message as the leader's mouth over the noisy animal's
muzzle. The softly spoken, "Quiet" copies the short, low,
breathy growl.
Be sure, however, that you use this procedure to stop your
Cocker Spaniel from barking only when barking is unnecessary, as
in an obedience class or a public place. Remember that we
specifically bred dogs to bark, so if your Cocker Spaniel sounds
the alarm at the approach of a stranger, or even at the sight of
the cat outside your window, don't correct him.
If there is no cause for any action, just call him to your side
and give him a quick pet or rub. By barking, your Cocker Spaniel is
only doing the job we designed him to do thousands of years ago.
Jo x
