Barking - last resort! Update!

[Joules]

Coco's barking has got really bad recently - she is especially bad when I go into the field with the alpacas.    She used to be like it when I went into bits of the garden that she is not allowed in but she got used to it.  Now, she shows no intention of stopping and will just stand at the gate barking her head off    I know she is just jealous of them getting my attention but it is really doing my head in - I have tried putting her in the car (she will normally settle down if she is in there) but she knows when I am in the field without her and barks, if I leave her in the house she barks too.    I have tried everything I can think of - ignoring her, not giving her attention until she is quiet, praising calm behaviour etc etc.  She understands the "speak" and "quiet" commands but it just goes out the window when she gets one of her strops on 

I am thinking I will have to resort to an anti bark collar of some sort.  My neighbour who has had a similar problem has just got one of the citronella ones and it stopped her dog barking within a couple of days    I have also seen these ones which emit a sonic pulse which the dog finds unpleasant:   
http://www.scottsofstow.co.uk/ProductDetails.aspx?language=en-GB&product=1188010
Since this one is £20 and the citronella one is about £80 obviously I would prefer the cheaper option but I am not sure if they are any good. 

Has anyone tried either of these methods or any other sort of anti bark solution?  Obviously I am not prepared to use the one that gives an electric shock or anything nasty like that   Also, if it stops them barking, what about barking in the night if they need to go outside - how does that work? Obviously I do not want to stop "I need to wee" barking 

Any advice will be gratefully received 

[ladylola]

Must run in the family  Sasha is a incessant barker too. I bought a bark deterrent device it plugs in the wall and triggers a ultrasonic burst to interupt the barking. [It DOESN"T work]  I think Coco like Sasha just doesn't like to be left out. I know the barking can do your nut in so I hope someone has a solution. I don't think I could use a shock collar. I think they are cruel.

[Cazzie]

Ive tried the spray collar of Daisy and it didnt work  When you find a cure pleeeeeeeeeease let me know 

[bluegirl]

I've used the Multivet citronella spray collar with success. It takes a little time for them to associate the noise they make with a spray then the penny drops, so if I don't bark I don't get sprayed.
It won't help to stop the barking if they haven't got the collar on, so they won't reach a point when their behaviour changes because of this collar, but mine knows if that collar goes on she'd better be quiet or she gets sprayed.
So if you want pretty instant results it's great, if you want long term changes then it's not the solution. Phoebe is a barkaholic when she's out with the others and it was driving me insane because she was setting them all off, and I was beginning to feel people were avoiding me, so after trying several things and also realising it was impractical to go for 3 x 1  hour walks twice and day and fit everything else in, I resorted to this and I'm pleased with the results.
I have also been lent a portable device for cars or gardens, which ladylola may be talking about. Mine runs off batteries and gives out a ultrasonic noise if they bark but I have found that the novality soon wore off from that one and they can quite happily bark through that noise without so much as batting an eyelid.

[Cob-Web]

Coco's barking has got really bad recently - she is especially bad when I go into the field with the alpacas.    She used to be like it when I went into bits of the garden that she is not allowed in but she got used to it.  Now, she shows no intention of stopping and will just stand at the gate barking her head off   

As she has "got used" to you going into parts of the garden that are off limits, it is likely that she will - eventually - get used to you going into the field, too  

I am sure that she could be *cured* without the use of aversives - taking her to the field, and not leaving her but using the quiet command in order to reward her, then taking a step away and rewarding her, repeat over and over again, the next day build up to two steps away, reward, the next day, three steps away, reward.......but it really depends if the barking is disturbing the alpacas or nearby neighbours as to whether a long-term solution is an option 

[Joules]

As she has "got used" to you going into parts of the garden that are off limits, it is likely that she will - eventually - get used to you going into the field, too  

I am sure that she could be *cured* without the use of aversives - taking her to the field, and not leaving her but using the quiet command in order to reward her, then taking a step away and rewarding her, repeat over and over again, the next day build up to two steps away, reward, the next day, three steps away, reward.......but it really depends if the barking is disturbing the alpacas or nearby neighbours as to whether a long-term solution is an option 

I thought she would get used to it too Rachel but it does not seem to be happening and it is 3 weeks so far - I would much prefer not to have to resort to aversives but there is a limit to how long I can tolerate it.  It is not doing the alpacas any good or my neighbours!    Have tried doing it gradually, giving her a bone or a toy when I leave her in the garden etc etc but none of it seems to be working and I really do not want it to take much longer as I am getting to the end of my patience with it - I think it might be a bit too long term to persevere with this now as the progress we have made in 3 weeks is minimal    The quiet command will only work when I am near her which is no good if I am down the field - the thing is, before the alpacas arrived, she used to come into the field and have a run around so she is probably pretty peed off to have lost her playground    What I would ideally like is for her to be calm around the alpacas and not harrass them so she can come into the field with me and potter around while I do what I have to do out there - sadly, it looks like that is a very long way off as all she wants to do is chase the alpacas while barking her head off 

[PennyB]

I know some have used clicker training to get some dogs used to horses --- not quick and easy but a solution

[Sheryl]

My ex groomer used a citronella collar on her dog Tyler.  He used to go in a corner, shut his eyes and bark nonstop until it ran out and then run round barking with glee.

[Cazzie]

Ive tried the spray collar of Daisy and it didnt work  When you find a cure pleeeeeeeeeease let me know 

Now actually thinking about it, wee Daisy Duke used to get stressed by this spray collar so I gave up, maybe Mark might have a solution 

[cazza]

I have done something that some will be cross about 

I got a water bottle and put some stones in it - I gave it one shake (not thrown it or dropped it or hit a dog with it) and said quiet and it had worked - this was mainly done in the car whilst I was driving as I was on my own with the dogs  and they were in a crate in the boot

Now if i go to that bottle they stand still and look at me and i just have to say quiet and it's done don't even need to touch the bottle now

Please note - this was one shake to get the dogs attention and not dropped or thrown or hit the dogs with it at all

[Top Barks]

I have done something that some will be cross about 

I got a water bottle and put some stones in it - I gave it one shake (not thrown it or dropped it or hit a dog with it) and said quiet and it had worked - this was mainly done in the car whilst I was driving as I was on my own with the dogs  and they were in a crate in the boot

Now if i go to that bottle they stand still and look at me and i just have to say quiet and it's done don't even need to touch the bottle now

Please note - this was one shake to get the dogs attention and not dropped or thrown or hit the dogs with it at all

All punishment has the chance of going badly wrong but may work for a time.They may not work at all.
There is every chance that if you use one of these products or a rattle bottle that the behaviour will resurface at a later date .
Then what? Off to buy an e collar next.
Have you thought about employing a trainer to help you get to the root of the problem rather than treating a symptom of it but a good one will cost you even more than the citronella collar. Dogs bark for a reason and it is this reason behind the barking you need to address to find a true cure.
I know where i would be spending my money but everyone must do what they think is best for them, their conscience and their dogs.
I have trained all mine to quiet on cue with a clicker that cost £2.50 and a clicker training book that cost about a tenner, no shouting, no rattle bottles and no fancy gadgets.
All it took for me was just patience and a little understanding of how dogs learn and how to teach them.
Best of luck in whatever road you choose.
Mark

[joanne_v]

I tried a spray collar when we first got lily as she was awful for barking but I would never use one again tbh. It stopped her wanting to play or interact(she mostly barks when she's excited) and made her really miserable. Not exactly the desired response. It also got set off by other dogs if they stood beside her and barked. Plus they dont learn not to bark unless you have it on constantly and thats not practical or fair. Only used it for a few hours over two days but would not recommend it at all unless you have a major reason to stop barking ie neighbours complaints and the threat of an ASBO!

All I do now with Lily if she doesnt respond to 'quiet' is to give her a time out in the kitchen. She knows she'll only be let out if she is quiet for a few mins. Much easier!

[cazza]

I never use the bottle any more it went in the bin ages ago, but i have exactly the same one for one of the kids school juice
Every school morning they stand and watch me and once it has been filled and put in the lunch box they get a biscuit 

I now use the quiet command and if this doesn't work I walk out the room (hard if driving - but we have sorted that, with a cover over the crate in the car as she was barking at birds sheep etc)

Mark I totally understand what you are saying, and I am lucky that it didn't back fire on me, and we found another solution for the constant barking in the car 

[Joules]

All punishment has the chance of going badly wrong but may work for a time.They may not work at all.
There is every chance that if you use one of these products or a rattle bottle that the behaviour will resurface at a later date .

Thanks guys for all your replies and experiences - I am very loath to use anything that may have a negative effect in the long run, hence my post 

Mark, I have clicker trained Coco to be quiet too and I have taken her into the field on her lead and clicker trained her to be calm around the animals - she is as good as gold when I am with her.  Getting her to stop barking when I am near to her is no problem.  However, this will not work if I am 100 ft away in the field which is when I have the problem.    She stops barking when she sees me walking back towards the gate - if I waited until she was quiet as I would prefer I would have to spend the day in the field!   I never come right up to her or come out of the field until she is quiet though.  As for the reason - I really believe that Coco barks mainly for attention, she is very focussed on me and barks when she cannot get to where I am.  It is tricky when I am the only person she lives with - it is inevitable that she will focus on me although I do get other people to play with her, take her for walks etc to try and counteract this.  I have tried being patient but there are other considerations and I cannot have the alpacas getting stressed either 

Sounds from peoples' experiences though that these gadgets do not always work too well so I will persevere a bit longer with the clicker and consider some one to one sessions.  It is not the cost that concerns me, rather that I find a way to stop this behaviour without creating further problems.  As anyone who has a very barky dog will know, persistent barking can really drive you nuts 

Note to self - remember to buy some earplugs!

[Cob-Web]

As she has "got used" to you going into parts of the garden that are off limits, it is likely that she will - eventually - get used to you going into the field, too  

I am sure that she could be *cured* without the use of aversives - taking her to the field, and not leaving her but using the quiet command in order to reward her, then taking a step away and rewarding her, repeat over and over again, the next day build up to two steps away, reward, the next day, three steps away, reward.......but it really depends if the barking is disturbing the alpacas or nearby neighbours as to whether a long-term solution is an option 

I thought she would get used to it too Rachel but it does not seem to be happening and it is 3 weeks so far - I would much prefer not to have to resort to aversives but there is a limit to how long I can tolerate it.  It is not doing the alpacas any good or my neighbours!    Have tried doing it gradually, giving her a bone or a toy when I leave her in the garden etc etc but none of it seems to be working and I really do not want it to take much longer as I am getting to the end of my patience with it - I think it might be a bit too long term to persevere with this now as the progress we have made in 3 weeks is minimal    The quiet command will only work when I am near her which is no good if I am down the field - the thing is, before the alpacas arrived, she used to come into the field and have a run around so she is probably pretty peed off to have lost her playground    What I would ideally like is for her to be calm around the alpacas and not harrass them so she can come into the field with me and potter around while I do what I have to do out there - sadly, it looks like that is a very long way off as all she wants to do is chase the alpacas while barking her head off 

Three weeks is no time at all to get used to new animals and a new routine (as you say, she has lost her playtime/space that she had before alpacas, and she won't understand why she can no longer do what she used to do) - I really do think that this will get better in time; but I am thinking in terms of months, not weeks, and I do appreciate that this may not be possible if the alpacas are stressed or the neighbours are irritated