Will TTouch help?

[Mel]

Tali, as previously said, is barking alot. He can hear the postie come into the block and starts barking and getting himself into a complete stupour. Obviously he hears her getting closer and this makes him worse. He attempts to rip up the post if I don't get there first. He runs around with straight back, tail curled upwards and high and ears up and slightly back.

He also heard something at around 2.15am this morning which spooked him and he started to oooff and then bark. I had to shout a little to stop him barking as all other ways didn't stop him. He was more scared of whatever noise it was than me telling him to go back to sleep, it's all safe.

I've ordered a couple of Linda Tellington-Jone's books from Amazon. Will TTouch help to relax him more? I've tried Bach Flower Remedies and Dorwest's Scullcap and Valarian plus a DAP diffuser but I'm at a loss.

He's confident out of the house, except in my brother's car. This is strange because he had a long journey home in it. He's fine in my car. He's very confident with other dogs and pretty confident with other people.

The real nervousness started when one of the old farts who live here had a steaming go at me for sitting on the bench with Tali. Long story but they have been on at me about my dogs since 1984 claiming I leave dog's mess everywhere which I don't. The grounds are completely open and allsorts of people walk through here.

I digress but this "verbal attack" by this old fart ended up in my mobile getting broken and I had to call the police.

So, for obvious reasons, Tali gets spooked at silly things and I dedperately want to relax him now.

All advice greatfully received.

[Black Red + Yellow]

What a nutter the ole fart sounds

Its Tali food orientated?  Could you try positive associations of good and postie?

I tried something similar with my new door bell.....the first time I was trying it out, Alfie sat back and howled, proper head back....I'm a wolf stuff   So I got a handful of high reward treats and pressed the bell and gave a shush command followed by a treat.....did a little of this every day and he now takes no notice of it.

We did a similar exercise with the gun...he was gun shy at first but did lots of de-sensitising exercises.  Got any friends who can pretend to post stuff through your door so you can repeat the exercise?

Just a thought?

[Black Red + Yellow]

  :005:that should read positive associations of food and postie

[ElaineH]

Have you seen Gwen Bailey's book "Clever Dog"? There's a good chapter in there on teaching Bark and Quiet

[Mel]

Thanks both of you for those suggestions. I have been doing both of these for sometime now. It does seem, however, his fear of whatever is spooking him is greater than the desire for food. He is very food motivated but even if I have loads of chicken on hand for when postie comes, he will sit a get a treat, run off barking and come back expecting a treat and when not treat comes because he is barking he runs back to the door again. He hears so much going on in the flats which we obviously don't hear plus barking dogs and foxes and he just ends up in a barking frenzy. Poor little thing.

[Karma]

Yes - T-Touch can help! 

There are techniques that are used specifically to help barking, especially nervous barking...
(though I am sat here with a comatose dog who would turn from collapsed in a heap to a whirling, barking dervish if the postman dared to put something through the letterbox!!!!  )

[Ninasmum]

Mel you could try Tali with a calming band.     This is the site  http://www.mekuti.co.uk/calm_bands.htm

We have taken Nina to a TTouch Practioner & he advised us to use one on her.  I believe you should use it for short periods, say 15 mins & the reason for this is just to make them aware of the barking.  Although i have now got one for her, since using TTouch on her, the barking has greatly reduced & she seems quite a bit more relaxed. 

I would say its definetly worth trying TTouch with Tali.     Perhaps try contacting clairep4 on COL, as she is a Practioner. 

[Mel]

Thank you all so very much for your advice on this. Tali is excellent in some areas and I know this side of 6 months they can get spooked but he's getting into a self spiralling situation.

Keli got frightened by a dog at 15 weeks old. He hated dogs all his life. A trip to Roger Mugford didn't solve it either, bloomin' Aboistop. It was only on chemo that he stopped barking at them at the vets and even then I could tell he was stressed.

That was caused by one stupid incident. I don't want the actions of a selfish, nasty old fart to ruin Tali's life for him.