Barking in the Garden

[Goggins]

Freya is now 11 months old and a fantastic girl...couldnt ask for any more from her except for the topic title 

She loves to be out and about in the back garden and has just started the "go outside and bark" and bark and yap and bark ect etc...she does this if neighbours are out in their gardens talking and if no-one appears to be out...she goes into "deaf" mode if called...and my mum (and proberly neighbours) are getting really cheesed off with hearing it.

Now, she doesnt appear to do this if Im about (she is my velcro dog) and I wonder if she is bored? She has a good hours off lead walk and plays ball every morning mon-fri and at wends its about the same!!

Please can anyone advise how we should go about dealing with this barking as I want to do it right and not tell her off as such...

Just thought id ask on here as Ive never owned a cocker before and not a "barky" dog either...I also have a friend who is a behaviourist (done many course and through kennel club too) so I wonder If I should give her a call?

Im open to all suggestions---thanks in advance!! 

[mlynnf50]

I can't wait for the replies as selby just barks, if someone comes in the house and never shuts up and if I talk to people outside he's the same, drives me nuts. Hope you ge some advice

[Petepreston]

Posie has got herself into the habit of waiting at the back door and getting increasingly agitated, and even barking inside the house, until she is let out. The moment we let her out she runs around the garden barking like crazy then runs back in the house, still barking, then barks at the doorway from inside. 

We can't tell when she needs out to wee and when she's just in fixation mode.

I'm looking forward to hearing a suggestion, though I suspect it'll be good advice that we'll all find hard to follow through for long before the urge to capitulate for an easy life gets the better of us. 

[Emilyoliver]

My two sometimes rush into the back garden shrieking  - but it's at the neighbours' cat who sits on the shed roof taunting them. They do also enjoy playing out there which is very sweet. But if they get too noisy I just call them back in until they're calmer.  I don't leave them out there on their own to bark (and garden!). Generally if I'm with them outside they're quiet.

[Karma]

Honey does this too.

I know how it could be solved... you literally do not open the door unless they are calm, and take them out on lead calmly until the habit is broken... any lunging, shrieking, howling etc means door gets closed again... but with a toddler and a new baby due any week now, that isn't going to happen.
Hopefully in the summer we can leave the back door open in the evenings and break the habit that way (if the door is already open, she doesn't go out like a demon).

(In our case, the huge excitement is due to the fox that likes to potter around the bottom of the garden....)

And, yes, if she is outside and starts barking at something, she just gets called in.

[montydavies]

Monty is terrible for this. Unfortunately we have wire type fences which he can see into the other gardens through, and he barks like mad at anyone (or thing) that he can see. It is really irritating, and I am unsure how to stop it. I am always there when  he goes out, and he always goes out on a long line so he is easy to catch if he is playing deaf and won't recall, I always bring him in again as soon as he starts barking. I think if we had solid fences alot of the visual stimulus just wouldn't occur, but the situation was not helped by the teenage boys next door teasing him by kicking a ball against the fence at him    We also have a fox around in the garden, and this sets him off worse than anything.

[dal55]

Cassie is exactly the same. If we've been away she runs into the centre of our "postage Stamp" and gives one huge bark.... few steps another huge bark etc. It's as though she's saying "I'M BACK !!"
 She goes into the garden calm but any strange noise sets her off.............. mostly the brats next door.
If she sees a cat, well,  to hear her you would think I was trying to kill her !
She doesn't bark at the postman !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!