Author Topic: Barking at inanimate objects?  (Read 407 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline amyloula

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 4
  • Gender: Female
Barking at inanimate objects?
« on: July 30, 2014, 09:17:25 PM »
Hi everyone :blink:

Sherlock's behaviour has improved a lot over the past months (he used to be a bit of a terror, to put it lightly, at 15 months he is thankfully mellowing somewhat!) but one thing that he has started to do more and more is bark at inanimate objects.

He gets fixated on things like the wheelbarrow, or a chair, and he will stand beside them, bark, paw at them, then bark some more when the wheel spins or the chair rocks. I know it's probably just being (extremely!) nosy by nature, but I was wondering if anyone had any tips on getting him to quieten down. The issue is that our garden is quite close to our neighbour's and Sherlock's bark is very piercing, and once he gets going he really doesn't want to stop. Plus, if he barks at something that we can remove from his environment then we can manage, but when it's bulky objects which have to stay in the garden for lack of room elsewhere, it would be useful to be able to get him to learn to leave them alone or at least be quiet when examining them!

Thanks in advance for any tips  :shades:

Offline Misty Roan

  • Donator
  • Sr. Member
  • *
  • Posts: 378
  • Gender: Female
Re: Barking at inanimate objects?
« Reply #1 on: July 31, 2014, 06:58:06 PM »
I think it's a fear thing. Misty barks when she sees something she hasn't seen before or if it's moved from its usual place in the garden.. If possible I just ignore her and walk up and around the object with no reaction.  Then she usually ignores it. I have a problem with her barking at my neighbours and their wheelie bin which she can see through gaps in the fence.  She barks when they are in the garden because she wants their attention and she barks at the bin if they've moved it or the lid is flapping.  Wish I had more advice and look forward to anyone else's suggestions on inappropriate barking.  :blink:
Misty 3.6.2011 - 1.11.2016

Offline amyloula

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 4
  • Gender: Female
Re: Barking at inanimate objects?
« Reply #2 on: August 01, 2014, 09:50:50 AM »
Barking at the bin through the fence definitely sounds like something Sherl would do  :lol: I'll try out walking around the objects to see if he'll leave them be, thanks!

Offline Jane57

  • Donator
  • Hero Member
  • *
  • Posts: 4056
  • Gender: Female
  • Riley
Re: Barking at inanimate objects?
« Reply #3 on: August 01, 2014, 10:26:49 AM »
Riley does this, got woke up the other morning at 6am, he was barking at a seagull out the front of our house pecking at a carrier bag  :P
Also a traffic cone on our walk the other day lol.
Also a man in a high viz jacket, as it made his shoulders look very scary says riley.
Its very common in cockers.

Offline JennyBee

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5915
  • Gender: Female
  • Princess Brodie
Re: Barking at inanimate objects?
« Reply #4 on: August 01, 2014, 12:24:32 PM »
Brodie used to be an incredibly timid puppy, and although now at six she's a lot better, she still spooks at things occasionally. Once it was a half melted snowman :005:. The other week there it was a baby walker thing that had been left out in a park. I always let her take a good look at it, and I've found the best way for me to deal with it is similar to Misty Roan's: to speak to her calmly and walk up to whatever she's barking at. She usually follows me and once she's close enough to see it's not a scary monster she's fine (she's walked on a flexi lead so is under no pressure to follow if she doesn't want to). If she isn't happy to approach it then I leave it for the time being.

                              x In memory of Barney x