aprhj

Poppy has just recently started barking at random things. Sometimes its her reflection in a window or one of the neighbors moving around on their property. We can't seem to figure out how to get her to stop. Now sometime I know why she barks, for attention. Most of the time she barks we are not within reaction distance. She's outside, we're inside, but she's not confined to outside and not barking to get in she can come in when she wants, or she may be confined to the kitchen and we are in a different room. IF we are within reaction distance a good strong "No" or "Hush" will generally take care of it.

How would you recommend we get her to stop barking?

Purple Poodle

I would try using a whistle recall that way if you are out of range and she can come in when you call.

Start whitout the bark, just do just a short sound then give her a little treat (like chicken or dried liver). Do this a few times so she associates the whistle with yummy treats. Once she (go slow) understands move away from her, whistle and when she comes treat her. Do this until she understands that when you whistle she needs to come to you and get a treat! I would do this from different rooms in the house, call her from one place to another. Then once she can do that move on to only doing that when she barks. When she does bark whistle, wait for her to come to you and then treat.

We are having a hard time with barking as well but we have 5 dogs so when one goes they all go as soon as I find a whistle that not $20 I am getting one!

Anyway good luck and I hope it works if you decided to try it.

Sparkle&Spunk

I found that teaching Ocsi to bark on command also means he understands what it means if I say "no woof."

Seems ironic perhaps- but by teaching him that I will reward him to bark when I ask him- then ask him to stop barking when I don't want him to works really well.

Not sure if I'll get stones thrown at me from the peanut gallery, but I popped a big bag of popcorn when I was teaching him to bark, it takes a LOT of treats to get this trick down! LOL

hope that helps!

Olie

We have a cat next door that drives Suri nuts and she will bark and completely ignor me. So I like PP suggestions and might try this. What type of whistle? Just any kind?

Purple Poodle

A referee whistle should work.

Marian

That's exactly why I taught Teddy to bark on command.