How to stop the woofing - Poodle Forum - Standard Poodle, Toy Poodle, Miniature Poodle Forum ALL Poodle owners too!

Aida-Christine · 04-03-2010, 03:14 PM

I have a standard Poodle guide dog. She is usually so well behaved, but lately barking, or rather, woofing has become a problem. This all started when she gets played with. If she barks when I play with her, I turn my back and stop playing. Unfortunately I don't know how to deal with the people in my family who don't think barking is a problem and so encourage it by giving her attention while or just after she woofs. My problem is that her woofing is no long just at home. She woofed at two kids in a doctors office this morning. It is her way of saying she wants to play, but the kids mother dragged them away, and rightly so because it sounds aggressive. She even woofed at someone coming down our aisle in a movie theatre once!

Bark collars don't seem to work on her because her woofs are spaced out and quick.

I really don't want to go the method of teaching her to bark to make her stop, because so far when I teach her a command for something she just wants to do it more often. I also wouldn't know how to lure a bark from her to teach the word. She's not food driven unfortunately.

If anybody has any suggestion I'd be so happy to hear them.

Marian · 04-03-2010, 08:15 PM

Victoria Stilwell demonstrated a way of doing this on the episode that was on earlier tonight. She was working with three little Malteses who barked their heads off anytime someone came to the door, but I don't see why it wouldn't work in your case too.

Basically, she "charged up" the word "stop" by saying the word and feeding a treat three or four times. Then she would wait until the dogs were not paying attention to her, say the word "stop" and if they looked at her, they got a treat.

So by the end of the episode, they still barked initially, but all she had to do was say "stop" and they were quiet as church mice.

It's worth a try. Good luck!

Olie · 04-04-2010, 04:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marian

Victoria Stilwell demonstrated a way of doing this on the episode that was on earlier tonight. She was working with three little Malteses who barked their heads off anytime someone came to the door, but I don't see why it wouldn't work in your case too.

Basically, she "charged up" the word "stop" by saying the word and feeding a treat three or four times. Then she would wait until the dogs were not paying attention to her, say the word "stop" and if they looked at her, they got a treat.

So by the end of the episode, they still barked initially, but all she had to do was say "stop" and they were quiet as church mice.

It's worth a try. Good luck!

Hmm I like this, I might give this a go and see what I get at my door barkers.

Marian · 04-04-2010, 08:25 AM

I'm trying to adapt the principle to the word "come". Since Teddy doesn't respond to it very well unless he's in the mood to come to me (probably my fault for overusing it to begin with!), I'm trying to build a strong association between the word come and a yummy treat. I hope it works.