Puppy Tips Blog

I have a miniature schnauzer puppy and every time he see another dog he starts barking at the other dog. How do I get him to stop…Does anyone have any suggestions to what to do??

You can bring a toy with you each time if he starts to bark direct his attention to the toy.Soon he probably will feel more confident be next to dogs.

We have a new puppy, who whines if you aren't petting or holding it. It is really bothersome at 3 am. I really need help. This our first house dog.

so in other words everytime it whines you hold it or give it attention? This needs to stop immediately! if you do not give it attention when it barks and whines it will eventually figure it out and stop. Praise the dog when it makes no noise at all and sits quietly. My dog did this too and it drove me nuts. he would sit in his bed and emit a high pitch whine that only a few of my friends and i could hear. DO NOT scold the dog or talk to it when it whines, still interprets it as attention

good luck!

We have a beagle/lab mix that we've had for almost 3 weeks now. She is about 7 lbs and 11 weeks old. We got her from a rescue shelter where she was rescued with her litter mates. We don't know much more about her history. We live in a two-bedroom apartment and we keep her in her kennel at night, in the second vacant bedroom. When we got her, the rescue shelter told us not to put any sort of bed or anything in the kennel with her at night because it gives them an absorbent area to go to the bathroom on. She has been barking all through the night every night. We can't sleep and I'm scared I'm keeping the other people in our building up at night too. We put a washcloth in with her to give her a little something soft to lay on, and that helps a little, but she still wines/barks every night and it's been almost three weeks now. We've even tried the ticking clock next to the kennel. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

If you spoil your dog like me, to get it to stop barking all you have to do is put the dog on your bed and rub behind its ear. They will become relaxed and will either go to sleep or just stop barking.

My husky puppy stayed at the vet for 2 days when we were gone. I know she is happy to be home. Since being home she is crying for no reason, and barking more. She is not sleeping either. She is biting us more and jumping on us. What should I do? Is she excited? How long will this take before it stops?
my puppy was boarding for 2 nights at the vet.
She is almost 12 weeks.

Was the puppy kept in a kennel the majority of the time at the vet? Probably so. If she isn't normally kept in a kennel a good portion of the day, this in combination with the new surroundings and missing you is a big change for your puppy. The biting is pretty typical of puppies. Try bitter apple on your hands. Another technique recommended by my vet was to reach in the puppies mouth and clamp down on the lower jaw pressing the tongue down. This is very affective and harmless to the pup. This will end eventually when the puppies teeth fall out. The barking….well she has been in a kennel full of barking for days. Get your puppy back into a routine and things will get better soon enough.

I just got a puppy a few weeks ago. When my dad leaves in the morning around 6 (my mom already left for work) she barks untill somebody wakes up to play (me and my brother are left alone) Anyway to get her to stop? Do you think that this is a phase? I just don't want her to not grow out of it.

It's a puppy thing. Its ready to start its day. take it for a walk. then go back to your sleep.

I recently got 6 month old pitbull/hound mix. He is a great puppy-except when he goes for walks he barks constantly at other dogs. He used to bark at people, but he is better with that. Since he has pitbull in him, people are terrified when he barks. I don't want that! Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get my dog to not bark at other dogs on the street?

With few exceptions, all dogs bark. Barking is a natural behaviour and it is a way of communicating. While the messages can range from loneliness to hunger or playfulness, most often barking is used as an alarm or alert signal that indicates to the other pack members that a stranger or intruder is approaching

Most people have a feeling of security and comfort knowing their dogs are “on the job”. Some people even encourage their dogs to bark and growl when the doorbell rings or someone knocks. They feel this is acceptable behaviour, however, when the dogs become uncontrollable, with barking that is excessive, they become a nuisance. Life is miserable for neighbours who must listen day after day to barking dogs.
Excessive barking often begins in puppy-hood, when the pup who is not yet house-trained is unwisely shut behind closed doors. Improper confinement will definitely cause a barking problem, and dogs that are tied or tethered will eventually become frustrated and begin to bark to communicate their displeasure. We must always remember that dogs are pack animals. It is not natural or normal for them to be alone, however, millions of dogs must learn to cope confidently while members of the family go out daily to work.

Chewing, uncontrolled barking, house-training problems and destructive behaviour have put many dogs out of their homes, and all of this could be avoided if we simply communicated more effectively with our canine companions. They are part of a pack or family, similar in behaviour to their ancestors, the wolves. Wolves travel, hunt, sleep and eat in a group environment, therefore, we must modify this instinct. We must, in our human packs, make our dogs feel comfortable and secure about being alone in the “den” while the other pack members are away.

Because most barking takes place when you are away from home, you have no choice but to believe your neighbours when they complain.

Barking is actually quite common and not that difficult to rectify. Let us consider the encouraging owner who inadvertently praises and teaches his or her dog that its barking is the greatest thing, which makes the dog feel its owner is happy and pleased when he barks.

The easiest way to teach the dog to bark is command him to “speak”. So while the dog is barking at the door, the owner may use the command word “speak”. The dog will associate barking behaviour with this word. Now, your golden moment has arrived. You are going to teach your dog the word “quiet”, or “enough” or “shush” (your choice!). We do not teach the word “No”, because “No” means “Never, ever do that - ever".

When you command your dog to be “Quiet” and he keeps barking, you will have to teach him the meaning of the word “Quiet”. Hitting your dog or using other physical measure or mechanical or electronic aids are unkind and unnecessary. You may hold your dog’s muzzle closed (gently and kindly), or you may have to use a water pistol. Another method is to make a sudden sharp sound (rattle a pop can with some coins in it, or bang on a pot) to divert your dog’s attention from barking. When your dog has ceased to bark for at least three to five seconds, praise him in a quiet, calm voice, perhaps saying, “Good, quiet. Good!”. Avoid stroking, patting and hugging your dog at this point, as you may over-excite him again, and he may miss the point of the whole exercise.

Before you leave your dog alone, remember the following points:

Provide adequate exercise.

Leave the radio or television on.

Provide your dog with proper chewing material - rawhide, nylabones and Kong toys stuffed with yummy stuff are good (beware of using real animal bones - they can splinter).

Crate train your dog.

Unplug your phone.

Place a “Do Not Disturb” sign on your door. This may prevent trades people from knocking or ringing the bell, which would set your dog off on a barking cycle.

Shut the shades or drapes so your dog cannot see outside.

Make your departures calm. Tone things down and be matter of fact. Over-emotional, guilt-ridden departures (and entrances) put your dog in a state of anxiety.

He just barks at every one but me and a few close friends, He barks at only and all men. Why? What can I do to stop it? Is there a healthn issue that would cause him to bark for no apparent reason.

Bichons at a very early age should be socialized with ALL types of people (men, women, children) and other animals. Puppy groups are good for this, as well as taking her out to the park, pet stores, and so forth.

It is harder to correct the problem when they are older. Look around in your area for group training classes, other pet owners, and clubs.

Correcting the problem as soon as you can. Bichons have a very long life. The older they get, the harder it will be to change a behavior.

But remember never to hit or yell at a Bichon. They are very smart dogs and do much better with gentle training.

I just brought a new puppy to my house and want to get him used to living in the garage,the problem is he barks allot when left alone,one neighbor allready complained about the barking.what can i do to get him to stop?
he has a door with access to a huge backyard to play in,I only want him to sleep in the garage at night
the backyard is HUGE he only has to sleep in the garage wich is also very big and is only for him to sleep in!!!!!!

Get a book on dog training. Read about it.

My dog, an one and half year old chihuahua, keeps barking all the time when i'm not playing with him. What should I do?

Hi Em Y!
Yes, small pup chihuahua can be noisy and may require patience to housebreak.

Often, one method that helps alleviate barking is to give your dog specific permission to bark. Teach it to "speak" — let it "speak" when appropriate (say, when you're playing in the park). Then "no speak" follows from that.

The following methods outline some other possibilities to address this problem. Training the dog to stop barking on command can be accomplished with lure-reward techniques, disruption techniques, or head halter and leash training. Training a dog to be quiet on command allows it to continue to bark at stimuli but stop at your request.

Rewards are then given for quiet behavior. At each subsequent training session the dog should remain quiet a little longer before the reward is given.

Teaching a dog to stop all barking in the presence of the stimulus is much more difficult. To be successful, barking must be interrupted immediately as it begins, and the process repeated until the dog does not bark at the stimulus (at which time it can be rewarded). Please look article: http://www.askedweb.com/askedweb/About_the_most_frequent_barking_problems/

Jason Homan

Does anyone know how to teach a 6 mnth old yorkie puppy NOT to bark when home alone? (for about a couple of hours. We've tried leaving it toys to play with but still - no luck).

It sounds like the dog may be developing separation anexity…try some of these.

Try to make your arrivals and departures very boring and low-key. Don't make a big fuss over saying hello and goodbye. Be very casual and up-beat.

Try to make interactions with your dog on your terms, not his. You pet him, treat him, or play with him when you want, and not when he asks for it.

Get your dog used to your getting-ready-to-leave cues, like picking up keys and jacket. Go through these actions repeatedly during the time when you're staying home, without actually leaving. If your dog has already learned to associate his fears with your departure cues, it will take a lot of repetitions before the dog will get it.

Give your dog more exercise. A tired dog is a good dog! A dog can sleep most of the day if he's tired enough. Most young dogs could use 20-100 minutes of full-speed running per day. Increase your dog's exercise. Don't forget mental exercise, like training, exploring new places, encountering new smells, and social interaction with other dogs. Taking your dog to a park where he can run and play with others may be crucial. (Find dog parks around San Jose here.)

Give your dog something to do while you're gone! What does your dog do all day- wait around for you to come home? Give your dog a hobby. Jean Donaldson calls the solution to a lot of dog problems "work-to-eat" programs. Stuff a Kong or a hollow prepared bone, fill up a Buster Cube or Roll-A-Treat, scatter the dog's food in the grass or hide several chew treats around the house (see the Merchandise page for a description of some of these items). A dog that is working for goodies is not barking or chewing, and a dog that is eating is not as stressed!

Don't draw attention to forbidden objects just before leaving - in other words, don't straighten up or point out the items that you don't want the dog to chew. Your dog might misinterpret your attention and give those objects his attention just because of it. In a similar way, punishing your dog afterwards for destruction he's done will probably not help - it will not reduce your dog's anxiety, show him a better way to deal with it, or give him an alternative behavior. He might not even connect the punishment with the action he did to cause the destruction. (Don't confuse a dog's "appeasement display", developed to stop threats of aggression, with a "guilty look" that implies a promise that your dog won't do it again. See the Body Language pages for more information.)

Consider crating your dog. Some dogs are more comfortable when confined to a small "den". Make sure your dog can "hold it" for as long as you need him to, and provide plenty of exercise so that his main activity in the crate is sleeping. You might just want to consider leaving your dog in one room (rather than giving him the run of the house), and maybe leaving a radio on and an article of clothing that smells like you in the next room. Warning: Some dogs are a lot less comfortable confined to a crate when alone. Make sure your dog is comfortable and secure.

Consider taking your dog to doggie daycare or to a friend's house (or to work or on errands with you), so that he is not actually alone, while you train your dog to deal with being alone. Remember, dogs are pack animals that want to be with others; being a "lone wolf" can be dangerous in the wild, as well as lonely. Note that for many dogs who have bonded strongly with people, having another dog (or other pet) around will not be sufficient.

If you have serious separation anxiety…

Serious separation anxiety is indicated by a dog who does major property damage (chews holes through walls), injures himself in his anxiety (scratches or rubs paws or nose raw in digging or chewing), or stresses himself to the point of exhaustion during your absence. While stop-gap measures, like keeping the dog with you or with another person, will help while you train, you will need to spend a lot of time teaching this type of dog that he can survive being alone.

Start by making sure your dog is getting enough exercise, including mental exercise (usually satisfied with some training and the chance to interact with other dogs or explore new places). Before you can retrain your dog (and it may take weeks or longer), arrange for the dog to not be alone - get a pet sitter, join a doggy daycare, or leave your dog with a friend who's home all day.

Practice What You Want

Get your dog used to being confined to a pen or room where you will eventually leave him, even when you're home. Give him chew toys or some other interactive toy to occupy himself with while you quietly remain near by and ignore him. If your dog abandons the toy to try to demand your attention, quietly get him interested in the toy again, and quietly praise him for playing with it. Go back to ignoring him for a very brief period, and then intermittently, quietly praise or reward him for it. Practice this quiet confinement for a little while, then quietly open the door or gate and go about your business, allowing the dog to leave that area as well. This will be your dog's "safety zone". Do NOT leave your dog in this area when you must actually leave - for now.

Throughout your time together, do not give in to your dog's demands for your attention. If he comes to you whining, pawing, barking, jumping, jumping into your lap, or rubbing up against your hand, quietly turn away from him (you can stand up a little slowly to softly dump a small dog out of your lap). Wait until your dog is doing something else that is acceptable (not demanding your attention), and then call him over for some attention. Remember, if your dog can get your attention on demand any time you are home, it will be an even sharper contrast when you are gone.