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Lunging, barking, biting, oh my.
How to reduce window barking with a spray bottle and bubble wrap (it’s probably not what you think!)
Lots of dogs stare out the window and bark when people, dogs, cats, birds or cars pass by. This can be a problem for owners in the house, neighbours and may be upsetting for the dog.
The problem: Your dog alert barks, or worse, fear barks at most passers-by. Every time he barks, the thing goes away. In his mind, your dog has successfully made the “bad man” go away. This will increase the chances of him barking the next time something passes by the window!
Easy solution: Lower the visual stimulus. If your dog can’t see what’s out there, he is less likely to bark. You can move the sofa, close the drapes or the blinds, but your home may not be set up for this, and/or you don’t want to darken the room 24/7.
Spray bottle method: Instead, take a spray bottle of water and lightly mist your window frame. Cut bubble wrap (the smaller the bubbles usually the better) to fit over the pane. Place the flat side against the damp glass. It should stick and stay until you peel it off, without any adhesive.
If this doesn’t lower your dog’s visual enough, you may want to invest in window privacy film, which is available in a variety of colours and patterns from hardware and homeware shops, Amazon and seasonally, Lidl stores. You might also need to reduce the noises from outside: leaving the radio on, or an audiobook playing can help mask sounds.
Long term solutions: When you are ready to train, remove the bubble wrap, and counter-condition your dog to each passer-by, preferably before the barking starts. As soon as your dog notices the “bad man” pop treats into his mouth, one after the other until the person is out of sight. Immediately stop the treats.
Teach a ‘quiet’ cue: Thank your dog for alerting you, then walk over to his bed (away from the window) say ‘all done’ and drop several treats onto the bed. Although this may not reduce barking overall, it can give you an ‘off’ switch, without reducing alert barking. Teach this separately, when your dog is not barking, so you can use it when he is.
Yelling at your dog, startling him with rattle cans, squirting him with the water bottle or other punishment methods may not be effective as your dog may not view it as punishment, or the need to bark and the reinforcement he gets from barking may be greater than the punishment issued. Additionally, if it is fear based barking, adding more stress through punishment is likely to increase barking at times when punishment is not applied, and generally make your dog feel worse about what he is barking at.
If you need help with any of the training methods in this article, contact Marta at Barking Up the Right Tree to schedule a session.
“He’s very protective”
“He’s very protective of me,” bragged the owner of the German Shepherd I had been called out to evaluate. “He won’t let anyone near me.”
Photo by Dan Foy
Indeed, her 18-month-old Shepherd was telling me in every line of his body that he did not want me anywhere near him. Head down, eyes wide and staring, muscles tense, and softly growling, he was not a dog I had any desire to approach. He was not, however, “guarding” his owner.
Many fearful or insecure dogs act just like this Shepherd, growling and posturing when people come near their special person. However, their body language tells the true story: these dogs are worried. Their weight is often shifted over their hindquarters, and they rarely position themselves in between the new person and their owner. They lack confidence, and make up for it with their “the best defense is a good…
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Do Dogs Have a Negativity Bias?
Negativity bias – We all suffer from it.
This is the phenomenon in which we naturally pay more attention to and give more weight to negative information and experiences compared with those that are positive. It is this particular cognitive bias that causes us to be more hurt or discouraged by insults or criticism than we are pleased or encouraged by compliments and shining reviews.
It’s hardwired: We cannot easily escape negativity bias. Research studies have shown that the human brain actually experiences stronger neural activity when reacting to negative information compared with when we are given positive information. As a result unpleasant experiences are inevitably more memorable to us than are pleasurable ones.
Why do we have it? Our negativity bias is thought to have evolved as a method for keeping ourselves and those we love out of harm’s way. Think about it like this – your chances of survival are greater if you have a natural tendency…
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The Sniffing Post
Source: The Sniffing Post
Do good dogs go bad?
Source: Do good dogs go bad?
Myth: Anxiety Medication Should Only be used as a Last Resort
I’ve written about medicating anxious dogs before, and it’s such an important topic that I want to touch on it again. There are so many misconceptions surrounding this subject.The idea that anxiety medication should only be used after everything else has been tried is so sad and harmful, and is a myth I encounter on a regular basis. Let’s clear up some of the fog surrounding this common misconception.
Photo by Heather
Before we get any further, please remember that I am not a veterinarian and I don’t play one on the internet. The information contained in this blog is not meant to diagnose or prescribe, and is only provided for your information. I’m drawing from my experience as a certified veterinary technician, canine behavior consultant, and the owner of an anxious dog to educate you, but your best resource is always going to be a licensed veterinarian.
So, let’s…
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So quick and easy and you can use whatever your dog likes best for flavour, or omit ingredients your dog is sensitive to.
Best dog treat hack ever! Here’s how to make batches of more than 500 small treats at a time without having to cut them up. Buy a silicone cooking mat for low-fat cooking. One brand available by mail order is called the Pyramid Pan. It has 556 little protrusions. The idea is that you can…
via No More Cutting! Making 500 Non-Crumbly Dog Treats From a Mold — eileenanddogs
Barking Up the Right Tree 