Hi! I have a sweet miniature poodle that we rescued from the pound a couple years ago. We have a problem though with her barking too much and are afraid the neighbors in our complex are going to complain. Can you all give me any ideas on the best and humane kind of bark collar I could get? We have tried teaching her not to bark but its a security thing for her I think and since she was abandoned everytime we leave I think she gets scared that we won't come back.....

Treating her seperation anxiety would be the way to go about getting her to stop the excessive barking. I don't think using a bark collar is the right thing to do. I don't have a detailed answer for this, though, so hopefully some of the more knowledgable dog people will be able to help you. good luck.

A Citronella No-Bark Collar is probably what you want.

Best thing though would be to address the anxiety. If you stop her barking and she's still anxious, she'll find new ways to expend that energy. You might end up with destructive anxiety as a result.

How much exercise does she get each day?

Bark collars are not the way to go. Does she gets lots of attenion, exercise, walks, outside time ect ect when you are home? I agree to treat the anxiety

This site seemed useful to me:
http://www.ehow.com/how_272_treat-dogs-separation.html

I have a citronella anti-bark collar. It works very well, but I only use it on my dog for one specific situation when I'm with him. I first bought it because he barks from anticipation and excitement when he's in the car. This is very distracting and dangerous. 2 barks and he figured it out! He still whines in the car, but he doesn't bark, which makes it much easier for me to drive safely. I like this collar because it's self-correcting. The dog figures out very quickly that he can't bark when he's wearing it. It's much more humane than other aversive collars and from what I've read, it's also more effective. A few words of caution: some smart dogs figure out how often they need to bark in order to empty out the collar. Also, I'd be uncomfortable putting an aversive collar on a dog who's barking out of fear or anxiety.

My pup used to bark sometimes when he was alone, but he's much better now. I used a combination of desensitization and trying to make alone time easier/more enjoyable.

Some tricks that seem to work for my dog:

- leave the radio on

- take him for a good romp before work. We usually play fetch at the local schoolyard for about 30 mins until his tongue's hanging out. I also make sure that he gets another 45-60 minute walk after work. A tired, well-exercised puppy is a happy puppy.

- leave him with a frozen kong (a rubber toy with a hole to stuff food in). I usually mix some kibble with yogourt, stuff it in, seal with peanut butter and freeze overnight. This becomes his "hobby" during the day while I'm gone.

- this one is the one that's made leaving easiest on both pup and me: I put him in a downstay and scatter really yummy treats around the kitchen. I make him wait as I pack up my stuff, do a last mirror check, turn the radio on, etc. By this time, he's almost shaking with anticipation. He wants that food so badly that he can't wait for me to leave! Anyway, I only release him as I close the door on my way out. No big gushy good-byes. Just a calm "Good boy, go get it!" and I'm gone.

- I gate him into the kitchen and put the garbage in another room. Some dogs are calmer when they're confined because they don't have to patrol the whole house. With regards to confinement, some dogs are also much calmer when they're crated. I don't personally crate, but I know lots of people who do.

- I bring him to doggy daycare for some interaction and play-time once a week. I also have a dog walker come in mid-way through the day if I'm going to be gone more than 8 hours. Yes, this costs money, but it saves my sanity. For one thing, the dog is more tired and less demanding in the evening. For another, I don't have to worry about him barking out of sheer boredom.

- Desensitization:

There are lots of websites that describe this, but basically I spent a whole weekend coming and going. I'd leave for 10 seconds, come back and treat. Leave again for 5 minutes, come back and treat. Leave for 30 seconds, come back and treat. The trick was to come back and treat before he started barking.

Eventually, this started getting pretty boring for him (at least the leaving part...the coming back with a cookie part was still lots of fun). Then I'd leave, start the car, come back and treat. Leave, start the car, drive around the block, come back and treat. Leave, start the car, go do some errands for 15 minutes, come back and treat. Etc, etc, etc, for longer and longer periods of time. From what I've read, once a dog can relax for 2 hours alone, he should be able to relax for longer.

Utterly dull and time-consuming for me, but it seems to really have helped him. My dog didn't really have that much separation anxiety. If he did (for instance, he started drooling and getting nervous when he saw me getting ready for work), I would have added that to the whole coming and going routine (pretend to get ready for work, put on coat, leave, come back and treat). Some dogs with separation anxiety also do better if you completely ignore them for 5 minutes before you leave and 5 minutes after you come home. My dog doesn't need this. Yours might.

Good luck!

I'm not great with dogs but I was watching a TV show once where a dog expert was telling people how to get their dogs to stop barking. She said that they bark because they feel like it's their job to protect the 'pack' so what you have to do is convince them that it not. Yelling at them to stop only makes it worse becasue they think you're just encourging them, apparently what you should do is quietly go up to your barking dog and lead them away, shut them away from the place they were barking if you have to. I think you would have to be consistent and it would probably take time but the people that this woman told to do this said that it worked. You could even speak to a dog psychologist yourself, I'm sure it would be helpful

She said that they bark because they feel like it's their job to protect the 'pack' ...

But isn't it? I like the fact that my dogs bark when someone comes through the door or into the yard. I think excessive barking can stem from other things as well such as the previously mentioned anxiety or fear. Personally, I think no one should have just one dog unless that dog is with them all the time. My first dog had seperation anxiety problems so bad that he would howl and not eat the whole time I was gone. Now I have two and he still has some anxiety, but not as bad. It usually only shows up if I am gone for several days. He still doesn't eat well when I am gone, but my dog sitters say he takes treats and is still palyful and happy.

One thing of interest, and this may show if your dog is barking to protect the "pack". My neighbors have told me that when I am gone, they never hear a peep from my dogs. Only when I am home do they bark.

She said that they bark because they feel like it's their job to protect the 'pack' ...But isn't it?
That would be an emphatic NO in my opinion. Dogs are not equiped to be the protectors of the human world. Putting them in that role sets them up for failure and makes them believe they are the head of the pack which is a role they should never be given. Many behavior problems, and namely aggressive behaviors, can develop when a dog is encouraged to be the protector of the pack.

That would be an emphatic NO in my opinion. Dogs are not equiped to be the protectors of the human world. Putting them in that role sets them up for failure and makes them believe they are the head of the pack which is a role they should never be given. Many behavior problems, and namely aggressive behaviors, can develop when a dog is encouraged to be the protector of the pack.

They don't need encouragement, it is in their blood. And just because they want to protect the pack doesn't mean they think they are head of the pack. All of them want to protect the pack, but they all know they can't be the alpha dog.

My breed of dogs were bred for centuries to protect humans. They know well before me when someone is approaching, and if they don't like someone, I am very suspicious. They have senses far more keen than I.

My little dog isn't the pack protector, but she is the pack notifier. I don't want that changed. I like knowing when someone comes in the yard. She knows I am the Alpha female in our pack. I don't think she feels she has to protect me. She hides behind me after she has loudly announced a visitor.

That would be an emphatic NO in my opinion. Dogs are not equiped to be the protectors of the human world. Putting them in that role sets them up for failure and makes them believe they are the head of the pack which is a role they should never be given. Many behavior problems, and namely aggressive behaviors, can develop when a dog is encouraged to be the protector of the pack.
That would depend largly on the dog in question.
My male dog see's it as his job to protect and will place himself between me,and a person he does not know so they can not get near me but so much as a hand sigle from me and he takes a submissive poster to them.
Protection is what he was bred for.
All dogs take a place in the pack and all protect it, dominance issues only occure due to bad ownership not because the dog is doing what is its natural job.

His job is to protect and he has already shown once that he will even if it means his death but one word, or hand sign from me , my husband or my children he backs down.

He has been placed only on the second step of the domance ladder at our home,even the cats are above him but the newest animal in the house a female Aussie is below him and I let them work out thier own issues but when it comes to people he is trained to know family = his pack but he is below them.
Strangers = bad

Strangers = badThat leads to a lot of euthanized dogs.

Strangers = bad


You run into problems when strangers = bitten

I'm with Kpickell, dogs as protectors is a bad idea.

That leads to a lot of euthanized dogs.

No it doesn't. Thats like saying cars kill people. Both a car and a dog may or may not be under the control of their owners.

Bad owners lead to euthanized dogs.

No it doesn't. Thats like saying cars kill people. Both a car and a dog may or may not be under the control of their owners.

Bad owners lead to euthanized dogs.
I stand by what I said. What if the dog gets away from your control, as you say... somehow it escapes from your yard. If you've taught it to mistrust strangers, it has a good chance of ending up as a statistic.

I stand by what I said. What if the dog gets away from your control, as you say... somehow it escapes from your yard. If you've taught it to mistreat strangers, it has a good chance of ending up as a statistic.

Don't put words in my mouth I never stated. I DO NOT teach my dogs to mistreat strangers. You stand by what you said and you don't even know what I said.

The post you quoted of me was a response to Ayrlin's post where she wrote that she teaches her dogs that "strangers=bad".

ETA: Oops, I see now that I had a typo in my post. "Mistreat strangers" should have been "mistrust strangers".

The post you quoted of me was a response to Ayrlin's post where she wrote that she teaches her dogs that "strangers=bad".

ETA: Oops, I see now that I had a typo in my post. "Mistreat strangers" should have been "mistrust strangers".

My dogs distrust strangers as well. They are suspicious and if they don't warm up to someone within the first minute, I am very suspicious. Having a dog that doesn't like strangers is a big difference from a dog who bites without provocation.

Well we have different views on dogs then.

We could also get into a "chicken or the egg" arguement here too as I believe dogs often distrust people because they sense that their owners distrust that person. I know with my own dog, I have to be very careful about remaining calm and positive, because he senses when I tense up and that puts him on alert even before he may see the person approaching. I'm still working with him on trusting strangers, and hope one day that he can get his Canine Good Citizen.

Bad owners lead to euthanized dogs.

Bad owners who teach their dogs to mistrust strangers, or reinforce that behavior.

i have to agree with Kpickell. the shelter I work with has the hardest time with rehoming scared or mistrusting or agressive dogs and unfourtunatly it never ends well. shelters don't have the $ to works with every dog to make it adoptable.

A friend of mine went through great expence, time and training to properly socialize her dog (she's a large dog) and recruited friends and family to help. the result is a happy dog who can go to doggy day care and play nice with other dogs and I can go over there and walk her when clare can't get home on her lunch.

I would think that in "pack" order we would be the Alpha and therefore the protectors.

Life2K's post said this very well.

Bad owners who teach their dogs to mistrust strangers, or reinforce that behavior.

i have to agree with Kpickell. the shelter I work with has the hardest time with rehoming scared or mistrusting or agressive dogs and unfourtunatly it never ends well. shelters don't have the $ to works with every dog to make it adoptable.

A friend of mine went through great expence, time and training to properly socialize her dog (she's a large dog) and recruited friends and family to help. the result is a happy dog who can go to doggy day care and play nice with other dogs and I can go over there and walk her when clare can't get home on her lunch.

I would think that in "pack" order we would be the Alpha and therefore the protectors.

Life2K's post said this very well.

Raoming scared or mistrusting or agressive dogs are three different traits. Just because a dog mistrust strangers does not mean that they are roaming scared or aggressive. Roaming scared suggest no owner or an abandoned dog. ie bad owner. A dog that is agressive may or may not be the result of a bad owner. I don't see you bringing up police dogs that are trained to be more aggressive than they would in nature. They are trained to mistrust strangers, watch their every movement, and be ready for action without command if their handler is in danger. Are the officers bad owners?

In a pack, every member is responsible for protection of the pack. Not just the Alpha.

I don't see you bringing up police dogs that are trained to be more aggressive than they would in nature. They are trained to mistrust strangers, watch their every movement, and be ready for action without command if their handler is in danger. Are the officers bad owners?

In a pack, every member is responsible for protection of the pack. Not just the Alpha.

Police dogs aren't trained to mistrust strangers. They are trained to take commands from their handler in any situation. A police dog never makes his own decisions and is friendly with everyone unless told to do otherwise. They couldn't bring the K9 units into schools for demonstrations around here and let kids hang all over them if they mistrusted strangers.

In a pack, it's everyone's job to sound a warning when a stranger approaches. But the lower ranking members do not attack or remain on guard unless the alpha says to do so.

One of my dogs was very protective of me and my nephews and niece. If I wasn't around, she'd let anyone come in and empty the house, but she thought it was her duty to protect us. She almost bit one of my BIL's friends in the rear one day simply because she didn't know him and he got closer to my nephew than she thought he should. She also ran barking at a lady at the dog park one night because she walked toward my nephew.

I made it a point from then on to teach her and my other dogs if *I* say someone's not a threat, they're not a threat. She's doing much better now but I still wouldn't trust her completely with the kids if I wasn't around. If he had her out alone and someone approached them, I think she'd still bite. So I don't put them in that situation.

I agree with kpickell. But then, I always agree with kpickell on dog matters. :p

Police dogs aren't trained to mistrust strangers. They are trained to take commands from their handler in any situation. A police dog never makes his own decisions and is friendly with everyone unless told to do otherwise. They couldn't bring the K9 units into schools for demonstrations around here and let kids hang all over them if they mistrusted strangers.

Nope.

"2.5.2 When the safety of the police officer handler is threatened, the police dog (without command) will demonstrate the ability to physically apprehend a "suspect" until the "suspect" is taken into custody (and a release command is issued)."

From this site: http://www.policek9.com/

oh for pete's sake.

Police dogs should not even be brought into the discussion because they will not end up at a shelter or be adopted into a regular family, so that points moot.

one argument and threadjacking at a time please.