Dear Kim:
My 9 month old dog has become quite the "barker"....she barks at everything it seems, even things that I
can't hear or see! I don't mind the initial bark to let me know that someone is at the door but then I want
her to be quiet and she won't stop.....I know you have said to try time outs, which I have, but sometimes I
can't even grab her to put her on time out. My friend told me to try telling her "quiet" (my chosen word
to make her stop barking) and if she doesn't stop, then try spraying her in the face once with a h2o bottle
(that is if I can get close enough to her) and every time she barks to do this... If she is quiet after I say
quiet then to just praise her instead of spraying her....do you think this is a good technique? I didn't
want to try it until I was able to ask you...
Ah, barking. That is a subject near and dear to my heart. I really can't have excessive noise at my house. I like my
peace and quiet. Besides, my husband works a late shift and sleeps in late then naps before work. If you have
several dogs, keeping them all quiet can be a challenge. Here is my typical "recipe" for teaching the "quiet"
command (and yes, I definitely use that word):
Step 1: Use the Attention Exercise that I teach in the first week of class for Puppy Socialization or Basic Manners.
Once she masters that exercise, you can put it in a more distracting, difficult context. Have some treats that she
really loves, get someone else to knock, ring or whatever noise will set her off then simply call her name to redirect
her away from the thing she's barking at and back toward you. What this is supposed to do is cause her to respond
to confusing, uncertain circumstances by looking to you for guidance. However, I know how crazy some dogs can get
when they get all worked up about barking at every little thing. It is a terrible way for her to live emotionally - always
stressed out and worried. So this is therapy of sorts. It is intended not only to quiet her down, but give her a more
balanced, stable life. Back to training. If this works (distracting her with her name - said sweetly, not scolding) then
great. Use it. Use it every single time she barks - even the first time before she escalates into madness. However, if
it doesn't work...try the next step.
Step 2: This part can be a pain in the butt, so just psych yourself up for it. Every single time she barks
inappropriately, you'll need to go to her, grab her muzzle (lightly, we're not trying to cause pain), and gently shake
(again, gently - we don't want whiplash injuries) her muzzle while saying in a low growly voice "QUIET". Now,
logistically from what you're describing this might be a problem. If she's jumping around wildly, how can you catch
her? Ah...we'll just set her up so we CAN catch her. If it is the doorbell or a knock on the door that is setting her off,
see if someone can help you out. Put her on a leash. Let her drag it around for a while. Then have someone ring
the doorbell or knock. (To be honest, I've done this by myself and knocked on the door from the inside. The really
reactive dogs don't seem to recognize that it is ME doing the knocking - at least not at first.) When she starts losing
her mind, use the leash to reel her in, grab her muzzle, give it a light shake, and do the low growly voice "QUIET". As
soon as she is quiet, release her muzzle and tell her she's a good girl. Cookies help at this stage. Most of my dogs
have responded to this exact method. I use it for inappropriate barking in the backyard too. It is a pain to drop
everything and go correct the dog, but I now have dogs that don't hassle the neighbors when they are in their yards
or bother people on the sidewalk. Touch the fence or try to come over, and that is a different story. I have never
corrected that and the dogs understand the difference. It takes a lot of perseverance but if you stick with it you can
make a big difference in just a couple of days. Just be determined to do it every single time she barks. I occasionally
watch dogs for my clients when they go out of town. Often, they are more "barky" than I can tolerate. They get this
treatment the first day or two and I have very little noise for the rest of their stay. Of course they probably revert at
home because well, dogs aren't dumb. They know who is and who isn't going to demand certain behaviors. I just
can't have a lot of noise, so all of my own dogs know QUIET as a command. If someone approaches my house, my
most reactive dog will bark. If someone rings the doorbell, they will all bark. But as soon as I tell them in a soft voice
"QUIET" they instantly stop barking and return to a state of calm. But what about those dogs that don't respond to
this type of training? Ah...we use tools...
Step 3: I don't recommend this lightly and I don't even use it all that often with my own dogs. I am a big believer in
taking the time to train your dog the right way. I think it builds respect and trust between you and your dog.
However, there are times when the dog is barking and you really cannot be there to stop it. Case in point - one of my
young dogs has started barking once I set the alarm, have gone into the garage, get in my car and open the garage
door. Okay - I can't really correct my dog that is in the house from the inside of my car very easily. I have stopped
what I was doing, gone back into the house and corrected her, but it hasn't been effective at stopping the trigger
(sound of the garage door opening). I use a citronella bark collar. Now, these collars are useful - but not perfect.
The batteries run out, you have to keep them refilled with citronella spray which is expensive and the reservoir in the
collar is only good for 20-40 sprays. One of my dogs have emptied that in 5 minutes and kept right on barking. In
my experience, this probably works on about 70% of the dogs I have tried it on. But, since probably 90% of the dogs
I try method #2 on stop barking, this cleans up a lot of what I couldn't fix there. Still...it isn't perfect. It doesn't always
correct the dog when you wish it would...usually it's too late. It lets them bark like 10 times before correcting them
when I would like it on say bark number 2. And you have to have the collar on very tightly. Most of them work on
vibration from the vocal cords and to get the sensor in contact with the vocal cords the collar has to be pretty tight.
The collar works really by just creating a distraction - it sprays a short burst of citronella. The combination of the
sound, feeling (it sprays into their chin) and scent causes most dogs to stop and fairly quickly realize that THEY made
it happen. They recently have come out with a citronella collar that is remote controlled - so YOU control when it
sprays. That has been a little more accurate for me, although the quality of the product is not as professional as I
would like. Oh, and you don't have to have this collar on quite so tightly since you control when it sprays and when it
doesn't. The bark collar usually runs around $80 (although Pet Medical rents them out so you can try them - it's a
good test run to see if it works for your dog). The remote control collar is more expensive - I think I paid around $150
for mine but they run around $115 now. I do use that remote control citronella collar for a lot of other things though -
breaking up fighting, teaching dogs not to eat poop (yuck), keeping them from counter surfing, all sorts of annoying
behaviors. But it only works IF the dog responds to the spray correction. So, let's say the whole citronella thing
doesn't work...then what?
Step 4: I have used this with one of my own dogs because she just wouldn't respond any other way. They also make
bark collars with an electrical stimulation - commonly called "shock collars" although they don't really shock the dog
any more than mild static electricity at it's worst. They work on the same principle as the citronella collars, just a
different form of correction. I would exhaust the previous possibilities before I use this method. The collars come in
an automatic bark collar (just like the citronella collar, works off the vibration of the vocal cords, needs to be tightly
worn, etc.) and a remote version. I have a much higher quality remote version that I do use on occasion with really
hardcore dogs. It really isn't a decision I enter into without a huge amount of work on steps 1-3 first. But every now
and then I get a client that says "I have to shut this dog up now." The neighbors have filed complaints with the police
department, the husband is threatening to get rid of the dog, etc. In really extreme cases, when the dog's life and
home are on the line, I think it's justified. But when I have the time and ability, I always encourage the other methods
first. And what if even that method fails??
Step 5: I have never done this, but have owned a dog that has been surgically debarked. I don't even know of a vet
locally that will perform the surgery as most think it is barbaric. It can cause problems down the road. The dog I
owned I got as an adult and she had been debarked twice (scar tissue had grown back the first time, they did it
again, scar tissue grew a second time giving her a voice again...although raspy). When she was 12 years old, she
needed a medical procedure but the vet and I knew that she couldn't be intubated for anesthesia due to the large
amount of scar tissue in her throat. I was had no choice but to euthanize her. Most likely her condition was cancer
and we would have only been confirming that diagnosis, but if it were something fixable I would not have been able to
do so. Debarking is an option of very last resort. My vet would never recommend it and she certainly won't do one.
As a trainer, I say that if it is the only way to save a dog's life it may be worth it but the risk to the dog's future health
is significant. This should only be considered if every other option has been tried and failed.
SO...that's a long answer to your question! I don't use squirt bottles for corrections. They aren't handy enough for
me and I have dogs that would love to be squirted in the face anyway. (They take full force blasts from the hose in
the mouth for fun.) Besides, my show dogs are routinely squirted with all sorts of beautifying sprays during grooming
for the show ring - last thing I need is for them to have some insane fear of squirt bottles. I have never really seen
them as a useful tool for dog training although there are trainers that swear by them. The big thing is to interrupt the
behavior you don't want (barking) and replace it with something you would rather have (let's say, SIT at the door
quietly so that you can answer it in peace). Giving them something to do guides them into more appropriate behavior
so they don't have to figure out what that is themselves. A squirt bottle spray to the face may be interruption to some
dogs (and most cats, I have heard - although I am certainly not a cat trainer) but for others, it might have other
consequences that you weren't counting on (dogs enjoy it and it becomes a reward instead of a correction or the dog
develops a fear to any sort of sprays - not good if you use a flea spray product).
There are devices that will emit a high-pitched, ultrasonic sound that is supposed to distract the dog from barking.
You place this device in the area where the dogs are likely to bark. Some units allow you to set the device to make
the sound after 1, 2, 3 or 4 barks and others are pre-set. I have never personally used these devices, but they
would be worth a try if you had neighbor dogs keeping you awake. I have know people that say these things are the
best. I have heard more people say they don't work well at all. At between $30 and $50, they might be worth a try. I
have never used them because I don't think it's fair to correct the group for the barking of one dog. If I break down
and buy one to test, I'll let you know how it works. My guess is that this might work well if you have one dog and the
dog responds to this device or multiple dogs that all need a correction. But if you have even one dog that isn't
barking, it just doesn't seem fair.
My 9 month old dog has become quite the "barker"....she barks at everything it seems, even things that I
can't hear or see! I don't mind the initial bark to let me know that someone is at the door but then I want
her to be quiet and she won't stop.....I know you have said to try time outs, which I have, but sometimes I
can't even grab her to put her on time out. My friend told me to try telling her "quiet" (my chosen word
to make her stop barking) and if she doesn't stop, then try spraying her in the face once with a h2o bottle
(that is if I can get close enough to her) and every time she barks to do this... If she is quiet after I say
quiet then to just praise her instead of spraying her....do you think this is a good technique? I didn't
want to try it until I was able to ask you...
Ah, barking. That is a subject near and dear to my heart. I really can't have excessive noise at my house. I like my
peace and quiet. Besides, my husband works a late shift and sleeps in late then naps before work. If you have
several dogs, keeping them all quiet can be a challenge. Here is my typical "recipe" for teaching the "quiet"
command (and yes, I definitely use that word):
Step 1: Use the Attention Exercise that I teach in the first week of class for Puppy Socialization or Basic Manners.
Once she masters that exercise, you can put it in a more distracting, difficult context. Have some treats that she
really loves, get someone else to knock, ring or whatever noise will set her off then simply call her name to redirect
her away from the thing she's barking at and back toward you. What this is supposed to do is cause her to respond
to confusing, uncertain circumstances by looking to you for guidance. However, I know how crazy some dogs can get
when they get all worked up about barking at every little thing. It is a terrible way for her to live emotionally - always
stressed out and worried. So this is therapy of sorts. It is intended not only to quiet her down, but give her a more
balanced, stable life. Back to training. If this works (distracting her with her name - said sweetly, not scolding) then
great. Use it. Use it every single time she barks - even the first time before she escalates into madness. However, if
it doesn't work...try the next step.
Step 2: This part can be a pain in the butt, so just psych yourself up for it. Every single time she barks
inappropriately, you'll need to go to her, grab her muzzle (lightly, we're not trying to cause pain), and gently shake
(again, gently - we don't want whiplash injuries) her muzzle while saying in a low growly voice "QUIET". Now,
logistically from what you're describing this might be a problem. If she's jumping around wildly, how can you catch
her? Ah...we'll just set her up so we CAN catch her. If it is the doorbell or a knock on the door that is setting her off,
see if someone can help you out. Put her on a leash. Let her drag it around for a while. Then have someone ring
the doorbell or knock. (To be honest, I've done this by myself and knocked on the door from the inside. The really
reactive dogs don't seem to recognize that it is ME doing the knocking - at least not at first.) When she starts losing
her mind, use the leash to reel her in, grab her muzzle, give it a light shake, and do the low growly voice "QUIET". As
soon as she is quiet, release her muzzle and tell her she's a good girl. Cookies help at this stage. Most of my dogs
have responded to this exact method. I use it for inappropriate barking in the backyard too. It is a pain to drop
everything and go correct the dog, but I now have dogs that don't hassle the neighbors when they are in their yards
or bother people on the sidewalk. Touch the fence or try to come over, and that is a different story. I have never
corrected that and the dogs understand the difference. It takes a lot of perseverance but if you stick with it you can
make a big difference in just a couple of days. Just be determined to do it every single time she barks. I occasionally
watch dogs for my clients when they go out of town. Often, they are more "barky" than I can tolerate. They get this
treatment the first day or two and I have very little noise for the rest of their stay. Of course they probably revert at
home because well, dogs aren't dumb. They know who is and who isn't going to demand certain behaviors. I just
can't have a lot of noise, so all of my own dogs know QUIET as a command. If someone approaches my house, my
most reactive dog will bark. If someone rings the doorbell, they will all bark. But as soon as I tell them in a soft voice
"QUIET" they instantly stop barking and return to a state of calm. But what about those dogs that don't respond to
this type of training? Ah...we use tools...
Step 3: I don't recommend this lightly and I don't even use it all that often with my own dogs. I am a big believer in
taking the time to train your dog the right way. I think it builds respect and trust between you and your dog.
However, there are times when the dog is barking and you really cannot be there to stop it. Case in point - one of my
young dogs has started barking once I set the alarm, have gone into the garage, get in my car and open the garage
door. Okay - I can't really correct my dog that is in the house from the inside of my car very easily. I have stopped
what I was doing, gone back into the house and corrected her, but it hasn't been effective at stopping the trigger
(sound of the garage door opening). I use a citronella bark collar. Now, these collars are useful - but not perfect.
The batteries run out, you have to keep them refilled with citronella spray which is expensive and the reservoir in the
collar is only good for 20-40 sprays. One of my dogs have emptied that in 5 minutes and kept right on barking. In
my experience, this probably works on about 70% of the dogs I have tried it on. But, since probably 90% of the dogs
I try method #2 on stop barking, this cleans up a lot of what I couldn't fix there. Still...it isn't perfect. It doesn't always
correct the dog when you wish it would...usually it's too late. It lets them bark like 10 times before correcting them
when I would like it on say bark number 2. And you have to have the collar on very tightly. Most of them work on
vibration from the vocal cords and to get the sensor in contact with the vocal cords the collar has to be pretty tight.
The collar works really by just creating a distraction - it sprays a short burst of citronella. The combination of the
sound, feeling (it sprays into their chin) and scent causes most dogs to stop and fairly quickly realize that THEY made
it happen. They recently have come out with a citronella collar that is remote controlled - so YOU control when it
sprays. That has been a little more accurate for me, although the quality of the product is not as professional as I
would like. Oh, and you don't have to have this collar on quite so tightly since you control when it sprays and when it
doesn't. The bark collar usually runs around $80 (although Pet Medical rents them out so you can try them - it's a
good test run to see if it works for your dog). The remote control collar is more expensive - I think I paid around $150
for mine but they run around $115 now. I do use that remote control citronella collar for a lot of other things though -
breaking up fighting, teaching dogs not to eat poop (yuck), keeping them from counter surfing, all sorts of annoying
behaviors. But it only works IF the dog responds to the spray correction. So, let's say the whole citronella thing
doesn't work...then what?
Step 4: I have used this with one of my own dogs because she just wouldn't respond any other way. They also make
bark collars with an electrical stimulation - commonly called "shock collars" although they don't really shock the dog
any more than mild static electricity at it's worst. They work on the same principle as the citronella collars, just a
different form of correction. I would exhaust the previous possibilities before I use this method. The collars come in
an automatic bark collar (just like the citronella collar, works off the vibration of the vocal cords, needs to be tightly
worn, etc.) and a remote version. I have a much higher quality remote version that I do use on occasion with really
hardcore dogs. It really isn't a decision I enter into without a huge amount of work on steps 1-3 first. But every now
and then I get a client that says "I have to shut this dog up now." The neighbors have filed complaints with the police
department, the husband is threatening to get rid of the dog, etc. In really extreme cases, when the dog's life and
home are on the line, I think it's justified. But when I have the time and ability, I always encourage the other methods
first. And what if even that method fails??
Step 5: I have never done this, but have owned a dog that has been surgically debarked. I don't even know of a vet
locally that will perform the surgery as most think it is barbaric. It can cause problems down the road. The dog I
owned I got as an adult and she had been debarked twice (scar tissue had grown back the first time, they did it
again, scar tissue grew a second time giving her a voice again...although raspy). When she was 12 years old, she
needed a medical procedure but the vet and I knew that she couldn't be intubated for anesthesia due to the large
amount of scar tissue in her throat. I was had no choice but to euthanize her. Most likely her condition was cancer
and we would have only been confirming that diagnosis, but if it were something fixable I would not have been able to
do so. Debarking is an option of very last resort. My vet would never recommend it and she certainly won't do one.
As a trainer, I say that if it is the only way to save a dog's life it may be worth it but the risk to the dog's future health
is significant. This should only be considered if every other option has been tried and failed.
SO...that's a long answer to your question! I don't use squirt bottles for corrections. They aren't handy enough for
me and I have dogs that would love to be squirted in the face anyway. (They take full force blasts from the hose in
the mouth for fun.) Besides, my show dogs are routinely squirted with all sorts of beautifying sprays during grooming
for the show ring - last thing I need is for them to have some insane fear of squirt bottles. I have never really seen
them as a useful tool for dog training although there are trainers that swear by them. The big thing is to interrupt the
behavior you don't want (barking) and replace it with something you would rather have (let's say, SIT at the door
quietly so that you can answer it in peace). Giving them something to do guides them into more appropriate behavior
so they don't have to figure out what that is themselves. A squirt bottle spray to the face may be interruption to some
dogs (and most cats, I have heard - although I am certainly not a cat trainer) but for others, it might have other
consequences that you weren't counting on (dogs enjoy it and it becomes a reward instead of a correction or the dog
develops a fear to any sort of sprays - not good if you use a flea spray product).
There are devices that will emit a high-pitched, ultrasonic sound that is supposed to distract the dog from barking.
You place this device in the area where the dogs are likely to bark. Some units allow you to set the device to make
the sound after 1, 2, 3 or 4 barks and others are pre-set. I have never personally used these devices, but they
would be worth a try if you had neighbor dogs keeping you awake. I have know people that say these things are the
best. I have heard more people say they don't work well at all. At between $30 and $50, they might be worth a try. I
have never used them because I don't think it's fair to correct the group for the barking of one dog. If I break down
and buy one to test, I'll let you know how it works. My guess is that this might work well if you have one dog and the
dog responds to this device or multiple dogs that all need a correction. But if you have even one dog that isn't
barking, it just doesn't seem fair.
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