Lacey always has something to say.
Like some people I know (but will not name), the 4-year-old Rat Terrier does not have a single unexpressed thought. She barks constantly, incessantly, piercingly, and even in sleep, emits muffled yips as a placeholder for the real thing.
Truly, the dog bursts with sound. She cannot seem to contain the bubbles and squeaks of noise that seep from her little mouth. And I thought Mini-Dachshunds have lungs! Rat Terriers vie with Doxies for volume and persistence. I was awed by the magnitude, force and sheer endlessness of it.
Despite the din, Lacey’s owner adores her and thinks the sun rises and sets on the dog. So it was not her idea to call me for help. Her neighbor complained of the noise to the local Animal Control officer, so hiring a trainer became the obvious choice between an intervention and a noise ordinance citation.
This is called “nuisance barking” for obvious reasons.
Unlike many of the dogs I work with, Lacey is food-motivated. Here are the 5 steps we followed to get some peace:
We upped the ante by cutting up a boiled hotdog – Lacey’s idea of gourmet heaven – into teeny tiny pieces, more like a whiff of hotdog than a slice. For this level of behavior problem, a dry bit of biscuit was not an option.
We named the briefest span of silence “Quiet.”
3. When Lacey took a breath in between barks, we said “Quiet,” gave her a bit of hotdog, and praised her without petting her, because touching her elicited more barking.
4. We also found that picking up her favorite toy – a threadbare stuffed hedgehog – and showing it to her, diverted her attention and made her temporarily shut up, so we used that to do #3.
5. We practiced all of the above in different rooms of house, in the car, and outside, too, so Lacey would understand that “Quiet” is a good thing everywhere.
Note that this takes patience, earplugs, and a very, very long time to implement and to experience success. A resolution to the problem will not happen overnight because the dog has a habit of barking that was reinforced by the owner over a long period of time. Think about it – if you pick your dog up every time she barks because it gets her to stop barking, she will bark until she is picked up.
For dogs that couldn’t care less about food, have other issues besides barking, or feel that barking is more fun than processed meat, YES, you guessed it, hire a professional trainer to get the QUIET you crave.
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