Barking

[flutterbye]

Here's another question for ya.. Rocko, who is 11 weeks old, is starting to bark ALOT!! I've heard that Corgis aren't big barkers and when they are young you should teach them when to bark and when not to bark. He barks at everything and we've tried many things to get him to stop but nothing seems to be working. Any advice, or something that someone knows works would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks again!!
Linda

[Michael Romanos]

Rocko is finding his voice. Corgis are not typically quiet but they are also not typically yappers or typically incessant barkers. They are usually responders when in their own surroundings as opposed to initiators, but are not the noisy type away from home.

If Rocko is acting 'over the top' with his yelling and chatting and sounding out, tell him firmly to stop. If he doesn't co-operate, pick him up firmly but not frightenly, don't talk to him and place him down gently in a quiet room - such as a bathroom, for 10 minutes. If he is quiet after this time, open the door and praise and reward him. Do this as many times as necessary and let me know if there is any change in his behaviour after two weeks.

[pmavrich]

Michael that is a great tip ... I am going to try this at home with my two corgi's. Does it work with spouse's too?

[Clogs]

Originally Posted by pmavrich

Michael that is a great tip ... Does it work with spouse's too?

Yes, but be careful not to strain your back...

[Jane Austen]

You might also try the pennies in a soda can. Just a handful of pennies in the can and tape the top. When your dog does something you don't want him to do, shake the can and make it loud. They usually don't like the noise so they will stop the bad behavior, or not. When I was having some trouble with Duchess, chasing the cat, I had to have a few cans around so I would always have one handy. It helped.

[Michael Romanos]

Jane - you got cash? Credit cards don't nearly rattle so well or so loud.

Pmacv - It works with parrots in reverse. My mother had a caged budgie many years before I was born, and it didn't even chirp. So finally she decided it was useless and 'hid away' the budgie in the bathroom. Well, a bathroom for a then family of five or six was a pretty popular and interesting place, and within a very short time the Budgie was not only singing but talking - and boy, could he talk - " go to school, Rosemary " was one of his phrases.

[pmavrich]

I tried placing my dog & my husband in a quiet room ... The dog stopped, but my husband started talking louder, so I could hear what he was saying!

[Michael Romanos]

You have my permission to barge into the bathroom if your hubby is not toeing the line, and slap him across his nose with a folded newspaper. This will work well. It use to be administered to dogs in the old days before it was understood that dogs did not appreciate it and it had adverse repercussions. But with human men there are no such long term drawbacks. Go for it.

[flutterbye]

I've tried the can with pennies and it only makes him stop long enough to run up to me and start barking at the can lol

Linda

[Pawsies]

Ignore. Ignore. Ignore.

I don't care if you have to turn the radio up, stand your ground NOW while you can. When he barks at you, you turn into a statue, you don't move or look at him. You'll become so boring that the objects around him become so entertaining all of a sudden.

When he stops/is diverted you then praise him (but make sure he has stopped!). Don't make a sudden movement, this will make him bark again as a sort of 'How dare you frighten me' lol.

Cans with pennies doesn't work. I'm sorry, it just doesn't. It'll just frighten him and fear is never a good thing to use in training. Picking him up is just providing him with some attention (you need to look where he is to pick him up, direct eye contact is still attention).

[Louwants]

I used a spray bottle. I spritzed Duncan in the face if he started barking for no reason at all. He is a responding barker, barks to what is going on in his area. He will bark at car doors closing outside, the neighbors pulling up, any unusual sound he hears. Basically, a little over protective of his home.

I may have to get the spray bottle out again. He has developed a real annoying habit. Whenever my husband is getting ready for a shower, he barks incessantly while he is getting undressed and all the way to the bathroom. He doesn't do that with me, or if he does bark, it's just one bark. I have no idea what my husband has done to encourage this. I know my husband, and you know it only takes once with a corgi on some things to learn. I should just let my husband suffer......LOL...he's the one that spoils him.