Question(s) about how to handle my barking Doberman while I'm away…?
My doberman is about 2 years old and very spirited. Like all the dogs in our neighborhood, he barks everyday. For the sake of my neighbors, I’d like to significantly decrease my dog’s barking, especially when I’m not at home to shush him. I have researched the citronella collar, but I don’t think that would work for my dog; my dog ate the "yucky no lick" bottle of spray I bought for the furniture, so I don’t think the citronella would deter him much, if at all.
I have heard about an electric collar that gives the dog a zap when he barks. I am worried that this might scare or hurt him unnecessarily. Does anyone have any advice or experience with this, especially for a larger dog?
Also, when he is in the back yard and I’m away, he is on a long chain. Would the chain and metal collar it’s attached to work as conduits, causing all sorts of sparky havoc?
I am also (perhaps paranoid, yet still) afraid of someone poisoning him while I’m away. He will eat anything.
Any advise?
I’m sorry–I didn’t explain the whole situation, but I ran out of space. Currently my dog does stay indoors while I’m away. He cannot see out the windows, but he barks anyway. I would like to leave him outside because I think he’d be happier, but I’d have to keep him in my side yard because my neighbor’s dog has come through our fence on the other side, and that could happen again. I would have to chain him and keep him fenced in the side yard to avoid this. My neighbor makes no such effort, and because she leaves her dog in her whole yard unsupervised and unchained, despite the fact that her dog has broken the fence and come into my yard, I have to keep my dog on the other side of the house. I am concerned that the neighbor’s dog will come into my yard again… The fence needs to be totally redone, but I have no money for that. The neighbor didn’t witness the event and thinks my dog went in her yard–which he did AFTER her dog first broke the fence and charged into my yard. HELP.
Also, OTHER neighbors have called the police and left anonymous notes regarding the barking. I know our dog is not the only dog to bark (there are six other dogs in the immediate area); I do not know if the other owners have received the same treatment, but I doubt it! I am the scapegoat. I am just trying to appease my neighbors and make my dog happy. And also trying to stay sane.
Currently he’s inside when I’m away but I WANT him to be able to be outside. I didn’t mean to make this confusing. Thank you for your help. I’m trying to do the right thing here.
Related Blogs
- Citronella Spray Collar – How To Stop That Nuisance Barking | Pet Memorial Urns Online
- Prevent your Dog From Barking Excessively by Using Citronella Dog Training Collars | Obedience Training For Dogs
Tags: all sorts, back yard, citronella collar, conduits, doberman, dogs, electric collar, fence, havoc, metal collar, neighbor, neighborhood, neighbors, quot, redone, sake, sparky, unsupervised, witness, zap
August 24th, 2010 at 9:28 am
I agree with Rise Again. Electric bark collars are great and they work on all dogs all the time. The dog does have a choice to make and HE controls the stimulation…he barks, he gets stimmed, he does not and there is no stim, easy enough, right?
August 24th, 2010 at 9:28 am
While shock collars have there place I don’t really advocate the "bark collars" My recommendation would be to keep your dog inside during the day to reduce barking. Him being chained is possible also part of the problem as it tends to make dogs more defensive and territorial than dogs that have are fenced or kept inside.
Edit: in all honesty the best thing for your dog is for him to say inside. If your neighbors dog has broken into the fence in the past it may well do it again and if yoru dog is attacked he is less able to defend himself if he is chained. You may want to consider crate training your dog as this will likely reduce or eliminate the barking while he is home alone.
August 24th, 2010 at 9:28 am
If you are leaving your dog outside then he is doing his job of protecting his territory and barking is one of the ways they go about doing this. To try to stop him via an electric shock is not fair as you have made the decision to leave him out. Is it possible to leave him inside the house in a gated off area? In this day and age, there are so many dangers to dogs left out. People are stealing dogs, poisoning them, teasing them etc…
August 24th, 2010 at 9:28 am
Bring him inside. You can’t blame him for barking when he’s outside. There are people and dogs around, lots of interesting things going on. While you’re away keep him inside. Then you won’t have to worry about people bothering him either.
August 24th, 2010 at 9:28 am
Your dog barks all day because he’s frustrated at being chained in the back yard with nothing to do but run back and forth and back and forth, that’s why he barks. Isn’t there anyway to keep him in the house or is he an outdoor dog primarily? I’m sorry but outdoor dogs bark mainly out of bordom, frustration, lack of exercise, he’s gotta find some way to work off his frustration and energy since you’re not doing anything for him like hour long walks plenty of play time and interaction.
Until you solve the issue of why he’s barking you’re just wasting your money on a collar that might work temporarily but not permenantly.
August 24th, 2010 at 9:28 am
What worries me about this situation is that he is not only chained, but chained when you are not home. This could be potentially a very dangerous situation. Why can’t he just be in the house in a safe crate while you’re not home? This would be much safer for him and would also eliminate the excessive barking outdoors and the potential of hurting himself with the chain and also being poisoned. Why not give that a try first before going to the extreme with a shock collar?
August 24th, 2010 at 9:28 am
Keep him inside during the day.
Take him for two long walks every day [this will greatly reduce his disposable energy, as well as excessive barking].
Give him a loud, harsh "shh!" when he barks and hold his snout for a few moments.
Socialize him around other dogs so that he doesn’t feel the need to go nuts when he hears one.
I would NOT suggest a choke chain–if that’s what you’re referring to by "metal collar", as it damages your dog’s trachea–nor would I suggest a shock collar for a barking problem. Both are excessive and a choke chain does nothing but hurt your dog, rather than solve the problem. If you have fears about your dog being poisoned, crate him inside when you are gone.
August 24th, 2010 at 9:28 am
Pleeeeeeease get your dog off that chain…
Chaining a dog rather than just restraining him with a fence is just about the cruelest thing you can do to a dog…It’s unnatural and he responds by letting the whole neighborhood know that he’s a very unhappy dog…
I’m not trying to tell you how to be a good dog parent, but in the natural world, chaining a dog causes so many "issues" that the average person can’t even imagine the nightmare..
August 24th, 2010 at 9:28 am
REAL bark-collars WORK!!
Half-hearted/half-azzed stuff does NOT!
If the dog keeps it big spoiled rotten UNTRAINED Ill-mannered mouth shut,it will NOT zap em!
You want to be a spineless wuss & have the cops down on you or you want it QUIET???
Your decision.
August 24th, 2010 at 9:28 am
You have a choice.
A) Crate train your dog, so he will be inside and settle down for a nap when you leave. You will have to provide him with extra stimulation when you are home if you want him to be able to sleep at night too.
B) Move your dog from a tie-out to a privacy-fenced enclosure. He should be able to see fewer things that bother him enough to bark at. This reduces the problem but does not eliminate it. It also reduces the chance of people/animals coming into the yard where your dog is confined, and gives the dog the opportunity to guard the side of the house the fenced area has access to.
C) Get the electronic bark collar. remote collars can ruin a dog if improperly used, but a high quality anit-bark collar automatically corrects at exactly the right times, and does not depend on your training skill. Do not skimp on quality. You don’t want a cheap collar that will correct at the wrong times or fry when wet. Yes, the zaps will sting. All corrective methods of training teach the dog how to avoid the sting or other annoyance. If he’s smart, he will get the association between barking and correction quickly, and will stop barking rather than hurt himself repeatedly. If you have a particularly dumb dog I can understand your concern.
There is no reason to use a metal collar on a dog that is tied out. Prongs and chokes are training devices that should be used under supervision only. Switch to a nylon or leather collar. You may also like the wire cables covered in plastic in place of the chain, but the chain itself should not interfere with the anti-bark collar if it is fitted properly.
D) Stay at home with him and use positive only training methods to slowly extend the length of time he can stay quiet when left outdoors alone. When using postive only training, the dog must be prevented from making mistakes, so you have to go back to choice A between training sessions.
Personally, I do crate my dogs, but only because I live in a bad neighborhood, and I worry they’d be stolen if left outside. A dog left outside during the day has plenty of stimulation and exercise that he would not get if crated, and is better able to be a good calm house dog in the evening when you’re home. When I move to the country I’d like to build a nice dog kennel, with a climate controlled indoor section, and a roomy outdoor run section.