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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Just curious - of all of you complaining about "poorly trained" dogs, do any of you have rescues, or do you all have bred dogs?[/quote]

Yes, I rescued a 1 year old German Shepherd/Husky mix, and he was hard as hell to train. I spent thousands and used three trainers, but now I don't have to worry about him being troublesome with humans or other dogs. It was worth it. [/quote]

Some people don’t have those resources, especially to spend on a problem like [i]barking at other dogs.[/i]  I know your response is that “you shouldn’t have the dog then,” but really, that’s not how life works in practice.  You like the dog, the kids like the dog, and he’s otherwise not dangerous and well behaved.[/quote]

Fine, don't train the dog, but then please drag it away when it starts barking like crazy at other dogs. No one, dog or human, wants to listen to that. And if your dog sits in the window and barks at passing dogs, don't let it sit in that window--move it to the back of the house. Finally, I'll just say that a barking dog is not a happy dog. S/he might need anxiety meds. [/quote]

I have never seen someone with a barking dog that just stands there and lets it go crazy on the sidewalk.  Also, a dog that barks at dogs or people approaching the home is pretty much… just being a dog???  And you want to medicate it??!?[/quote]

Barking chronically is not just "being a dog." Most dogs don't bark at people approaching the home. It's extremely off-putting, and yes, barking is a sign of stress. The dog sees the person/animal as a threat. Why would you put your dog in a place where s/he feels threatened most of the day? That's why I suggested putting the dog in a room that overlooks the backyard. They can still see out, but aren't constantly on alert. If all you've had is a dog that barks, I can see why you'd think it's normal, but it's really not. [/quote]

I agree. Constant barking is an expression of stress. It's not good for the dog. The most vocal hound should not be barking all day. I used a bark collar on my teen dog who developed anxiety separation and would start to bark AFTER I left the house, and I tested the shock on myself FIRST, to make sure it wasn't painful. It took a couple of barks, and he got the message, and busied himself with all the toys and treats I left for him. So a combination of stick and carrot - when you can't "positive train" your way out of a deleterious behavior, stick and carrot is the gold standard. He and many others dogs, can't use the toys and treats if they're stuck in bark mode, so the aversive signal distracts them away from barking and towards the positive items at their disposal. My dog still barks when he's excited, but that's a normal, healthy way to express himself, which is totally fine.

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