courtnek Posted April 5, 2004 Share Posted April 5, 2004 damn dog is too smart for MY own good....y'all know that Laurel was very afraid when I got her, of my son and his friends especially...she has taken to growling and baying whenever he enters the room, prompting me to tell her to shut up, and hold her muzzle till she stops. TODAY, he tells me, "she never barks at me when you're not here...I was playing with her in the yard all day...." GGGRRRR..... so now, how do I stop her? telling her to shut up works no better than ignoring her did... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtnek Posted April 5, 2004 Author Share Posted April 5, 2004 Im thinking baby gates and timeouts... :o Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtnek Posted April 6, 2004 Author Share Posted April 6, 2004 LOL = sometimes, yes...but I was actually looking for something less "punishment orientated" and more "positive reinforcement"... :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kendalyn Posted April 6, 2004 Share Posted April 6, 2004 I've heard training them to bark on command helps, but I'd be afraid to try it! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peng1zrule Posted April 6, 2004 Share Posted April 6, 2004 [quote name='courtnek']LOL = sometimes, yes...but I was actually looking for something less "punishment orientated" and more "positive reinforcement"... :D[/quote] in psychology, we learned about things called positive punishment and negative punishment. what you are doing (grabbing the muzzle) is called positive punishment. it GIVES her something. a time out would be negative punishment, because it DEPRIVES her of something. My thinking is that she, for some reason, wants you to lay your hand on her. So in her brain, she is getting a reinforcer. OR, you may have actually reinforced her behavior in some way when he comes in. She may have been startled of him, and thought that you were too. When you correct her, she may feel it's just a pack order thing and that you are each playing a role. I would try, just once, not responding, at least not right away. I would not offer treats to redirect her because it poses the chance of her thinking you are out and out rewarding her for barking. You could call her to you and praise her, stressing the aspect that she "came!" First, call off the barking---"NO, hush! come here! GOOD DOG! You CAME!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtnek Posted April 6, 2004 Author Share Posted April 6, 2004 well, I thought I was doing that...I could be wrong (wouldnt be the first time) What I had been doing was holding her muzzle and sternly saying QUIET! until she settled down. then made her sit, then praised her for sitting....but she is an attention-hound (no pun intended) and maybe just grabbing the muzzle is enough "praise" for her. However, ignoring her didnt work either...that was my first shot...hmmmm....I feel she is wrapping me around her paws...she doesnt do it when I'm not here, so something I'm doing when she IS here is keeping it going....The only other thing I could think of is that she is trying to protect me somehow...and Kyle and I have a mostly good relationship, except both of us talk too loud....and when I get home, he is brimming over with his accomplishments for the day, usually in a loud voice. Could that be it? Could she think because he talks so loud that he is somehow threatening me? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtnek Posted April 6, 2004 Author Share Posted April 6, 2004 p.s. (I want to give all the facts) she also does this when she hears a door slam. She was raised in a kennel, and is not used to doors, and Kyle is very loud, in the way he opens and closes doors, in the way he walks (stomps) down the stairs. Usually when she goes into her rant, it's because I;'m at my desk, talking to you guys, and he throws the front door open and stomps in, slamming it behind him. He's not angry, just boisterous. During the day I'm not here, and he can let her out and back in, so it's something with me.... hhhmmmm..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peng1zrule Posted April 8, 2004 Share Posted April 8, 2004 I think we're getting somewhere...is your back to the door/him when he comes in? My neighbor's dog, Kelzie, was fine with me (right after I met her) but one day I went to let myself in the puppy pen as Brenda was leaning over with her back to me. Kelzie, who is actually a protection trained dog, barked twice and came at me. I turned around and put my hands under my chin just as she left the ground. I heard her teeth click and felt the wind as she missed my tricep by [i]thismuch[/i] Her behavior was that she didn't trust me entirely and felt I was sneaking up on her owner. Maybe if you advanced on him, it would make a difference. You stand up and go to greet him, perhaps laying a hand on his arm or something. It helps if you're just a second faster than she is. The idea is that you let her know that interaction between the two of you is okay. One last theory is that she feels she is above him in the pack. When they are alone, just the two of them, it's fine because with just two, there's no need to figure out order. But when there's three, things need to be figured out, and it goes you, her, him. Not You, him, her, like it should. Or, perhaps the talking and door slamming makes her nervous and her only course of action is aggression, but through love or submission, she turns her aggression away from you. (Have you asked him to not open doors boisterously? And try keeping your voices lower than usual?) [/i] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtnek Posted April 8, 2004 Author Share Posted April 8, 2004 Peng1, you may have hit on something here. My back IS to the door whwn I am on the computer....And she is usually laying under the desk, facing the door. She also bays at other people who come in when I am sitting here...I'll have to try getting up when I hear the door open and facing it... maybe that will calm here down some....Theres a lot of teenager traffic through here.... :D I dont think her pack role is wrong, she will allow him to come in my room and sit on the bed and pet her with no issues. He often does that, and talks to me about his day, or his plans...I'm a big believer in talking to your kids. Our time is after dinner. so it sweems to be the "back towards the door" that's the issue. What confuses me though, is that even though she is baying, she scoots under the desk like she's scared, and then barks some more. From the safety of in front of me.....she is also beneath the lab in the ranks...and when Kyle and his friends come in, the Lab doesnt react. She's used to all of them...and during the day, she will sit on the couch with him and the Lab and all is peachy...so maybe it is the back-to-the-door that's causing the issue... thanks. I;ll see what beating her to the punch does... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtnek Posted April 10, 2004 Author Share Posted April 10, 2004 Peng1, thanks.... I have been making a point of getting up and facing the "intruder"...when the door opens....as soon as she starts to bay, I get up and face whoever entered. She growls a little now, but settles down much quicker. So back to the door is bad, and I will work with it. I was surprised at how quickly she backed down, once I stood up and faced the door. She is trying to protect me, and I wont fault her for that, but she needs to learn who is "bad" and who isnt. Those parameters arent instilled yet, but I'll work on it..... thank you for your input!! 8) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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