# Save my wife...from my barking dog!



## Go4th (Jan 29, 2011)

I travel a fair amount for business and when I am gone, my dog barks incessantly at my wife. It happens even when I am in town, but just out of the house for a while. When I am home, my dog is very close with my wife and completely leaves her alone. She does not bark in a mean or aggressive manner, she just won't stop. My wife ends up sometimes locking herself in our room just to separate from the dog and get some quiet time. She has tried playing food focus games (which helps for a bit, but once done the dog starts up again). Even when she takes the dog out for long walks or runs the dog still barks when normally she is tired and sleeps after rigorous exercise. Anyone ever experienced this before...any help or ideas on how to work on training the dog to stop this. Our dog is from a shelter and she definitely has some Pit Bull in her, but she may have some lab, and maybe lot of other breeds too. Everyone has a different guess!! Any help would really make my time away from home more enjoyable for all of us.

Thanks!


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## spotted nikes (Feb 7, 2008)

What kind of barking? Play bark ("Come play with me"), warning bark, threatening/aggressive bark?


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## Go4th (Jan 29, 2011)

We don't know. Seems more like she's upset that we've disrupted her routine with my departure. I don't think it is any of those you listed. For instance, my wife will sit at our dining room table and the dog will sit next to her and just bark. We don't know what she wants...it just gets very annoying for my wife. But again, this behavior is non existent when I am home although I have heard it over the phone when I call home. Thanks for the response and attempt to help.


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## GypsyJazmine (Nov 27, 2009)

Do you play with/give attention to the dog more than your wife does?...Maybe he is just asking for attention...That is what it sounds like to me.


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## spotted nikes (Feb 7, 2008)

Can your wife teach her a "Go lay down" or "Go to your bed" command? Or maybe before your wife sits down, have her give her a frozen peanut butter stuffed Kong, to occupy herself with.

And you are sure the dog is being exercised enough? Engaged in mental exercise as well, either through training/tricks/puzzle games? Are you sure the dog isn't saying "I'm bored out of my mind, here! Lets go DO something!" 

If all else fails, (Kongs, more exercise, more training, etc) you could try a citronella collar that has a remote button you press to activate a beep, then another button that sprays a fine mist. It interrupts the barking. My dog got sprayed twice, and after that, I could just activate the beep and he'd quit barking. Then I just had to put the collar on him, and he wouldn't bark. But I'd make sure you try the other options first. The dog seems to be trying to tell her SOMETHING and I'd hate to just shut the dog up, when she obviously is trying to communicate.


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## amavanna (Nov 20, 2010)

Lela is pretty quit unless she is obviously panning for my attention. My dog only whines when she wants to go outside or when people leave the house . And she only barks when she wants to play OR someone really suspicious is outside. Understand that barking is one of the most common behavior issues. I honestly thing he is doing it because he misses you. I think he suffers from separation when you leave and your wife dosen't fit the bill as far as comforting him, don't htink that your wife is doing something wrong she is prolly doing everything right but it isn't what the dog wants.

I would try leaving the house but waiting outside. See how long it takes for him to start up , it could take a few minutes could take a few hours, if it seems after waiting by the door for a few minutes he isn't responding go for a drive, the second he starts up have your wife call and come back. If when you walk back inside the house he stops barking, then you know it is a factor of you leaving the house and being gone. Does this happen if you are in a separate room or just when you leave the whole house.

Lela whines everytime someone leaves our home either my husband me or the kid. But when I leave she will bellow and bark for several minutes. I spend all day with her since I don't work and am almost never gone. Fortunately she isn't destructive or carry on for hours, but if a dog becomes dependent enough on you they just don't know how to act without you around. If you stay home and your wife leaves does he react the same? There are few more questions I want to ask but I just can't really think of how I want to put them. I think it is a small case of separation anxiety targeted with you but it is possible there is another cause. I will wait for some more responses and go from there


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## BmoreBruno (Jan 19, 2011)

Amavanna's response seemed to best fit your situation to me. I have recently been working with my pup to have him stop barking at my guests and have had some fast success with a water bottle and using a command. When he starts barking, I mist him once with water to get his attention. He immediately stops barking to look at what the heck just happened. Then I say "enough" and praise him after he's quiet for a few seconds and redirect him to his toys or some trick that we have been working on. I think it would be a good idea for your wife to do 5 minutes of basic obedience training after she gets him to be quiet for a bit to keep his mind occupied, distracted and to have him see her as in control of the situation. It makes my dog seem more at ease when my friends give him a few commands once he's quiet. Also, as someone else mentioned, kongs stuffed with yummy stuff are a good mind/energy occupier. I also just bought some bully sticks but when my dog is anxious, he needs something really stinky like peanut butter to distract him enough to care about the treats.

I've also read that it's a good idea to teach your dog a command for barking in order to be able to teach him the opposing command to stop. I have been working on this, but I don't think he gets the idea yet. Good luck!


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## doxiemommy (Dec 18, 2009)

I would not recommend the water bottle for BmoreBruno, or for the OP. I know you say you just mist him to get his attention, but, really, there are other ways to get his attention, and you could cause some water issues in the future. You certainly don't want him to have issues with baths, or swimming, or whatever...

We taught ours the "quiet" command. To teach it, we said quiet in a high pitched voice, not firm, just loud enough to get their attention, and gave a treat and praise when they stopped barking. Little by little, we increased the time they needed to be quiet for before they got the treats. They really are pretty good with it now!


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