> i ended up buying that bark device and i agree it doesn't seem to work.
> she doesn't bark as much but it doesn't stop her i her barking tracks like
> the literature said it would. any suggestions on how to stop her from that
> loud whining almost screeching. she has food and water in the kennel with
> her.
My obedience trainer taught me the way to train out excessive barking,
whining, or any other annoying noise. You'll need to have ready a handful
of tiny bits of treats, and be ready with some oddball sound, i.e. a wolf
whistle, quack like a duck, etc. I'll explain.
When your chi starts barking, make the oddball noise and immediately say,
"Fido (or whatever your chi's name is), HUSH." The noise will startle the
chi and they'll stop barking to look at you. *Immediately* praise and
reward. The next time the dog starts barking, do the same thing. DO vary
the noise you make so they don't become used to it, or associate the reward
with the particular noise instead of the command and their behavior.
Then start adding a slight delay, no more than a second or two, between
giving the command and giving the praise and treat, but SHOW the treat
immediately. Gradually increase the delay time, requiring a longer silence
before you reward. Don't forget to praise lavishly, so you can gradually
phase out the treat. When you start phasing out the treat, increase the
amount of petting and praise.
It may also help to interpose a substitute behavior. When you give the
"hush" command, instead of going directly to praise and reward, give a
second command the dog knows, such as "come" or "sit" or "bring me your toy"
or whatever, and THEN praise and reward on success. The substitute behavior
will help distract the dog from going right back to barking.
A note on commands. You don't have to use "hush"; you could use "quiet" or
some other short, easily understood command instead. But *don't* use "stop"
or "no" or "don't", etc. because you use these words too often in regular
conversation and it will confuse your dog. My trainer advises never using
"No" as a command except in a dire emergency, because it's too generic and
your dog may not know which behavior is the problem.
Do not shout at your dog. Raising your voice *encourages* barking. Use a
firm, low-pitched voice when giving a command, a soft, high-pitched voice
when praising.
Anne
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