Need Help from Dog People

[countyroad1330]

Well I guess we are needing advice and help with a crazy dog. He is about 3 years old, registered long haired daschund. He barks almost constantly! Anytime someone opens a door, or even at the tiniest thud. Sometimes I think he's just hearing his head rattle and barks. He also pees when company pets him. What can we do!?

 

[dustbath]

How long have you had him? This can't have been going on his whole life.....Is your house a new environment for him? If so, he might just calm down.

It sounds as if he's very excited by stimuli, like noise or new people (peeing is often a sign of extreme nervousness or excitement. It can mean "I'm so happy to see you I can't stand it" or "I'm so afraid right now I can't control myself." Most of the dog books say to address these problems by gradually introducing the dog to more stimuli, by having people come over and slowly interact with the dog, walking by the house and letting you instruct the dog not to react, etc. This doesn't work for me because I live in the country and few people have the time to come help me socialize my dog!

The Culture Clash is really good dog book. It might help.

 

[jthayerkatz]

Lots of exercise is the key. A tired dog is too worn out to bark all the time and pee from fear or excitement.
When friends or neighbors come over have them ignore the dog completely and let the dog come to greet them only if he wants to.

 

[dianneS]

Sounds like small dog syndrome. Little dogs bark and act aggressively because they are so small that they are on constant alert. They are tiny and susceptible to being harmed so they have to do this as a defense mechanism. I have a Papillon that barks at everything. I'm still working on that behavior. As far as the peeing when company pets him, that is fear too. Hovering over a little dog, petting, and cooing and saying "good dog, its okay, etc etc" may seem nice and soothing, but its threatening to something so small. I can't stand it when my guests hover over my little dogs crate and try and soothe her barking by bending over and talking to her. I put her in the crate to feel safe and here they are invading her safe zone! No wonder she goes crazy in there, she's cornered and some big dummy is hovering over her! Every time I try and work on her confidence and try to get her feeling safe and knowing that I'm here to protect her, some idiot comes along and sabotages our progress by thinking that they ar being nice and going to make her like them! It drives me crazy, and my dog is actually better off being out of her crate so that she can get away from people when they irritate her.

All I can tell you is make the dog feel safe, protected and let him know that you are the pack leader and he has nothing to worry about because you are there to protect him. Eventually he'll relax and this behavior should subside, if you can get your guests to leave him alone and not make him feel threatened and thwart your training efforts.

 

[ChickenToes]

See if you can give him more exercise to wear him out a bit. It may help, or it may not.

Do you try show any reaction when he barks all the time? Try ignoring him completely. When the dog sees that they get no reaction or attention from their behavior, they usually stop doing it. Not always, but usually.

 

[Barnyard]

Peeing is a sign of submission. My brother has a female boxer that does this regulary..... Try letting him out as soon as you get home, or when company comes in.....before you or anyone talks to him.....let him out!!Then let him come to you or to the company.....do not go to him first. You will have to continue this until you see that he is no longer showing signs of submission and not peeing everywhere.


As far as the barking goes.....um, well....good luck with that. I had a rat terrier that barked at a flea jumping. You can try the clicker's that you get at the pet stores. I was able to tell her no and clap my hands and she would stop....but it took a while for her to figure it all out.

 

[Chick_a_dee]

If he's peeing while being pet it sounds like excitement. Our Lab used to do that and she just grew out of it. As for barking, Nacho did that all the time constant non stop, so we put a no bark collar on him (gives them a slight shock when they bark).

 

[Chick_a_dee]

Oh also, it took 2 weeks and Nacho no longer barks ALL THE TIME, only when people come up the driveway, which is what we'd prefer he do anyway.

 

[Barnyard]

Quote:
It may be excitement, but it also a sign of submission

 

[Chick_a_dee]

Quote:
It may be excitement, but it also a sign of submission

Indeed! Labby (Samari) would roll over on her back and pee all over herself when a man pet her, never a woman. Samari was an alpha female and only respected very dominant men.