Will not be quiet!!!

[percyj]

I have a rescued lab/pit mix named Benji. 3 years old. Every night, he's fed, played with, taken for a jog, let out, and put to bed. We have foxes in our backyard. Recently, he's taken to barking all night in his crate. I know it's because of the foxes, but how do you get them to be quiet? He's normally well trained, but I worry about how loud the barking is. Any suggestions?

(btw shock collars and/or spray bottles or shake cans aren't options, thanks!)

 

[KellyHM]

I don't know what to tell you if you won't consider a bark collar, but they're wonderful if used correctly. Better than sedatives or you killing him when he drives you nuts.

 

[Jamie_Dog_Trainer]

Well I guess my first question is: What have you tried so far? Second question: How did you train him to begin with? Third question: What are you willing to try?

 

[justbugged]

maybe use white noise. Something like a fan may be enough noise to mask the outside noises.

 

[percyj]

The shock collars are a no-no because he's been abused. The trauma might be to much. So far we've tried tons of excersise before bed, soft classical music, and a ticking clock. I train him with a clicker, he is responsive if I have food. It's a work in progress.

. I'm willing to try natural remedies, and anything that requires time and patience.

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Is it possible to have him inside at night?

 

[pardygwyn]

I'm not sure how an abused dog would respond to this, but I've trained puppies who are sensitive to reprimands not to bark in crates by playing music. I leave it soft, but every time they start barking, it gets cranked louder than they are. LOL It discourages them from barking without being scolded, so they don't get upset and bark/whine more. Sort of like a penny can but without the visuals of something flying through the air.

If he's reacting to things happening outside, another possibility is a fan turned on high. Not pointed at him, but close enough to block out whatever he's hearing. Heck, I use that remedy on myself. LOL

Aaaand you can always curl up in bed with him. 8D I'll admit I've used that one, too. It took about 6 months to get the dog from the bed, to the floor next to the bed, to the crate... but it did happen. I do kinda miss his sleepy snuggle-grunts sometimes, though.

 

[percyj]

He IS inside at night. Lol. He's just highly sensitive.


Omg, that's so strange because last night my mom, of her own accord, put on some music and he was silent the whole night. Thanks!!

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

You could also try praising him instead of yelling at him. When he starts barking, say "good boy", let him know you will "check" things out, and then "quiet". I've found this to be much more effective for my dogs because I didn't want to discourage them from barking, but I didn't want excessive barking either. Sometimes when a dog knows it's owner is aware of the noise, they quiet right down because their job is done. Granted, this isn't an immediate fix and doesn't work for all dogs I'm sure, but it may be worth a try!

 

[CarolAnn]

We live in the country and 3 yrs ago we took in a little terrier that had been dumped in our area. We have no idea how long she was on her own to wander and scavenge but hubby had been seeing him around for at least a couple months before he mentioned her to me. It took me a month to attract her to the edge of our yard and where she'd accept a bite of food from me. We are sure she was abused before she was dumped in the country. She's an inside dog and my companion, and she has keen hearing. She barks when someone drives in our drive and sometimes when I can't see anything to bark about. At those times I'll open the door and let her see there's noone there. Sometimes it's just a single bark and I'll usually let her out to potty.

If your barking problem occurs only at night I'd go with a radio on low near her crate, to distract from outside sounds. I know it can be difficult dealing with a dog with baggage. Our Grace is so happy to be loved that once we got her house broken it's been very easy to have her in our lives. She is the first inside dog we've ever had. We always had a cat until just after we got Grace, and then I gave the cat away because of our daughter in laws allergy to cats.