Will a frim "No" solve this problem?

Question

Okay, so I have a almost one-year Rotty. He's really sweet and playful [as all dogs are]. He lives outside.

Well the thing is, he's been outside since he was big enough [just below the knee]. Since then he has still been very obediant and learns quickly. However, lately he's been barking at 3AM and just before 5AM. We are still confused as to how this has come up, and our neighbor has brought this issue up to us because they have a 20-month infant.

So will a firm "No" to him during those hours teach him not to bark? If not, then what else could be done?

Thanks.

Answer 1

..hes still young enough to crate train him without many problems. and it sounds like you want him to be a outside dog, which is perfectly fine. i have 4 pitbulls and a canaan dog..and from late spring to mid autumn the 2 biggest pits mostly stay outside..except during bad weather...

im almost completely positive that if you crate him at night not only will he stop barking... but you'll be avoiding a whole lot of other problems that would pop up later on.. for instance, like being sprayed by skunks. ...or being exposed to stray dogs and cats and wild animals like raccoons that roam at night.. ..any of which could attack him, give him an infinit amount of medical problems like parasites, diseases & fleas.. just from being exposed to them..
so, if you your willing, & its at all possible, you should definitly invest $65 - $100 on a dog crate. if you dont have room for a big dog crate in your house, most of the kind they make now just fold down in literally seconds, and ijust as easy to set up again.. so that you could store it in a closent or whatever during the day.. or if you dont want to have him in the house even if he's crated, you could always find or make a nice big clear spot to put ithe crate in your garage, basement, mudroom, inclosed porch.. as long as its not outside.. and he shouldnt bark anymore.

BUT there are some important things to have in mind when crate training, and crating a dog..
when you buy him a crate there are a couple things to to remember...GET THE RIGHT SIZE CRATE! -make sure that is the correct size for him {[he should have a enough room to move around a bit, and to sleep,..but not too big! if the crate is too big then hemight go potty in it, and also he'll most likely jump around and bang around in it if theres too much room to play, and speacking from personal experience...if theres too much room and he's the gets excited, he willl probably bang and bend the crate, and eventually destroy it.]} ..but keep in mind that he probably still growing.. but a lot of crates now-a-days come with an extra little divider/wall thing, so that you can adjust the size of the crate as the dog grows.. ... another important thing to make sure the the crate is takes the least amount of work possible to assemble, disassemable and to clean.. for this reason i recommend a folding crate. they are super easy to maintain, keep clean, move and store... not to mention very durable and super quick and easy to set up, and take down.. also be sure to get a crate tray.. the pop-up/fold-down crates usually come with a fitted, and durable crate tray [*and divider]..
you should also have bedding in the crate. dog beds work fine for this, but they can be a little pricey, and a lot of times, they dont last long. i usually use an old bed comforter, or an old sleeping bag, or an old pillow or 2 and a couple blankets. that way if they get ruined its not a big loss, and replacing the bedding in the crate wont be at all difficult. .. for the first year i had my dogs i used all of the old blankest, old pillows, old comforters,old throws and quilts, old furniture cushions, old sleeping bags, that i had collected over the years, and when i ran out, my mother and a few of my friends seemed to be more than willing to unload some of their old, torn and stained bedding that had been gather dust in their linen closents and basements. if you dont have that option, salvation army and other thrift stores are a great place to get super cheap bedding...

you also want to make sure that your dog will have a bone[s] and/or a toy or two that is kept in his crate so that he has something to do, and he wont get restless or upset about being crated.
i've had one dog that i got when he was almost a year old and he whined the first week we crated him. the trick with that, is to cover his cage with a old sheet or something similar.. which actually also helps calm and relax the dog, and alieve any anxiety he might get. eventually, usually withen a month or 2 the dog loves the crate.. and will quietly sleep through the night... just remember to put the crat on a flat floor surface, and somewhere that is safe, indoors, and dry... and dont alllow him to eat [treats and bones are ok]and do not allow him to potty in the crate, and if he does clean it as soon as you can so he wont get sick. :o)

i know this sounds like a huge list of stuff to do and get, but once its all set up and and u and ur pup start getting into the groove of it, u'll be amazed at how simply the whole thing is.

Answer 2

If he is barking at the same time every day he is barking AT something. There is a reason for his barking.

Perhaps you have neighbors who have changed their schedule and are coming home/going out at this time. The change in schedule and sudden arrival/departure of people would be unusual and he would react to that.

If he is reacting to someone showing up outside your house at night when they are not (in his mind) supposed to be there, you need to be very careful about what you do next.

You want your dog to let you know if a stranger is outside your house, but you don't want him to bark every time your neighbor leaves for work, right?

Get up at 2:30 and go sit where you can see and hear what is going on outside at 3. See what is making him bark. If it is a neighbor with a new routine, the dog will get used to it.

OR bring your dog inside the house where he belongs. Having your rottie live outside--especially at this age and younger---is cruel. If he is just attention barking and you and your neighbors don't like it then find him a new home.

Rotties are wonderful, strong, loving dogs who need to feel a part of your family. Let him into your house and the barking won't be a problem and he'll be happier.

Answer 3

I have had a similar problem and found out, the hard way, that a bark collar is the only thing that worked. I am talking about the electric collar, not the other types as they do not work on a dog that is intending to bark. My neighbors had legal right to see that my dog did not bark at night and I was given the choise of getting rid of my dog or moving. I chose the bark collar which went on him every night before bed and was removed every morning. It worked, the dog stopped barking and everyone was happy. Try it, and please do not listen to those that tell you it's cruel. It is not. What is cruel is having to get rid of your dog when the problem can be fixed.

Answer 4

Dogs comunicate to each other by barking, so he gets boared and then desides to chat because he has nothing else to do, perhaps if you give him a play mate they will keep each other bussy instead of looking for attention. The other option is to change the feeding time to later in the evening so that the dog will not be to full of ennergy and will sleep during the night and only be woken up by unformilliar noises.

Answer 5

A firm NO? Probably not. I don't think your dog wants to be outside and he shouldnt be. Why get a dog just to keep him outside? Pets are companion animals and are part of the family. I wont be surprised when your neighbor calls animal control on you.

Answer 6

Why is your dog outside all night? Bring him in the house,,,,Rotties need & want to be with their owners. He is barking because he wants to be inside, he is lonely.

Answer 7

it depends entirely on how well you have taught him what No means, however you should note that you yelling no is probably only going to add to the neighbors complaint! A bark collar is probably your best bet! It's too bad ya can't get one for the neighbor too lol

Answer 8

You certainly could try a firm "NO", but don't expect a miracle. They have "bark collars" that is suppose to prevent them from barking. It "zaps" them when they bark. Although, I don't know if I approve of that, it is an option. He may be hearing other dogs, coyotes or wolves in the distance that he is responding to.

Answer 9

you can try the NO thing, if that doesnt work, buy a mussle for him, and if he barks put it on him for an hour or so. its not a cruel punishment but it will be enough of a punishment that he should stop the bad behavior.

Answer 10

I think a sound more like 'argh' would be more relevent... make it short sharp and quick because that makes the dog think what is this person going to do to me.. Make sure the dog can see you when you say this and never say 'argh' unless he is doing something wrong because he will get confused.. Good luck..