She barks at everything from knocks at the door, doorbells, (on TV and not), and other dogs and people walking by our back door. We got her from the pound about 5 years ago and still can't break her of this habit. She just doesn't understand "no" and a little smack on the nose along with it. Any ideas? Not interested in shock collars or anyhting like that.
2007-10-10 07:29:43 · 15 answers · asked by ErBear 2 in Pets ➔ Dogs
It's never too late to train a dog. The best thing to do is hire a good trainer to help you, but a training book, dvd or website can help, too. The same methods used with younger dogs will work. It's all about consistency and letting the dog see that she gets a better result by being quiet and looking to you for direction than she does from barking.
It's important to determine the reason that she's barking. Be careful about using corrective training methods without the help of a trainer, because even if your dog looks like she's being obnoxious or aggressive, she may be barking because she's fearful and unsure about what to do in those situations. In that case, correcting her when she barks can make her more fearful of the situation, which may make the problem worse. Obedience training will help her to feel more confident and will allow you to guide her to do something more appropriate, like sitting or going to her bed, when she's not sure what to do.
Older dogs usually love training and do really well with it, so don't let her age discourage you!
2007-10-10 07:49:37 · answer #1 · answered by pallen 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, it is not too late to train her. However, at this point she has had at least 5 (if not the last 13) years to practice this bad habit and it will take some time to train her not to do it. You may get the best results by contacting a local trainer who uses positive methods and having them show you how to do this. Barking tends to be a self-rewarding behavior. They bark at the mailman, or the people walking on the sidewalk, or the doorbell and often the stimulus goes away (after all, the mailman can't stop and work with every dog that barks at him on his route and people walking by on the sidewalk have places they need to be too). Since this is usually what the dog wants, they continue barking because it works to get them what they want more often than not.
2007-10-10 07:38:30 · answer #2 · answered by ainawgsd 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's definitely not too late to train your dog! In fact, it'll probably be easier now that you've had her awhile and know what she likes and doesn't like. (Bad habits will take some time to break, but it's totally possible.)
Clicker training is a fun bet, see Karen Pryor's web site below for information on breaking her of barking.
2007-10-10 07:38:31 · answer #3 · answered by Sarah 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is not too late. We have a 7 yr old dog, we are currently training right now. He is pretty potty trained, but still goes inside at times, we are working on that, and fetch, he's lazy. lol u can always train a dog. no matter what age.
2007-10-10 07:33:18 · answer #4 · answered by Kay-Cody 0918 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's never too late to train your dog. Try getting some books or talk to a trainer for more suggestions. But one thing you might try is offering her a behavior to do in place of the barking, and also praising/treating her when she is calm. Try for example, having a friend walk by your door, and when she barks, put her in a sit or a down. Whenever she is quiet in those situations where she normally barks, praise and/or treat her.
2007-10-10 07:36:22 · answer #5 · answered by Mia 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is never too late to train a dog. You might want to find a trainer who can come to your home to help you with her in-house issues. Smacking a dog just makes them aggressive toward you and she will start biting you when you go to pick her up because she will be afraid that you will smack her again. Shock collars should be outlawed or used on the person who invented them!
2007-10-10 07:40:06 · answer #6 · answered by Dog Maw 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
all animals have the capacity for training at any age. the problem is with the onset of age comes problems with habits. the older the animal the more difficult to break them of bad habits and instill good habits in place of them. you can desensitize you dog not to bark by using repetitive training techniques. have a friend or family member go out side walk by the house and use positive reinforcement and treats to reaffirm postive behavior. praise the dog when it does what you want. Remember its never too late to correct bad habits. Behavior good and bad happens.
2007-10-10 07:43:37 · answer #7 · answered by pemtrek 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My 13 year old dog messes in the house almost daily, but only when we are gone. Is it too late to crate train him? The alternative is not something I want to do but.....
2014-03-03 03:12:43 · answer #8 · answered by MAURICE B 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's never too late.
The key is consistency. As soon as she moves to bark or go towards the door to bark, say no or shush her in a firm voice. You may need to tap her lightly on the shoulder to get her attention.
Make her move away from the door by blocking the space with your body.
She will get it eventually. It takes time and patience, but it is worth it.
2007-10-10 07:51:15 · answer #9 · answered by maxmom 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
She is an old lady already...just being stubborn. At this point I would just let her be. Not to sound mean, but she probably wouldn't last much longer, 13 years is a long time for a dog to live.
2007-10-10 07:37:28 · answer #10 · answered by Kristy Lynn 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋