HELP HELP HELP!!! I am at my wits end! - YorkieTalk.com Forums

hunt2gahr1015 · 03-13-2008, 06:00 AM

Help me with any ideas you have...PLEASE!!!

My little guy Brinkley who is now just about 5 months won't stop BARKING!!!

I have had him since the end of January & when I got him he was pretty sick & so he didn't bark & was actually really calm. Well now that I have nursed him back to health & he is totally sickness free....he is a MANIAC! I need help you guys! I am sooooo frustrated. I feel like all I am doing is yelling at him & I hate that & he just looks at me with his cute little face & then I feel soooo bad.

But the barking is just unreal. It's NON STOP. I find myself going to bed early at night just because then he goes into his crate & goes to sleep & stops barking. HELP! I really have no clue of what to do.

Do they grow out of this or is there something I can do to stop it? I can understand when the door bell rings or my phone rings or things like that if he barks then but now he just barks to hear himself bark I think. And when I want him to bark like when he need to go outside to go potty...well then he doesn't. UGH!! HELP

patty58 · 03-13-2008, 10:18 AM

I haven't had that problem with Murfee but have read several people on here use pennies in a can. Shake it at him when he barks and say NO. Some people have also used water in a spray bottle. Good luck.

Yorkie Luv of 3 · 03-13-2008, 10:24 AM

Mercy! i only have one,, who is a barker,, so far,, lol,,, and they each seem to have a "something" that makes them pay attention,, and we have NO idea why,, with Cricket ,,its a spray bottle,, doesnt even hafta have anything in it,, just pick it up,, stop her unwanted behavior,,, with Daisy,, its a bamboo back scratcher,, and so far,, we've not found Trixie's "thing",, nothing gets to her ,, yet,, Best of Luck,, i'm sure someone here will be of help to ya, and,, Welcome to YT!!!

PrincessDiana · 03-13-2008, 10:25 AM

Another thing that will definitely help is to reward him when he's quiet. When he's barking, wait until he calms down and then treat him. Make sure it's not RIGHT after, though or he'll think you're rewarding the barking.

MIZBROWN · 03-13-2008, 10:27 AM

Might not be much help... But as Patty58 mentioned, there are lots of members that have talked about putting the pennies in a can...Then I guess you shake it (like crazy) when they do something they arent suppose to. I've also read about doing something similar with a water bottle...

IMO... Maybe since your lil guy started out sick, Im sure you were his personal nurse and spoiling him rotten...Maybe he's still seeking that undivided attention from you? Do you tell him NO when he does it? Does he have toys, chews to keep him active? Is he the only animal in the home?

Also when you come home, try not showing him any attention for the first 5-10 min... If we spoil them with attention, they become needy for that and will wine/bark until they get it from you... imo

nikkinack · 03-13-2008, 11:41 AM

Lily has never been a barker but when she was little she would wine constantly for no reason for hours and hours and we tried the water bottle and she thought it was a cool game and then we tried compressed air in a can like the stuff you use to clean a key board. It worked great.

Jeri Cunningham · 03-13-2008, 11:53 AM

I feel for you as I have a barker. My Teddy will be three in May and is over 14 lbs. He is a non-stop barker and I mean non stop. He barks in his sleep!!!
He has worn a shocking bark collar since he was about 8 months. I had tried everything and I mean everything to change his habit of non-stop barking and nothing worked.

Even now if I take the collar off within an hour he will bark like crazy at everything, TV, me, the water running in the sink, etc..... I keep extra batteries on hand just in case. I did once go a few weeks with a dead battery before he found he could bark like crazy again.

The collar is not for dogs under 8 LBS so if he is less than that you couldn't use it.

I sure hope the can, treats, something works for you as I FULLY understand non-stop barking can bring you to tears.

For anyone that thinks the collar is mean Teddy is my baby boy and he loves his collar as it keeps him out of trouble when the other dogs bark and get told "NO" he gets a GOOD BOY!!!

MsFamousHepburn · 03-13-2008, 11:57 AM

When we first got Xavier he was quite a barker! After trying the "pennies in a can" trick...he stopped his excessive barking! I know it sounds kinda cruel to shake a can with pennies whenever they bark, but it works!

ARCHIE · 03-13-2008, 12:07 PM

I know that can make your nerves rattle can't it?
What I did with Buddy is when he barked, I would grab his
beard and say No Barking in a firm voice, then say good boy. I did this quite often. When he became quiet I gave him a tiny treat. He caught on fast.
Leaving the house was another story. The spray bottle did not help he was
soaking wet and still barking! I put coins in a can that someone suggested
and it worked wonders. Today he is not a barker. Only barks when the
door bell rings or telephone rings or he sees a dog outside, which is all normal.

It takes time and patience but be consistant. I hope this helps you.

Nancy1999 · 03-13-2008, 12:12 PM

Some trainers say that you should thank them for barking, act concerned, and check out the place and reassure them everything "ok." I know that sounds stupid, but I did that at night because I wanted him to bark if he hears something. Now, I can just say, "it's ok" and he'll stop barking. They are really trying to alert you that there might be a problem.

For daytime barking, I use pennies in a can. Say, "no" shake the can of pennies. Repeat as necessary.

For My Coby · 03-13-2008, 08:26 PM

I feel for ya. As ARCHIE said, it can rattle your nerves.

We've tried three different strategies. We started with pennies in a can. That worked great for a while. A few months later, it did nothing but make him bark more. So we switched to a water bottle. Worked great for a few months, then it lost its effect. Right now, we're on one of the sonic things that emits a high pitched sound when you hit the button that bothers the dogs' ears. That is now working great.

So if something works for a while and then stops working, it has worked for us to try something else.

.......... kinda like how I have to change shampoos every once in a while or they lose their effect.

aquinn · 03-13-2008, 08:34 PM

My sister swears by taking the dog into another room, say a bathroom, the moment they start barking without saying a word. Then, let them out when they have stopped barking. The theory is that they are barking for attention and you making them leave your presence and not acknowledging them by talking defeats their whole purpose of barking so they will learn not to do it.

With tucker, I do something similar, except I don't take him to the bathroom. I just simply ignore him when he is barking. I have taught him to bark quitly and only look at him when he barks this way. Thus, he is not loud and annoying, yet he can still get my attention if something suspicious is going on.

If nothing else works you can always get one of those collars that sprays citronella. It is safe and there isn't a weight restriction. They just don't like the smell and quit barking to avoid the smell

Hope one of these helps!

mizzwanned · 03-13-2008, 11:11 PM

I don't have any barkers like that, only when the bell rings or something but i do know how crazy it can be because my friend's Yorkie barks nonstop. He barks at everything! It's soo annoying when i visit his house. When he barks try putting him on his back and holding him there for a while until he stops. My bf's sis' dog is only 3 mos but it looks like he will be a barker too

ladyj · 03-14-2008, 04:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nancy1999

Some trainers say that you should thank them for barking, act concerned, and check out the place and reassure them everything "ok." I know that sounds stupid, but I did that at night because I wanted him to bark if he hears something. Now, I can just say, "it's ok" and he'll stop barking. They are really trying to alert you that there might be a problem.

For daytime barking, I use pennies in a can. Say, "no" shake the can of pennies. Repeat as necessary.

This approach works with my three dogs, two Bichons and a Chihuahua. When they bark, I always go see what's going on, look out the window or out the door, and then tell them all is well, it's OK and be quiet now. They know the "quiet" command, but I always go see what they're barking at too. I want them to alert me to anything that's going on. The Chi puppy picked up on this pretty quickly and she will be quiet when told to just like the Bichons.

hunt2gahr1015 · 03-14-2008, 04:46 AM

Thank you sooooo much everyone! I love all the input! Lastnight as soon as Brinkley started with the barking I shook the penny can & kept saying NO BARKING & I can't believe it it worked! And this AM when he barked a few times & it seemed he was going to start up all I had to do was say no barking & he looked at the penny can & knew to stop! I hope this is the end & it doesn't ware out it's effect! But thank you all sooooo much! I love this site sooooo much! You are all great!

03-13-2008, 06:00 AM	#1
hunt2gahr1015 Yorkie Talker Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Rotterdam, NY Posts: 20	HELP HELP HELP!!! I am at my wits end! Help me with any ideas you have...PLEASE!!! My little guy Brinkley who is now just about 5 months won't stop BARKING!!! I have had him since the end of January & when I got him he was pretty sick & so he didn't bark & was actually really calm. Well now that I have nursed him back to health & he is totally sickness free....he is a MANIAC! I need help you guys! I am sooooo frustrated. I feel like all I am doing is yelling at him & I hate that & he just looks at me with his cute little face & then I feel soooo bad. But the barking is just unreal. It's NON STOP. I find myself going to bed early at night just because then he goes into his crate & goes to sleep & stops barking. HELP! I really have no clue of what to do. Do they grow out of this or is there something I can do to stop it? I can understand when the door bell rings or my phone rings or things like that if he barks then but now he just barks to hear himself bark I think. And when I want him to bark like when he need to go outside to go potty...well then he doesn't. UGH!! HELP __________________ Jessica & Brinkley

03-13-2008, 10:18 AM	#2
patty58 Donating YT 5000 Club Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: texas Posts: 5,272	I haven't had that problem with Murfee but have read several people on here use pennies in a can. Shake it at him when he barks and say NO. Some people have also used water in a spray bottle. Good luck. __________________ Decide To Make It A Good Day

03-13-2008, 10:24 AM	#3
Yorkie Luv of 3 Ayla now makes it 4!!! Donating Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Louisiana(home) & Texas(work) Posts: 1,711	Mercy! i only have one,, who is a barker,, so far,, lol,,, and they each seem to have a "something" that makes them pay attention,, and we have NO idea why,, with Cricket ,,its a spray bottle,, doesnt even hafta have anything in it,, just pick it up,, stop her unwanted behavior,,, with Daisy,, its a bamboo back scratcher,, and so far,, we've not found Trixie's "thing",, nothing gets to her ,, yet,, Best of Luck,, i'm sure someone here will be of help to ya, and,, Welcome to YT!!! __________________ Cricket~Proud Petite Pup! Daisy~Proud TeaPot!! & Trixie ~Texas Girl & Ayla~Cherokee Baby! Yorkies!!! What's Not to Love!

03-13-2008, 10:25 AM	#4
PrincessDiana I ♥ Franklin & Maggie Donating Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 2,068	Another thing that will definitely help is to reward him when he's quiet. When he's barking, wait until he calms down and then treat him. Make sure it's not RIGHT after, though or he'll think you're rewarding the barking. __________________ Diana , Mommy to Franklin, Maggie, Oliver, and Millie - RIP Piper

03-13-2008, 10:27 AM	#5
MIZBROWN Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: California Posts: 2,293	Might not be much help... But as Patty58 mentioned, there are lots of members that have talked about putting the pennies in a can...Then I guess you shake it (like crazy) when they do something they arent suppose to. I've also read about doing something similar with a water bottle... IMO... Maybe since your lil guy started out sick, Im sure you were his personal nurse and spoiling him rotten...Maybe he's still seeking that undivided attention from you? Do you tell him NO when he does it? Does he have toys, chews to keep him active? Is he the only animal in the home? Also when you come home, try not showing him any attention for the first 5-10 min... If we spoil them with attention, they become needy for that and will wine/bark until they get it from you... imo __________________ Mommy to Meka "MeMe" Brown aka Meka the Diva Member of the Spoiled Rotten Club & CA Yorkies www.dogster.com/dogs/567943 Last edited by MIZBROWN; 03-13-2008 at 10:30 AM.

03-13-2008, 11:41 AM	#6
nikkinack YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Mid Michigan Posts: 1,510	Lily has never been a barker but when she was little she would wine constantly for no reason for hours and hours and we tried the water bottle and she thought it was a cool game and then we tried compressed air in a can like the stuff you use to clean a key board. It worked great. __________________ Member of Petite Pups United and Spoiled Rotten Club Proud member of the CrAzYcLuB

03-13-2008, 11:53 AM	#7
Jeri Cunningham Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Hercules,CA Posts: 2,057 Blog Entries: 1	I feel for you as I have a barker. My Teddy will be three in May and is over 14 lbs. He is a non-stop barker and I mean non stop. He barks in his sleep!!! He has worn a shocking bark collar since he was about 8 months. I had tried everything and I mean everything to change his habit of non-stop barking and nothing worked. Even now if I take the collar off within an hour he will bark like crazy at everything, TV, me, the water running in the sink, etc..... I keep extra batteries on hand just in case. I did once go a few weeks with a dead battery before he found he could bark like crazy again. The collar is not for dogs under 8 LBS so if he is less than that you couldn't use it. I sure hope the can, treats, something works for you as I FULLY understand non-stop barking can bring you to tears. For anyone that thinks the collar is mean Teddy is my baby boy and he loves his collar as it keeps him out of trouble when the other dogs bark and get told "NO" he gets a GOOD BOY!!! __________________ Mandy & Krissy & Teddy & Chelsey & Kayla Non-Yorkie: Rusty & Biewers: Darla & Spanky The Little Rascals

03-13-2008, 11:57 AM	#8
MsFamousHepburn YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: WA Posts: 536	When we first got Xavier he was quite a barker! After trying the "pennies in a can" trick...he stopped his excessive barking! I know it sounds kinda cruel to shake a can with pennies whenever they bark, but it works! __________________ I love my life, as a Yorkie Momma and an Army wife!

03-13-2008, 12:07 PM	#9
ARCHIE No Longer A Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: NEW YORK Posts: 16,218	I know that can make your nerves rattle can't it? What I did with Buddy is when he barked, I would grab his beard and say No Barking in a firm voice, then say good boy. I did this quite often. When he became quiet I gave him a tiny treat. He caught on fast. Leaving the house was another story. The spray bottle did not help he was soaking wet and still barking! I put coins in a can that someone suggested and it worked wonders. Today he is not a barker. Only barks when the door bell rings or telephone rings or he sees a dog outside, which is all normal. It takes time and patience but be consistant. I hope this helps you.

03-13-2008, 12:12 PM	#10
Nancy1999 I ♥ Joey & Ralphie! Donating Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Arizona Posts: 25,396 Blog Entries: 2	Some trainers say that you should thank them for barking, act concerned, and check out the place and reassure them everything "ok." I know that sounds stupid, but I did that at night because I wanted him to bark if he hears something. Now, I can just say, "it's ok" and he'll stop barking. They are really trying to alert you that there might be a problem. For daytime barking, I use pennies in a can. Say, "no" shake the can of pennies. Repeat as necessary. __________________ NancyJoey Proud members of the CrAzYcLuB and YAP! ** Just Say No to Puppymills – Join YAP! Yorkshire Terrier Club of America – Breeder Referrals

03-13-2008, 08:26 PM	#11
For My Coby Donating YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Illinois Posts: 4,139	I feel for ya. As ARCHIE said, it can rattle your nerves. We've tried three different strategies. We started with pennies in a can. That worked great for a while. A few months later, it did nothing but make him bark more. So we switched to a water bottle. Worked great for a few months, then it lost its effect. Right now, we're on one of the sonic things that emits a high pitched sound when you hit the button that bothers the dogs' ears. That is now working great. So if something works for a while and then stops working, it has worked for us to try something else. .......... kinda like how I have to change shampoos every once in a while or they lose their effect. __________________ Diane, and my boys ..... Coby and Reggie !! Striving to be a YTPP - a YT Positive Poster! In Memory of My Beautiful Mother 7/22/28-8/27/08

03-13-2008, 08:34 PM	#12
aquinn Donating Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 983	A few suggestions My sister swears by taking the dog into another room, say a bathroom, the moment they start barking without saying a word. Then, let them out when they have stopped barking. The theory is that they are barking for attention and you making them leave your presence and not acknowledging them by talking defeats their whole purpose of barking so they will learn not to do it. With tucker, I do something similar, except I don't take him to the bathroom. I just simply ignore him when he is barking. I have taught him to bark quitly and only look at him when he barks this way. Thus, he is not loud and annoying, yet he can still get my attention if something suspicious is going on. If nothing else works you can always get one of those collars that sprays citronella. It is safe and there isn't a weight restriction. They just don't like the smell and quit barking to avoid the smell Hope one of these helps! __________________ April & Tucker

03-13-2008, 11:11 PM	#13
mizzwanned Donating YT 11K Club Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: new york Posts: 14,007 Blog Entries: 2	I don't have any barkers like that, only when the bell rings or something but i do know how crazy it can be because my friend's Yorkie barks nonstop. He barks at everything! It's soo annoying when i visit his house. When he barks try putting him on his back and holding him there for a while until he stops. My bf's sis' dog is only 3 mos but it looks like he will be a barker too __________________ Primrose, Teddy..RIP, Livie..RIP, And can never forget my duo Sophie and London, Run in Peace <3

03-14-2008, 04:46 AM	#15
hunt2gahr1015 Yorkie Talker Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Rotterdam, NY Posts: 20	Thank you sooooo much everyone! I love all the input! Lastnight as soon as Brinkley started with the barking I shook the penny can & kept saying NO BARKING & I can't believe it it worked! And this AM when he barked a few times & it seemed he was going to start up all I had to do was say no barking & he looked at the penny can & knew to stop! I hope this is the end & it doesn't ware out it's effect! But thank you all sooooo much! I love this site sooooo much! You are all great! __________________ Jessica & Brinkley