What are some good ways to get a 9 month old dog to stop barking.?

Question

I just rescued a dog a couple of weeks ago. He's a mut, small around 13 lbs. He was abused and neglected his entire life. He is a sweet dog when he's around my girlfriend and I.

But when I take him for a walk and he sees another person or dog he's goes freakin nuts; Growling and barking. I know he wasn't socialized as a young puppy. So I've been trying to take him out to be around as many people and things he can.

When he's around a large group of people, he's fine. He only goes crazy when it's a few people or dogs. Also, when he's sits out on the balcony he barks at anyone that goes by. Any suggestions?

Answer 1

get a squirt gun or bottle and tell him to shush and squirt him.  tell him shush again.

when walking take his attention away from what he's barking at..  turn around, walk the other direction.  squirt if he keeps barking.

i've seen the squirt work after just a few times of getting it.

Answer 2

I had the same situation with my guy, a beagle/terrier mix who was abused and neglected before we got him.

He used to be very aggressive on walks, anyone that walked by us he would lunge and growl at. He also barked at other dogs, and cried whenever something got him worked up outside. He was the perfect, ideal, well-behaved dog inside, but a terror out on the leash. He was just a basket-case anytime we took him out of the house. He was so anxious that he would bark and cry anytime before he pooped -  he wouldn't cry when he pooped in the backyard, only when we went out on walks.

We decided to contact a professional animal behavioralist to address his issues because a regular trainer could not do much. I highly recommend doing this so that a professional can put together a behavior intervention plan tailored to your dog's needs.

But here are a few tips that can help you right now:

The most important thing to do when you are walking your dog is to make sure that he is paying attention to you and following your lead. He should be walking next to or behind you and should also be able to stop and sit on your command. I found that a nose leader harness works great to make sure that he pays attention to you and stays in place.

Bring lots of treats on walks with you. When he stays in step with you, praise him and give him a treat. Also, have him sit and stay periodically and reward him with a treat. If people or other dogs are coming up on the sidewalk, have him sit, pay attention to you, and wait for a treat. Do this everytime someone or something that scares him is coming near, that way he will begin to associate them with good things (treats) instead of bad things (like abuse).

However, make sure you only reward him when he sits quietly when people or dogs are passing. If you give him a treat when he is barking or growling, then you just reinforced the negative behavior.

Also, remember that this behavior will not go away overnight. It will take a lot of time and patience before your dog learns these positive behaviors. Have patience, and don't give up!!!

Good luck to you and your dog. And god bless you for taking in a rescue dog - it can take time to rehabilitate them, but trust me, it's worth it!!!

Answer 3

make it chew on some thing

Answer 4

I strongly urge you to email Leerburg.com. You're 99.9% certain to get great advice. Some people on here are idiots and could worsen the situation.

Good luck!

Answer 5

A "no bark collar" will probably work but it's bound to hurt a bit. Try a muzzle - they are pretty cheap and often help with barking as well as biting, etc. Of course training is always a good idea. A combination might be the best approach.