# excessive barking!!!



## betsysmum (Nov 13, 2021)

Hi all! I have an almost 8 month old cockapoo and have had a bit of a rough time with her! it took a very long time to toilet train her, I verified with the vets and dog trainers that I was doing all the right things and was told some dogs just take their time. she was also a horrendous biter, at her worst I couldn't even stroke her, as I would get bitten, I am still covered in scars! Then at around 5 months she started night barking, after several weeks I relented and she sleeps with me now. I have taken her to dog training and she has completed a 12 week course, however, I struggle training her as she doesn't really listen, I was told by the dog trainers that she should by now be responding to only verbal commands without accompanying hand signals, but she doesn't! as soon as she turned 6 months, adolescence hit and she seemed to regress to biting again, although not as bad. she has become quite destructive and excessive barking has started! she has gone from rarely barking to barking at every slight noise, and once she starts she will go on and on and on! it is very hard to stop her once she starts, she refuses to be distracted. it is at its worst in the evening, just when I want to relax! as well as being relentless, it is piercing and she somehow manages to make it echo in any room!?! I used to have a play session, then mental stimulation toy in the evening, but when I asked the dog trainer about this issue she told me that I was actually stimulating her, not calming her. she suggested giving her a chew, I have now got 5 chews available to her at all times and a large bag full with toys but it hasn't helped at all. so any advice would be amazing or even commiseration if you're going through the same thing! I am at home all the time with her and she does have severe separation anxiety. I don't want to moan as I love her and wouldn't be without her but I am doing all this by myself and it has been tough, with her separation anxiety I can't leave her so I don't get a break. her routine is:
6am: wake up, breakfast in a kong
7.15: energetic walk with other dogs she plays with.
once home she potters around with me, then sleeps until 12-1.
1-3: playtime and mental stimulation toys
3: energetic afternoon walk
4-5: she naps
then in the evening she potters around after us, we settle in the lounge around 7-7.30. I used to do an hour of playing and mental stimulation, she barked even when I did this, I stopped on the advice of dog trainers. I show her the chews and often give her a new one. she often shows little interest.
9.30: bedtime 
sorry for the long post, I am getting a bit exasperated!


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

I would add some training into her day, probably in the early evening and get her working for some of her tea and both using her brain and practising listening to you, then I would settle her with remaining tea in something like a kong - what is she barking for? Is she barking at outside noises or you for attention?


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