# Bark bark bark!!!



## Claire&Oscar (May 14, 2017)

Hi can anyone give me some advice on how to stop my 13 month Cockapoo barking at random sounds in the house? Oscar is a loving, happy and well adjusted dog but on occasions he just starts to bark at normal everyday noises for no apparent reason, as on other days he ignores the same household sounds, but once he starts he will just bark at everything! Even once we manage to quiet him (been working on a ‘shush- quiet’ command) he will just sit and continue to make grumbling noises at the sound! The barking can get beyond irritating though as it is loud and sharp, and once he starts he barks at every sound. Other days he is just quiet though!

He was neutered at 8 months. He is friendly and well trained, he doesn’t bark when he’s outside, only in the house. We have tried to ignore the barking but that had no effect, hence trying a ‘quiet’ command which is not always working.
Any ideas gratefully received! Thanks.


----------



## cfriend (Dec 22, 2016)

I have to laugh a bit because Zelda does the same sometimes. We noticed it's mostly when she isn't tired enough from the day i.e when she hasn't gotten enough exercise could that maybe be the issue? Otherwise, I would suggest that you could train him a "go to place command" or a "relax" command or I would suggest that you actively train him with a partner who makes the noise what will sometimes bother him somewhere were he can't see it and distract and reward him when he doesn't react to the noise. You can also instead of ignoring the times when he doesn't react (you said sometimes it will bother him and sometimes it won't) and reward him when he doesn't react to it!


----------



## beckymnd (Oct 17, 2017)

Oh gosh both Bailey and Dexter do this it drives me up the wall! It's like Bailey (our older Cockerpoo) needs to have the last word, and you'll say 'thank you that's enough' to him, and he'll growl again. Then again about 20 seconds later, and so on until it's a mere whisper of a growl. They're such dumbos sometimes! I think something was in the air this morning as Dexter was barking at the neighbours coughing! And then the printer, then a man with crutches outside, oh jeez, everything.

When I can, if it's just me in the house, I will say 'Thank you that's enough now' & walk into the kitchen. If the dogs follow me and sit quietly, they get a treat or I start to play with them. But Bailey is older and a LOT more stubborn - he completely ignores me and continues that dumb growly thing lol. 

I'd love to know a good trick to deal with this. Dexter just hasn't taken to any form of 'settle mat' or place to chill, Bailey on the other hand knows 'go to your bed', but continues to growl from his bed. 
So far the only trick I have in my book is to distract Dexter, with treats or toys to teach him not all sounds are bad. I let him bark once or twice to let me know, then ask him to stop & distract. If there is someone at the door, we have a baby gate on our living room, so I go to the front door side of the gate, thank him for the notification, then toss a small handful of treats onto our living room floor. This keeps him busy while I'm at the door 

But jeez it's SO difficult to deal with sometimes when it just seems there's something in the air & they're barking at absolutely everything!


----------

