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Excitement barking going into back yard.....

Nickie

New member
My 20 month old male Blenheim, Carter, is such a sweetie. However, he has gotten into this habit of barking as we go "outside". He gets VERY excited, I think partially because sometimes he can chase the squirrels that are in the back yard away and be such a good guard dog :p. The flip side of this is as we leave the house (going towards the back yard door) going through the garage he is barking almost non-stop:sl*p:. I have tried clapping my hands to distract him and stopping my progress in taking him out by not walking forward until he stops. He tries so hard, it's kind of cute, he whines as if he's saying "look I'm trying not to bark:, but then he can't take it any more and the barking starts again. Have I not tried my methods long enough? I read an earlier thread saying to bring treats and say "quiet" and only give him the treat when he responds...I can try that, but I worry about giving him too many treats.

Please help me! We love him to death, but this annoying barking is driving us all crazy especially as he loves to be in the back yard and wants to go out often.
 
I am sorry to say it takes time and perseverance. A lot of people give up because it takes time. When you get the lead and the barking starts you go and sit down again, when he stops barking give a treat then try again. Eventually they learn that they will go nowhere if they bark. Mine are no different and having three is even worse. Especially when we go somewhere in the car and we get to where we are going they go absolutely mad. I get so embarrassed but i don’t let them out until they calm down.
 
I know exactly what you're going through. I posted this very thing a while ago as Leo does it. It drives me mad. I got lots of advice, some people said to do as Sabby has suggested...but it took ages to go anywhere and I did persever but still he barked excitedly.

Some one else said just calmly get the lead and get out as quickly and as calmly as possible, ignoring the excitment. Its what we do now, I know dog trainers around the world would tut and hang their heads in shame at me but to be honest with you its what works for me and as soon as we're out he quietens down.
Good luck.
 
I have the exact same problem with my oldest cavalier Jasper, he barks like mad when I go to the cupboard to get his lead out, putting the lead away is a great idea, but as I have to get out to work in the morning it is just not practical and he has to get a good early morning walk as he is on water tablets, maybe it is all part of the temperment, Jasper is quite highly strung and I did`nt realise how much so until I got little Ollie who is so laid back, Jasper just does not give up on things whereas Ollie maybe might have a little bark and then settle down, I know how you feel about being embarrased Jasper will bark like mad when the car stops until he can get out, he has even started to bark at traffic lights when we stop as he thinks he is going to get out.:eek:
 
Hi

Me as well, with Lily she goes nuts as soon as I put her harness on or my coat and when coming home I have a bad habit of taking my seat belt off as soon as we enter our road ,which means Lily recognises the click and off she pops .What I cant work out is the fact that she knows which motorway junction we come off when coming back from the water front ,Daisy is the same do they have an internal satnav system or are they part homing pidgeon as they must have some form of extra sense that we don't have .Lily has also worked out that before I get out of bed in the morning I turn my phone on and as she is sitting there carefully watching me she knows it means phone on time to get up .Clever little Cavaliers arn't they .:)
And Dawn tells me that spot on 5.00 pm they are either looking out of the window or by the door as they all know I am home about 5.15 ,so they all must be able to tell the time as well .
 
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Stopping barking does take time and perseverance. Don't worry about giving too many treats - either make allowances for the extra food when giving meals, or if feeding dry food, use some of their daily allowance as treats. Food is a good training aid with our piggy Cavaliers! As soon as there is even a slight gap in the barking (and even the noisiest dog has to breathe!), say quiet and treat. Then gradually make the gap between word and treat a bit longer, showing your dog the treat that's waiting for him if he shuts up. Teaching to sit at the door before going into the yard should also help, so that he waits for the treat and then the release word before he's allowed to run down the garden. I do this with my two before I let them run off lead in the park - it gives me time to unclip both their leads and also to look round and make sure it's completely safe to let them off.

Olive also goes bananas at the sight of his harness - he screams rather than barks! He knows he won't get anywhere until he calms down, but I find that distracting him by opening the front door a crack and saying Walk makes him focus on going out rather than screaming about his harness and lead being put on - he stops shouting and waits quietly to go out.

Brian: you might be interested in a new book (I haven't read it but it was mentioned in a dog magazine): 'Dogs that know when their owners are coming home: The unexplained powers of animals' by Rupert Sheldrake, published by Arrow Books.

Kate, Oliver and Aled
 
Brian,
Thats really weird about the knowing when you're coming home. Leo will start looking out of our window and going to the front door at about 4pm, Ive always joked he knows that when my youngest daughter gets in from school but now Im thinking perhaps he really does.
 
Hi

Silly me I just realised how they know I am on my way home ,they must hear the five o'clock
news on the radio .
 
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