This morning as we walked through the neighborhood across the road from us, a dog started barking at us. The house has been a rental for years. It is frequently rented by someone with a dog, and it isn’t unusual for whatever dog is living there to bark at us. Some dogs would bark a couple of times, as if they just wanted us to know that they saw us. Some would bark as soon as they spotted us and continue barking until long after we passed by. For years, there were dogs across the street that would occasionally bark, and if one or the other was outside, then it could seem like walking the gauntlet trying to get through the barking from both sides without my dog getting into the act. Sometimes their people come out and intervene to get them to stop, with varying degrees of success.
Now, I should say that while I love dogs, and don’t mind some barking, I don’t appreciate a ton of barking. I won’t let my dog stay in the yard and bark, I will try to interrupt and redirect his behavior pretty quickly. I don’t understand why in a suburban or urban setting people think it’s okay to just let their dog bark at whatever is outside and continue barking. It’s actually a violation of the noise ordinance where I live to allow your dog to bark for more than 5 minutes at a time…or 5 total minutes within a 10 minute period. So I appreciate it when someone comes out to try and get their dog to stop barking. Often, I hear variations of 'Stop Barking!' or 'No Bark!' yelled at the dog, which generally have limited effectiveness.
Since Fisher has more difficulty when he hears but cannot see where the barking is coming from, this rental has sometimes been hard for him to get past. The back is walled instead of fenced, with a lovely metal gate that overlooks the sideyard and street. So while the dogs in the back can see us through the gate, sometimes it has been hard to see them through the gate. Not so this morning. This morning, the dog that is currently there was clearly standing at the gate. They began barking as soon as we came around the corner and continued as we drew parallel to the gate and beyond. But their person came outside and used an unconventional strategy to quiet the barking. It sort of worked. It at least interrupted the barking and allowed us to continue walking past more easily, as when the barking started back up we were already more than a house away.
Their strategy? They came out and talked to their dog. The words I believe I heard were “We’re not barking. Please be quiet…We’re not barkers!” Now, as I said, it was marginally successful. But, I have to admit, I admired it. Why would I admire a strategy that was only marginally successful? For a variety of reasons:
It was force-free. I couldn’t really see the person, but the dog wasn’t being pulled, struck, zapped, choked or buzzed. The tone wasn’t even forceful. She wasn’t yelling at her dog, trying to startle them into stopping or using a tone meant to give the message “you better stop or else”.
It explained her intention to her dog. I’m a big proponent of explaining things to your dog. I like to tell my dogs what’s happening. For example, before we head to a school visit, I’ll explain what I expect we will be doing. I’ll tell my dog what I would like for him to do before we head into the building for a class-whether we are taking it together or he’s my demo for the day. I will tell him when I’m leaving for a long period of time and how I want him to behave while I’m gone. I talk to him before workers come to our house to let him know what will be happening. I don’t have an expectation that he actually understands all my words. But I do think our dogs can often understand our intentions. I think it is helpful to talk to your dog in a meaningful way.
It was future oriented. It didn’t just try to stop the behavior, it shared what that person wants their dog to be in the future: Not a barker. Let’s be honest. Many training techniques for problem behaviors don’t work 100% the first few times you try them. If they do, it’s usually because they have served to suppress the behavior, not give an alternative. Earlier on our walk we passed someone doing some fantastic training with their gorgeous Great Dane. I think they may have been working on loose leash skills (honestly I didn’t want our presence to mess up the session so I moved us away as fast as I could). Without dog distraction there was a lot of marking and reinforcing happening, and the Dane was staying close to the handler. Then, another dog walked by more closely and the Dane started pulling on the leash. In the moment, the training strategy wasn’t successful. But in the long run, I’m sure that working on those skills will pay off so that regardless of other dogs nearby the Dane will stick close to their handler.
Now, sure there are ways to make this strategy more effective. And maybe the person was doing some of them that I didn’t see. Maybe they rewarded the choice, even if it was temporary, to stop barking. Maybe they gave a more positive description of the behavior they want at some later point. There are many options that are “not barking”, and some are not quiet. (If we’re not barkers, are we growlers? Are we whiners? Are we jump on the gate-ers?) Ideally, the person has decided what she wants instead of what she doesn’t want and communicates that to her dog. Hopefully, if the barking is connected to fear, boredom or frustration, there’s work going on to address those underlying contributors which would reduce the likelihood of continued barking. Lastly, it's possible that while she isn't a barker, her dog is. Some dogs are barkier than others. If her dog is a barker, then I hope she finds a way to allow it with some boundaries.
I don’t know this dog or the person. But I appreciate that they made an effort to come out and address the barking, and I respect their strategy. It was free of pain or threat and at least as effective, if not more effective, than yelling.
If you want help teaching your dog skills without force or fear, reach out to me at: Laura@heyercaninelearning.com. For classes and program information you can also check out www.heyercaninelearning.com
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