harvey

[Connemmara]

can anybody tell me why my dog goes blo dy hyper when my sister arrives for dinner every Sunday. He sits outside at the back of the home if it is a good day and decides to bark incessantly at the birds or anything. Thus my sister says I have no control over him which is true on the Sundays. Also he knows when she goes home I give her a lift and we believe that he cant hurry her up quickly enough on the Sundays so that he can get the car. What can I do here - the barking is getting on my nerves because he is not like that on the week day. I am considering getting him a muzzle for Sundays only He is six year old and knows her and likes her. I am at my tenterhooks cos if it was like this every day - he would be gone - !!!

[lankeela]

About time you decided whether or not you really want this dog - you keep coming on here moaning about him and saying you will get rid - do him a favour and let him go to someone who can look after him properly and give him the exercise he needs. You say he does this on a Sunday - he knows he gets to go out when your sister comes even if its only in the car so no wonder he is excited. Only a total idiot would think a muzzle stops a dog from barking. Sorry if this sounds harsh but my friend has just lost a dog that she loved very much and you are talking about getting rid of yours just because you don't exercise him enough to keep him content.

[LoftyLottie]

He is a very bored dog Connemmara. Your sister coming once a week is his only excitement and he obviously likes the car journey because he gets a change of view. I actually agree with Lankeela. Harvey deserves better. If you can't exercise him enough then you either need to find someone locally who will give him long walks or let him go to a new home.

Even on days when I can't walk my dog because I have some mobility problems at the moment, we go outside with a ball several times a day, regardless of the weather and she has a good runaround.

[Connemmara]

Nice to hear of your answers but since the past two weeks weather wise have not been too bad Harvey has actually been out every day. The exercise is not the problem because he plays up for the last 6 years on a Sunday whether he has been exercised to the hilt or not.

[Connemmara]

also I also have other visitors throughout the week every week - not just my sister and he does NOT get on like this.

[LoftyLottie]

Why is he sitting outside the house when your sister visits. Perhaps he would be better coming in and joining in with the family? He is basically barking for attention and it has become a habit. If my dog gets stuck outside when we have visitors she barks . What breed is Harvey, Connemmara.?

[B00]

I might be thinking of someone else here, but are you the poster who's sister plays and annoys the dog till its almost frothing at the mouth with excitement?

Apologies if im thinking of someone else.

[Connemmara]

yes boo thinking of wrong poster - my sister is generally afraid of dogs and it has taken 6 years for her to warm to him. she has a general belief that no matter how placid a dog would be they are capable of turning on you.

For the rest of you of course he gets in - I feed him first which he wolfs up then he comes in and whilst my sister and I are eating our dinner he tortures her for more food that is why I put him out.

[LoftyLottie]

The dog would seem to have picked up on the fact that your sister doesn't like him? What breed is he?

[dothawkes31]

It's a DNA thing, he's confused, you and your sister share the same genes and he thinks that you have a clone who comes in and disrupts his environment for a while and then leaves. Dogs are good with routine and he is probably sometimes unsure as to which one of you leaves.

[Connemmara]

lofty she is quite good to him - she would give him titbits more than myself so they are "friends" - also a crossbreed - a bit of jack russell and dont know what other breed. he is a very hairy jack russell. I think I may have let him be the leader of the pack. Believe me whilst my first posting sounded harsh - I do love him and he is a very funny and quirky dog and he can be a good guard dog and a brilliant footballer. It is only the incessant barking on the Sunday and of course I have received a couple of unfair visits from dog warden and I say unfair because there are 19 dogs in this street and 2 of the dogs sound exactly like him so I think I am always aware of neighbours and dogwardens. That is my tale of woe.

[LoftyLottie]

I thought he might have some Jack Russell in him Connemmara. Mine is a JR cross. They have bags of energy and do like to use their voices!

[lankeela]

How are his eyes now?

[jules77]

We used to have an incessant barker, so we taught her to bark on command, initially by finding something that made her bark, ie: her food bowl! We then used the word 'speak, and 'quiet' to stop, together with a treat or a game. She then associated the word quiet with something to eat or some fun.

[Connemmara]

Ha ha jules - he ignores all my commands to keep him quiet - especially when he sees me getting on coat scarf etc - he is too excited - just after exercising him in the park and he is black with the muck so showered him and he is outside this lovely day drying off and eating.

Lofty you are right is very noisy - he just lets you know that he is there. All my friends adore him and think he should have been in a circus he is that human - too human in my eyes- his own eyes are fine. He is a very well kept healthy dog. I am not feeling too well myself - I am having terrible problems with my teeth and have made several visits to dentists (which I loathe) so I am probably feeling down and the dog barking is exacerbating this. I am thinking of giving myself a small break and put him into kennel - then I will miss him more. Lankeela when I was in park your words while they were true I was a little hurt cos I really do my utmost best for this dog.

[jules77]

He ignores your commands because you are giving him attention everytime he barks, which is why I suggested you teach him to bark on command.

Putting him into kennels will probably make the barking worse IMHO.

[Connemmara]

jules will be going away for a few days so have to put him in anyway

[seekeerz]

I think your dog is actually very happy to see your sister but if the barking is too much, get yourselves some top notch ear plugs and write notes to your sister while you're eating - and I'm actually not joking !!!!

[Hypognosis]

Hi Connemmara,

I think you've already identified the chief cause of the behaviour problem yourself

---- she would give him titbits more than myself so they are "friends" ----

I think it would pay to ask your sister to tell you why she does this.

If, as you hinted, she really is afraid of the dog (dogs in general, even) then maybe she feels that tidbits will placate it in some way?

All this has achieved, to date, is cause the dog to do as you described. It has learned that barking will result in it being allowed indoors where it can make a beeline straight to her position at the dining table - instead of at its master's side!! It knows her position is where 'people food' is dished out - much nicer than that dogmeat stuff that you usually give him.

It would be silly of me to suggest devious motives but you did say she sometimes has a go at you for having poor control over the animal. If she secretly wanted you to get rid of the dog then causing it to become disruptive at family gatherings (wittingly or unwittingly) is certainly one way of achieving that goal. Obviously, it would be unhelpful to actually challenge her on that point...

If you could gradually persuade her that it is her habit of dishing out these 'special treats' which is causing all the disruption in the first place and, at some stage, make it clear that this should cease from now on, then at least you're making progress.

Of course, as long as you continue allowing it indoors because it is barking, then it will continue the barking habit, regardless of the fact that the treats have stopped.

Furthermore, since the unwanted behaviour only occurs once per week the corrective treatment can only be applied once per week and it could take many weeks to change the dog's behaviour, which means sitting through several disrupted Sunday lunches.

[MangoPete]

Hi C,
Have you got yourself Cesar Millan's book Cesar's way?
I would highly recommend it, even if you have kept a dog for many years.
Also invite your sister to read it as knowledge can dispels fear and you maight be amazed at the results.
It talks a lot about being the leader of the pack.
I have cared for many animals for many years and bought it after receiving a rescued pup.
I must say some of his techniques I have used successfully with Cheetahs and camels too.
Don't be too concerned with the harsh words of some "experts"on here rather look towards the positive comments
P

[Connemmara]

Lankeela since you have called me an idiot - I have been so depressed all day - I dont know why cos I am a very intelligent woman but at the moment I am a bit unhappy over everything. Let me tell you Lankeela I am sure you are surrounded by people worse than me so I am wont be posting to you any more and sure do not want any more answers from you anymore. Go paddle your own canoe where you will find plenty of your own idiosyncrocies in your own area - good bye.