barking dogs

[123bernadett]

my springer who is 10 m0nths is driving us mad with barking and scratching carpets/furniture.Any ideas of how to stop this behaviour? Weve tried ignoring/leaving room etc to no avail.HELP

[les saisies]

Perhaps he/she needs a day trip to the vets for a little op to certail the more basic instincts of a young animal.

[shaneystar2]

Springers are working dogs basically and need lots of exercise,games and attention. Apart from a trip to the vets to curb any "naughty behaviour "(if it's a male) then I would have a word with your vet about a suitable dog training regime. These type of dogs like to be occupied ..A good dog trainer will sort things out for you.Start now while the dog is still young and you will soon see the benefit.

[stanleyman]

I'd have to agree with shaneystar, Springers have so much energy and are so excitable especially when younger that a firm hand is needed. They are not deliberately mischievious, they just love life in the fast lane and like nothing more than dashing through the countryside. Seems to me your dog needs to get out more.

I wouldn't consider them a house pet for these reasons, they are quite hardy, perhaps a kennel outside will allow more exercise and interest at least during the day in the winter. Coming in will be seen as a treat and he is more likely to behave. They can get quite muddy and need bathing and regular trimming to prevent matted fur. Damp bedding needs changing frequently. If you can't give the daily exercise needed to wear him out then you may have the wrong dog for you.

[drgnrdr]

Dogs are companion animals and, as such, belong in our homes and in our lives. Just because you have a backyard doesn�t mean that Fido should be restricted to it. Take the time to teach him house manners and socialize him to the world beyond your property, Go with the recommendation to get them into a training class, but you no longer have to train him like he is in the military(firm hand), they call the new way to train "positive reinforcemnet".Turning a rambunctious adolescent into a backyard dog doesn�t solve anything. It merely brings temporary relief. If you don't train him to be inside he�ll never learn how to behave appropriately. A dog who�s kept outside experiences social isolation. He may engage in excessive barking and howling in an attempt to reunite his pack. When a family member enters the yard to spend some time with him, he erupts into rapturous leaps and vocalizations, and you won't want to go thru that again.

Over time, an isolated outdoor dog will become exceedingly independent and difficult to train. Whatever desire he had to please will be gone. Without human feedback to the contrary, he'll make up his won rules. There is nothing wrong with letting a well-mannered dog spend a lazy day lying in the grass, soaking up the sun or playing in the fallen leaves. But when the yard takes the place of teaching your dog appropriate house manners, you need to step back and examine why you have a dog. There are ways to many interactive questions I need answered to help you. You didn't give enough info. There may be things you did or are doing giving off signals the dog is getting mixed signals. Go to a trainer they can ask allot of ??'s and get to the bottom and help you. Dogs do this stuff for attention and when they are bored and have to much stored up energy. Don't throw him into the backyard that's not the answer.

[gessoo]

I don't think Stanleyman meant that your dog should be kept outside permanently. A lot of country dwellers keep springers as working dogs and they are given the freedom of an outside run during the day. These dogs are well trained and obedient and loved pets, and above all happy. Springers are very energetic and love to be on the go all the time. However, they can make good pets as long as they are given plenty of exercise and attention, as Shaneystar says. Our vet's practice has a nurse trained in doggy behavioural problems, so try your vet. At ten months there is still time for some good training.

[woofgang]

in my experience, the dogs who are kept as working dogs and who live outside work daily or almost daily so that when they are in the outside kennel and run, they are happy just to rest, in fact, they usually receive more attention and training than the average pet! It doesn't work (as drgnrdr has said) for a dog who is not a working dog

[drgnrdr]

I was trying to give a "general" post on here. Since we don't know what all 123bernadett knows about springers and what their family life is (ie..that's why I said.."not enough info") and exactly what has been tried, how they did it, I had to give the other info due to the fact others that may read this and see just Stanleyman"s posting they will maybe get the wrong ideal to solve all "juvenile" behavior ( which is what this springer is right now) by throwing them in the back yard. Also he said they are not what he considered house pets, and letting them in would be seen as a treat, this sounds to me like he is recommending them to be put out and ocassionally bring them in as a treat, this will not be, they don't know house rules and so would be extra excited to be finally reunited with his pack and the dogs usually go ballisitic even more. Now if Stanley did not mean that then I assumed and took the posting wrong and apologize.I do have in my post that a well mannered dog can go out and enjoy the yard all they want.

And if you go to someone that says they are a "behaviorist" make sure they have the diploma and credentials to back it up, any one that works with dogs can be said to be a dog behavior trainer. I have had to fix quite a few habits and sub par training quick fixes, to last me for a while thank you. I think woofgang and I are on the same wave length, a working dog needs lots of exercise and work duties.

[stanleyman]

Drgnrdr, When I said they need a firm hand I meant that you should be in control, not the dog. Dogs are great companions but I don't believe they belong indoors to the extent that they rarely go out, what sort of life is that when they are denied the pleasures of outside and become dull couch potatoes. This to my mind is a prison sentence and only benefits those that try to humanise them.

All dogs and breeds have different temperaments and some do prefer to spend more time in than others. Generally, I don't believe from my experience of working dogs that Springers are the sort that can be or want to be in a muddy ditch one minute and then on your furniture the next. It is nonsense to suggest that a dog is neglected if it lives outside anymore than a horse is.

We have a large garden not a yard, and my English Springer Spaniel prefered to be outside, she wasn't shut in a run at the bottom she ran free and had a kennel facing the back door where she could see us. She had the choice of in or out and usually slept on the door mat if she was in instead of her bed. Even when the children were camping she prefered to sleep outside the door keeping guard.

If this young Springer messes up the house it should go out and only be allowed back in if it behaves, this is training not total exclusion. Clearly our views are oceans apart, it should be a right for a dog to lay on the grass in the sun not a treat only for well mannered dogs.

My dog has never been socially isolated by being outside, in fact she was very sociable amongst people and other dogs by being more in contact with them. If as you say dogs do this stuff for attention when they are bored then I think this proves my point, it wants to get out where it won't be bored. Training a Springer to accept boredom in a house for the convenience of the owner is not going to produce a happy dog.

[drgnrdr]

Okay that was much better at explaining your remark Stanley. Most of the time when I post an answer to a thread I try to give General info, because I know others read this. If I was to say something and others did not INTERPRET my meaning then they might think something I did not mean. Apparently you did not Interprut what I was trying to say. All my info about "Indoor dogs vs Outdoor dogs" came from the experts at the Humane Society, I only say expert because they are Certified behaviorist and trainers there that deal with MILLIONS of dogs not just the 1000's that I have dealt with so I always differ to them. I said well mannered meaning a dog that you have taken the time to train, which I assume this is what you did, outside isolation will not train a dog it just makes up its own rules and play, and then when it does see you and you try to bring it in but don't train it to not jump on furniture and such, and yell NO NO NO, it gets pushed back out to the yard, it learned nothing, these are the dogs that find there way to the Humane Society, because they develop behavior problems that get worse when left to their own devices. Yes we may have opinions that are oceans apart that is true, but you believe dogs should have training not just left to their own devices I think. And I don't think I said to bring the dog in and then let it be bored, I think all thru my post I was advocating them to train their dog. Since we don't know if they are actually using this working breed as working, or if they got it cause it's cute, we don't know so I did not assume that they actually work the dog, that is why it is acting up, it needs to have something to do, but with them, like hunting or just running thru the backyard playing fetch.

[drgnrdr]

Cont': Any "PACK Oriented" dog will want to be with you or it's own kind, they are predators and need that to survive and remain unscathed from other predators. A Horse is a prey animal it needs others to stay around with that are also prey type animals, to feel safe because more eyes kept on the terrain is much safer than 2 eyes.

Like I said I try to use general info on here for all who MIGHT read this not just the original person, we are still waiting to hear from 123.

One last thing here: I don't know how big their yard is, yours sounds like an excellent garden, As for "firm hand" that you posted originally, I know there is some dipstick out there that will see that and say, "well see it's okay to smack my dog around, Stanley sounds like a fairly intelligent guy, so I guess it's okay". They may not know what you mean, I get it all the time in my line of work, they will take you literally, some people don't have common sense.

[stanleyman]

Thanks drgnrdr, Although I was being specific about Springers I fully understand your concerns regarding other makes of dog.

[Vics]

Poor you Bernadette - You seem to have become a victim of an on - site fracas !! (which I don't think is the aim of this site) and you'll probably never ask a question again. Anyway hope all is going well with the Springer. Indeed , as has been mentioned, Springers are very lively and need stimulation. My only comment to add is have you tried a Kong - I'm not being patronising - I hadn't heard of them until my dog was 10 months.(you buy them in pet stores and hide food in them firmly - and this should occupy the dog for a while). As the others have mentioned - training is also a very good thing from 2 angles - as secondly it tires them out!. Good Luck Vics X