Pets - General

[Martina]

i was making chili this afternoon and re-experienced how annoying it is not to be able to open ANY kind of can without tuna expectations resulting.

i try to explain that it is a can of kidney beans, not tuna. Surely, i reason, they can smell the difference. But no, they are under foot until tuna manifests itself.

Fortunately there was one can of tuna in the house. It is probably a good thing that i rarely cook.

[Electrocell]

Originally Posted by Martina

i was making chili this afternoon and re-experienced how annoying it is not to be able to open ANY kind of can without tuna expectations resulting.

i try to explain that it is a can of kidney beans, not tuna. Surely, i reason, they can smell the difference. But no, they are under foot until tuna manifests itself.

Fortunately there was one can of tuna in the house. It is probably a good thing that i rarely cook.

Lol they have us trained well don't they? lol

[cuddlyfemme]

Originally Posted by Martina

i was making chili this afternoon and re-experienced how annoying it is not to be able to open ANY kind of can without tuna expectations resulting.

i try to explain that it is a can of kidney beans, not tuna. Surely, i reason, they can smell the difference. But no, they are under foot until tuna manifests itself.

Fortunately there was one can of tuna in the house. It is probably a good thing that i rarely cook.

For some really strange reason, my cats don't like Tuna

[always2late]

Just throwing this out there, hoping someone has a suggestion. One of my dogs is a barker...and I mean for EVERYTHING! If a leaf blows by, he is barking! The other dogs are not generally barkers, but when he starts them off, they ALL join in. We have 5 dogs of varying sizes and the noise can be really nerve rattling after a while. He is not bored or neglected...he gets regular exercise and play-time daily. I am at a loss here....so...does anyone have any ideas about how to curb this? (except a shock collar...I will never use one on my dogs) Any other sanity-saving advice would be welcome and greatly appreciated!

[Princess]

Originally Posted by always2late

Just throwing this out there, hoping someone has a suggestion. One of my dogs is a barker...and I mean for EVERYTHING! If a leaf blows by, he is barking! The other dogs are not generally barkers, but when he starts them off, they ALL join in. We have 5 dogs of varying sizes and the noise can be really nerve rattling after a while. He is not bored or neglected...he gets regular exercise and play-time daily. I am at a loss here....so...does anyone have any ideas about how to curb this? (except a shock collar...I will never use one on my dogs) Any other sanity-saving advice would be welcome and greatly appreciated!

I had a barker for awhile, Millie. She's part beagle/cocker spaniel. a Speagle as they call her lol! Anyway, I found this site really helpful and maybe you will too. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals...p_barking.html

[Ginger]

Originally Posted by Princess

I had a barker for awhile, Millie. She's part beagle/cocker spaniel. a Speagle as they call her lol! Anyway, I found this site really helpful and maybe you will too. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals...p_barking.html

I read the Humane Society's advice you linked to, and thought it seemed really useful.

Consistency, repetition and patience are key, plus quickly rewarding the positive behavior, which requires vigilance because at first the dog exhibits the "good" behavior accidentally, like in silence between barking jags—and you have to be there and catch it and reward it quickly, over and over till the dog "gets" the cause-and-effect thing happening and begins to consciously elicit the reward by generating "good" behavior.

I am not an animal behaviorist, so take my opinions from this point on with a grain of salt and for being what they are; the rantings of a layperson who happens to be fascinated by animal behavior.

The advice on what to do with a dog that barks too much is great, and they do address why they bark too much in the first place—being left alone too much, or not getting exercise.

I also think dogs bark too much because they are trying to enact their role in the pack. They think it's their job to bark, or they feel anxious because they don't know what their role is, and so they are overcompensating with all the barking.

I stayed with my sister for two weeks this winter, and was alone in the house with her two dogs, one of whom is a 130-pound German shepherd. True to breed, he believes the family is his flock, and his job on earth is to protect us (except for my sister's husband, whom he accepts as his alpha and worships).

If a UPS guy or some other unsuspecting person came to the front door, Thor would go nuts. His teeth-barred barking is loud, deep, and confident. The fur on his back stands up and he stands with his front paws on the front door, which makes him like ten feet tall.

I would just sit on the nearby stairway, watching, and the corgi would come up and sit behind me, which was funny because in their usual dynamic, he totally dominates the shepherd (it is so not about size with them).

Anyway, one day, as soon as Thor started barking, I didn't yell and instead, thanked him loudly and warmly for protecting me, and he turned around confused, then came running over to me, tail down, head down, fur on his back down, and pushed against me like he does when he wants his head rubbed, and I rubbed his head and continued praising him, saying, Good boy! Thanks Thor, I'll take it from here. Good job!

I did it several times and it always worked, and my sister tried it, and it worked for her too. Instead of yelling, which I just read in the Humane Society site, makes them think you're barking with them, I'm thanking him for doing his shepherd protective thing, and as soon as he realizes that, he thinks, Great, my job is done. I can quit now, and it alleviates his anxiety about doing his job well, which is shepherd's reason for living.

[DapperButch]

Originally Posted by always2late

Just throwing this out there, hoping someone has a suggestion. One of my dogs is a barker...and I mean for EVERYTHING! If a leaf blows by, he is barking! The other dogs are not generally barkers, but when he starts them off, they ALL join in. We have 5 dogs of varying sizes and the noise can be really nerve rattling after a while. He is not bored or neglected...he gets regular exercise and play-time daily. I am at a loss here....so...does anyone have any ideas about how to curb this? (except a shock collar...I will never use one on my dogs) Any other sanity-saving advice would be welcome and greatly appreciated!

I would google "barking" along with the name of the breed.

[Rockinonahigh]

I use to have a barker years ago,it really got bad,so I got a kids water gun and everytime she went to barking just to bark and make noise I squirted her in the chest or face.It didnt take long for her to be quite when I said "hush".

[DapperButch]

Originally Posted by Rockinonahigh

I use to have a barker years ago,it really got bad,so I got a kids water gun and everytime she went to barking just to bark and make noise I squirted her in the chest or face.It didnt take long for her to be quite when I said "hush".

Same here. Tantalizing taught my dog with two squirts of a spray bottle with water in it. Now all I say is, "no bark", and he stops.

[Martina]

My Sir's cat is bullying my cats. THey've moved into his territory, so i get it, but it's getting old. They need to have their time outside, and he just loves to chase them back inside. So frustrating. i had really hoped they would get along. He's been lonely since his buddy cat disappeared a year or more ago.

[girl_dee]

Originally Posted by always2late

Just throwing this out there, hoping someone has a suggestion. One of my dogs is a barker...and I mean for EVERYTHING! If a leaf blows by, he is barking! The other dogs are not generally barkers, but when he starts them off, they ALL join in. We have 5 dogs of varying sizes and the noise can be really nerve rattling after a while. He is not bored or neglected...he gets regular exercise and play-time daily. I am at a loss here....so...does anyone have any ideas about how to curb this? (except a shock collar...I will never use one on my dogs) Any other sanity-saving advice would be welcome and greatly appreciated!

did you try the water bottle technique?

The puppy class trainer suggests a can of with coins in it, shake it when they do the barking frenzy, they hate it and she said she had to do it twice. Also when they STOP barking, reward them BIG time.

[AtLast]

Nocchi the Frog Dog is recovering well from surgery for gastric mucosa hyperplasia or an acquired pyloric stinosis. He is a 6 year old French Bulldog and the love of my life! He could not empty food from his stomach into his intestinal tract due to a thickening in his stomach. For months, he chronically vomited which I thought was due to either food allergies or rich treats given to him- WRONG, then - BAM!! It was life threatening, yet treatable. He was a good candidate for surgery and now recovering (doing quite well).

The last 2 weeks dealing with this has been awful. He was very, very, sick. But, with support from some awesome people and a veterinary team that was so damn good at what they do- i did lose him. And it looked like that was a possibility.

[DapperButch]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/0...6pLid%3D154404

[Tommi]

Consumers should be cautious when buying pet drugs online and should not let Internet pharmacies evaluate their pets.

buy from Vet-Vipps approved sites only
www.vipps.info

Veterinary Verified Internet Practice Site.