Annoying barking

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toffeeyummy

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I have a 7 month old Labrador who is lovely and in general very well behaved. She is being trained for a gundog by my partner and everything is going well. She is quite a calm lab as we have kept her calm and quiet for training purposes. However, we have a problem with her barking. She starts around 630 in the morning which we can accept as she wants to go out. But then she'll have her breakfast and bark. My partner takes her to work with him (he's a farmer) and shell bark bark in the truck. At home she lives in the utility room and does settle but if we're sat watching tv she'll just randomly bark on and off all night. She is exercised, fed, has a bed, water, had fuss etc. when she barks my partner will say a firm no and she will stop but to me this is giving her attention where as I will say nothing and turn the light out and shut the door. Both methods work for about 30 min then she will start again. Do you think an anti barking collar is appropriate now or any other training suggestions? Thanks
 
Get yourself a water pistol and when the dog barks, say "Shut up!" in a sharp voice and simultaneously give the dog a squirt. Quite soon, your voice alone should do the trick.

As you surmise, the barking is probably attention seeking. When the penny drops that barking attracts the wrong type of attention, it will stop.
 
**looks out window at dog 'shut away' in kennel**

Mine doesn't AmyMay, he's curled up asleep :)
If the dog is going to work with the OP's partner, and is being trained to the gun, she is probably getting more exercise, stimulation and company than most pet dogs in low energy homes.
It's OK (recommended!) for dogs to have downtime away from humans.

Make sure you're not rewarding her for the barking/that she might be self rewarding.
For example, she barks, you let her out, she barks, you still give her breakfast. I wouldn't do anything or react when she's barking, only make a move the second she falls silent. And likewise, if you decide to use methods like Dry Rot, do it WHILE she is in the middle of barking, don't wait for a pause to correct her, but wait for the pause to praise her for being silent and exaggerate the time.
My dog 'activated' me during training by barking - 'quiet' - reward - so he was actually barking to activate the reward if that makes any sense.
 
Yes she has her bed in the utility room where she lives. She is out all day on the farm and as cave canem says she has plenty of exercise and stimulation so when she gets home it's time to be on her bed and quiet along with the other dogs. Sorry if this sounds harsh but we do not have dogs free roaming in the house due to their training and quite frankly the muddy paw prints!!
Thanks for the advice we will try the water pistol :)
 
My three are shut away and will be for hours til they're clean/dry. They won't die.

I have to say, barking will be very much frowned upon on the shooting field. I wonder if having a companion would stop her?
 
She is with two other dogs who are fine, will only bark if someone comes to the house.
I agree, we want to stop the unwanted barking now before she gets to the shooting field.
 
No she's very laid back. I think it's an attention thing. She was hand reared but the barking has only started in the last two months.
 
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