Constant barking

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Ddraig_wen

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Our rising 2 year old rottie seems to be going through a stage of the 'kevins' and is pretty much making myself and anyone who visits in the evening want to claw their own ears off.
It doesn't matter if its just me around or if someone comes to visit she'll start barking and just won't stop. Periods can be from about 15 minutes to last nights epic woof-a-thon of just over 3 hours non stop.
Have tried distracting her, ignoring her, telling her to 'quiet' (which was a command she used to obey but now ignores), increasing her walks and nothing seems to stop her. She is driving everyone absolutely mad. Even if we have her out running round for 6 hours she still does it.

Any ideas?
 
Have you taught her to bark on command? If you have a on switch as it were you should be able to teach a off command.
Maybe don't use quiet as she's now ignoring it. Use a new word.
It sounds like it could be attention seeking behaviour.
You could try using clicker training.
 
She hasn't been taught to bark on command but I could try it and give her an on/off. Can't make things any worse.

Words wise we've gone through: quiet, distaw(welsh quiet), enough and meow so far. Think the next one'll need to be more obscure haha.

We're having a bash at clicker training at the moment :)
 
It's not reactive I don't think. It's not the same as her there're someone outside or play with me.
It's pretty much the same monotone woof which occasionally changes an octave or so if she's been at it a while
 
Can she hear herself? When one of ours did that she was going deaf. My Rottie has only ever done this once and she had a water infection, maybe a vet check in the new year, just to rule out anything physical x
 
I have two young dogs that i walk for an elderly lady who are botj terrible barkers. I've been getting her to use distractions to stop them - which is helping. Funnily enough they don't do it at all now when they stay with me as i simply don't allow it.
 
Thank goodness I have never had to deal with anything like that, but surely there must be a medical reason, as has been suggested?
 
if its the same bark at the same intervals it sounds like attention seeking. If there is no medical/stress reason for it, ignore it and praise/make a fuss when she's quiet-even if its just a couple of seconds outwith the normal interval. do not give any reaction otherwise-dont even look at her and carry on what you are doing. My old collie was terrible when I first got him, he would attention bark every 3 seconds for hours but we cracked it in a few days.
 
is it constant fast barking or slow steady barking? Anxiety sounds very probable - what does taking her into another room and doing 'easy' tasks eg sit, down etc do?
 
She was better new years eve and yesterday even with the fireworks going off which was a nice change to not have to put ear phones in or risk having my ears melted.
She's booked into the vets just in case there's any underlying physical cause.
Asbo child ate my clicker yesterday and a bucket on the yard so I'm wondering if she's bored? I've not seen many rotties out doing agility but I'm beginning to wonder about that maybe to take up some brain space.
 
My Rottie isint the sharpest I have to be honest and agility just wouldn't cut with her. However, she LOVES to find food. Frozen kongs hidden in the garden. Brain training boxes etc... Anything that involves hunting out food, it's such an instant reward for her.
The other one is slightly brighter and she loves to track things. So laying trails for her to find a chicken wing etc x
 
I would definitely have her checked at the vet initially - just to rule out any underlying medical issues which might be causing the unwanted behaviour.

How much exercise and/or training does she get on a daily basis? Is she only barking at certain times of day or evening? I would start by clicker training a "speak" command and then also teach the "quiet". If she is barking for so many hours non stop though it sounds like there is something wrong - or she is a very bored dog.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1panI9_MzKQ
 
So Mrs has been for an MOT at the vet and she's been pronounced fit as a flea so I'm thinking it's an attention/boredom issue.

She has free roam of the yard with the GSD all day while I'm at work. Plus minimum 1.5hrs / 2hrs excursion. This can be anywhere from round the fields, to the beach or round the village depending. The collie, the dane and the GSD all seem content enough and aren't exhibiting the same behavior. Training wise she's not go the greatest attention span at the moment so I try and do a few 5-10min blocks scattered throughout the day.

The barking can vary in times though it's usually in the evening and has usually stopped before 10pm.
 
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