non stop barking

[serena2005]

my rescued border collie x wont stop barking, in the middle of the night she just gives a hugh BARK in an annoying high pitched squeak, and wakes up the baby.

she bark at everything all the time shes driving me insane!

how can i stop her barking

 

[Oneofthepack]

How long have you had her and have you had collies before? If you have you will know they need LOTS of stimulation and exersize. She could be bored and making her own entertainment by barking at everything, or she could be letting you know there's stuff that needs your attention, like the postman or someone walking past or she could be guarding her family from danger. You could try a couple of things. Fill a can with nails and shake it near her when she barks (not right in her ear as their hearing is very sensitive) then when she stops give her lots of praise and a treat or you can get antibark collars that puff out a whiff of citronella when she barks but both these mean the dog will stop doing what comes naturally and she may get depressed if she can't use her voice. Better to give her lots of distractions ( balls with treats in, kongs with meat in etc) and regular long walks. Does she do agility or any training?

 

[serena2005]

she is the first collie i have had, we have had german shepards all my life. we've had her nearly 2 years, after a few months of having her the barking started and it has just got worse.

if i open the back door to the garden she runs out barking and stands at the back of the garden just barking.
i try and walk her as often as possible i know how energict they are! she has a pile of toys, just brought her a treat ball to play with as well. she is also very jealous of my 9 month baby, and also my mum dog.
when they are walked together and another dog approaches she immediatly starts barking.

i dont mind her barking at something for a reason, but the odd high pitched bark and it is just one bark, in the middle of the night is getting too much!

she has done her training (barked the whole time at training classes!!) agility no not yet but i do plan on taking her as soon as i get nanny to baby sit!

 

[lordflynn]

I have a rescue collie who is rather vocal. After talking to a behaviourist we realised that he is just scared of the world in general-barking/yelping etc is a way of warning us that something isnt right in the world (and that could be someone getting out of their car at the end of the street!).
We now do regular exercises-simple obedience ones and only fuss him at our instigation. He is also fed last and made to walk to heel-all to reinforce the fact that we are in charge and therefore can be trusted to keep him safe. He is much improved!
If she is jealous of your baby please get some help with her. she needs to know that the baby/any kids are above her in the pecking order and thats up to you and other adults-dogs dont recognise kids as being 'in charge' on the whole until they are over 12. This is partly because you cant expect a child to be as consistant as they need to be. Collies are very sensitive dogs-do you know her past history at all?

 

[serena2005]

we were told she was given to the rescue centre because she was too excitable around their young baby! i think they brought her thinking it would be nice to have a new baby with a puppy! she was about 9 months old when i got her, she is getting better with the baby she tends to keep out of her way.

she is scared of everything as well, i noticed when we first got her the newspaper came through the door and as i picked it up her tail went in between her legs and she hid from me, i think she must have been hit a few times from her old home.

when the baby approached the dog to begin with the dog would growl at her, she still doesnt like her getting to close but she will try and lick her now!! so i think she is getting use to her.

 

[lordflynn]

well just persevere with the training and socialisation-make sure she knows where she fits in and that will make her happier! dogs are like kids-better with boundaries-particularly intelligent dogs. good luck with her!

 

[spaniel]

Having read all the posts so far I honestly think that this is the wrong dog for you.
Collies are quite a specialised and different menatlity to almost all others and your dog doesnt sound happy in the environment you are providing.

Id be very wary of the baby issue. Once your child starts to crawl or toddle the collie may actually find this more disturbing and to be honest it sounds like its not getting the attention it needs from you.

This isnt a critiscism of you at all but having had a number of collies I can vouch for the fact that they need a great deal of one to one and a huge amount of mental stimulation/training to keep tham sane.

 

[JM7]

i, too, spans would be worried for the baby once mobile..

collies are not good pets..they are working animals..my aunt had one and it was a bag of nerves where the children were concerned....

she persevered with it and after many many sessions with a doggy pscyhiatrist type they did manage to gain a little trust...but it was a dog you could never trust 100% with kiddies...the poor thing was petrified of them!!

no disrespect to you serena but i'm not sure this dog is in the right environment..for the dog or your baby...

 

[Snowberry]

I agree with others, this doesnt sound like the right dog for you!!!

We have a border collie and he's a loon but he is 110% with all of the kids, even the babies. I wouldnt have a dog that growled at the kids!!

What happens when your little one starts walking? Pulling the dogs tail? Eating the dog biscuits?!
Our collie lives outside and gets tonnes of exercise but still craves more. They need a job!
If you contact your local dog warden they can lend you an anti bark collar to see if that helps but it really does sound like yours isnt the best environment for the dog

Sorry

 

[serena2005]

i totally understand what you are all saying, the baby is crawling and does pull the dog's tail!!

i usually keep the dog in the garden or in the kitchen away from baby when she is on the floor. as i say she is much better with her than what she was, she hasnt growled for ages.

any way on a positive note i have taken your advice and took her agility training tonight! well she loved it! the trainer was so impressed for her first time she let me take her off the lead! she ran round done the jumps the A frame and the table all perfectly, barking the whole way round!!

shes knackered her self out and is sleeping in her bed!

i know i probably dont do as much with her as i should but shes part of the family and i love her so much, i just want her to be happy

 

[nicknack]

To be honest, I'm very surprised the rescue centre rehomed her with you with a baby in the household, but however......

Agility will be great for her. With collies, it's not just a case of exercising and wearing them out - they need a great deal mental stimulation. Some of the collie owners at our club work them 3 times a week (agility, fly ball and obedience) or they are working sheep dogs. They are very hard work mentally - I find them very complex and difficult dogs. Like you, I've always had GSDs and even they don't prepare you for collies.

Good luck. Let us know how you get on with her, but pleaseeeeeeeeee be careful with your baby.

 

[serena2005]

i am very careful, and thank you for all the advice, unforuantly they only do agility once a week, looking for some more thing i can do with her.


just thought i show you all what she looks like as well... she's so pretty!

 

[nicknack]

What a sweetie.