Help My New Min-Pin

GOOFY4DONALD

DH finished his plate at 50's Prime Time. They wer
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Aug 22, 2006
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We are recently the foster parents of a 3 year old min-pin. He was rescued from a puppy mill where he was kept in a cage most of his life. He is very sweet and has adapted quite well to our 3 other dogs. We are falling in love with him and hope to possible adopt him but he does have a few problems that I am not sure if he is too old to be trained not to do. First of all he is a barker. Now I know these dogs can be quite vocal but he barks at everything from people in our home during parties (try 6 hours non stop) to family member getting up to go in another room. He also is potty trained as he knows the word "outside" and heads out but that doesn't stop him from marking his territory everywhere. I am just not sure what to do.
Please help as we want to give him a better life than he has had.
 
I can't help with the marking but as far as barking goes...

No one flame me here... until this dog I was totally against both of the things I am about to discuss here... shock collars and de-barking surgery. Until you have a true barking problem (yes 6 hours non stop is familiar) you really shouldn't judge.

We got our son a beagle... she is wonderful in every way except incessant barking. It became the only thing the neighborhood talked about. It was discussed daily. I live in a dog filled neighborhood. everyone has dogs everyone's dog barks but she was incredible! Anything could set her off and stopping her was very hard. I have had dogs all my life and I have had other beagles but I was at my wits end and had actually talked to my vet about de-barking her which in most situations I think is an over the top reaction.

Standing in the Wal-mart one day I looked at an anti-bark collar that gave a low shock at first bark and increased power if the dog barked again within 60 seconds for $35 (I have always thought these rather over reactive too) ... and said to myself well... anything is worth a try at this point.

1 day in this collar and she no longer barked (actually I think the first hour did it). It was about a week later that she first barked anything over a "whisper" The lesson has never been unlearned. She now barks when someone knocks on the door or someone/thing makes weird noises outside.. She did bark at the horse once when it snuck up behind her and goosed her backside. Anyway it has been almost a year and the lesson still sticks and she is a wonderful dog!
 
I'm not sure if his shows are available online or on on-demand but The Dog Whisperer had a show about stopping a dog that was marking everywhere. the show is on Animal Planet. That might be of some help. (We don't have a dog but DH is addicted to the show. :confused3 )
 
Hey neighbor (I'm in Great Falls) Thank you so much. I have never considered a bark collar but he is getting to be too much (I am actually afraid that if we don't adopt him and he goes to another family they may do much worse than a shock collar). He is starting to teach my English Pointer to bark as well (and for years I didn't know my Pointer could bark). As far as the marking we know his temptations (anything new..boxes, suitcases) and can accomodate. If he just stops that barking it will make the house a happier place.
 

I'm not sure if his shows are available online or on on-demand but The Dog Whisperer had a show about stopping a dog that was marking everywhere. the show is on Animal Planet. That might be of some help. (We don't have a dog but DH is addicted to the show. :confused3 )

I will have to check it out, thanks, I am willing to try anything.
 
Hey neighbor (I'm in Great Falls) Thank you so much. I have never considered a bark collar but he is getting to be too much (I am actually afraid that if we don't adopt him and he goes to another family they may do much worse than a shock collar). He is starting to teach my English Pointer to bark as well (and for years I didn't know my Pointer could bark). As far as the marking we know his temptations (anything new..boxes, suitcases) and can accomodate. If he just stops that barking it will make the house a happier place.

This is too funny! Our beagle taught our next door neighbors english pointer to bark... before that he was the quietest one in the neighborhood.
 
I'm not sure if his shows are available online or on on-demand but The Dog Whisperer had a show about stopping a dog that was marking everywhere. the show is on Animal Planet. That might be of some help. (We don't have a dog but DH is addicted to the show. :confused3 )

Please be very careful with this. I have seen many dogs that, using his methods, would push them to bite. Being a puppy mill survivor, I don't know how social he is. Some puppy mill survivors are amazingly outgoing and friendly considering what they've gone to and others will go and hide, shaking in a corner. Depending on the dog, using his methods may cause more problems than helping.

They sell things called calming collars that have natural pheromones in them. They work wonders on my cat that has issues with using her litterbox and I have spoken to several people that use them for their dogs that swear by them. You may want to check thosse out.

For the barking, try putting it on command. When you put it on command, then you can also put "Quiet" on command. When the dog is barking, say "Quiet" (or whatever you want to use) and remove them from whatever is making them bark. When they stop barking, give lots of praise. My dog had barking issues and I got her to "Tell me!" on command and then "Quiet" on command. She still barks, but it is so easy for me to get her to stop now. I also try to teach all the dogs in the shelter I work at "Quiet". People are always amazed when a bunch of dogs are barking and I say "Quiet" and the whole row of dogs goes silent and looks at me. You can also try putting coins or pebbles into an empty pop or soup can and shake it and say "Quiet" everytime he starts to bark. This will hopefully startle him just enough for him to lose focus and get distracted from barking.

As far as marking, marking and not being housebroken are two very different things. If he is just urinating in the house, then he is not housebroken and that is what you need to work on. If he is truly marking (maybe he urinates outside and then comes inside and marks a small amount on the wall), my first question is is he neutered yet? If he isn't, that needs done ASAP. Are your other dogs spayed/neutered? At 3, if your other dogs aren't neutered and he recently got neutered, he will probably keep doing it just because he has been for so long. How long has he been neutered if he already is? It will probably take some time for the hormones to go down and until they do, he very well may continue marking. Make sure you correct him everytime you see him start to look like he is going to mark. Don't even wait until it happens. If he goes up to a wall, sniffs, and even looks like he's going to lift his leg, give a stern "NO" and clap your hands or make some other loud noise, again to distract him.
 


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