Rough Collie Forum:
Barking

Ok, I need some ideas on how to shut Magic up when she is outside!

Ok, lets see if I can explain this. I have a large fenced area for the dogs to be in and play in while they are outside - they don't live outside! Whenever Magic is outside she barks at anything, and everything.. it doesn't matter... it could be a bird flying above her, to a rabbit running in the field, or the dog 2 houses down, or just a noise she hears... and she starts barking like crazy and won't stop! I don't believe its because she is bored either, because she will be running around, playing and chases the other dogs, and then all the sudden stop and bark her head off...its getting really annoying now, cause she doesn't do it when I am outside with her.. or if she does I say "NO" and she stops. When I am in the house, the only way to stop her is going up to the pen, and by the time I get to the pen she stopped, so there is nothing I can really do about it. I didn't really like the idea of the shock barking collars, because we use to have one of those underground fences, she would probably think she was getting shocked because of that.... my mom is ready to have her de-barked!! which I don't like the idea of either.... although A LOT of the dogs on her pedigree are de-barked....hmmm do I see a pattern???? LOL

Anyway, it probably isn't a hard thing to fix.. but would like some ideas... she is just so alert, everything catches her attention, she will be asleep, then all the sudden jump up barking, or playing with the pup and then run to the other side of the pen and start barking....LOL but she loves to be outside! so I hate to just keep her inside most the time. BTW she is only 3 1/2 yrs old.

I think you answered your own question there. I've tried to get one of my girls, Rachel, to stop barking for the past 9 years. Hasn't worked. She's another one of those dogs that has a lot of dogs in her pedigree debarked. Luckily her daughters are not as bad, but they are out of my boy who only barked if there was really something I needed to look into. Unfortunately, barking like this is about 1/2 genetic and 1/2 training at a VERY young age (like 6-10 weeks). Good luck trying, but after going though the citranila collar and a bundle of methods, Rachel is still barking, so I'd say if you have had it with it, it might be time to debark. If you can put up with it..then just keep up what you're doing, but don't expect her to stop anytime soon. Sprry not much help, but that's what I've found after 15 years in training dogs, some things are just not stoppable...

Thanks for the info. debarking is what we have been thinking about, but I'm not sure I could have that done to her or not. Some days she isn't to bad with the barking, and other days, like today, she is just terrible with the barking. She loves to be outside, she would rather be outside than in..but rarely shuts up! I guess if I do end up having her debarked I'll have to take my time and look for a vet that knows what they are doing, especially since Magic seems to be sensitive to the anesthesia, or she was a couple years ago. when the sable merle girl I use to have and Magic got into a fight(Macey was 65lbs, and 23" tall..and really should have been in a single dog family, and Magic 48lbs and 21 1/2" tall) Magic got her gums cut up pretty good, and had to get stitches in her gums...she seemed to take alot longer to come out of the anesthesia than most dogs I have seen. I dout my vet would do it, as she won't do cropping ears and other thins like that.... but I may look into it... I have read some info on de barking... so we'll see... I don't think I would mind as much if I didn't live in the city limits!

My boy Lad is like your boy you said, that would only barks if there really is a reason, or sometime going on. Ben hasn't started to bark when he is outside, and hopefully he won't!! Magic I got when she was 5 1/2 month old, she came barking! LOL and her sire was de barked. lol