# Appropriate Barking



## Armand Bonvicino (Jun 11, 2008)

I have a 9 month old Mal. and have a quick down and dirty question.

How would you train him not to drive the neighbors crazy with his barking (while we're away at work) without stifling his "appropriate" barking (and by "appropriate" I mean when he get's amp'd up to play with a tug or a decoy or when he gets a command to bark).

I'm still new to this so be kind.

Thanks


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## Tina Rempel (Feb 13, 2008)

I have close neighbors for a few more years (darn it). The girls wear bark collars during the day when they are in their kennels and yard. For all three, only a low setting is needed. It sure doesn't seem to hurt their bark when working.


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## Jeff Oehlsen (Apr 7, 2006)

Bark collar. If that doesn't work, kick him in the ****ing head.

You cannot damage "appropriate" barking.

Come and train with Lisa, Tiff, Andrew, and I and then you can be cool and not ask silly questions like this one on a public forum. LOL


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

I use a bark collar on one of mine at home and occasionally in the car, depending on where I'm going.
It has absolutely no effect on his "appropriate" barking.


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## Carol Boche (May 13, 2007)

Jesea wears the Dogtra bark collar. Nowadays, it never gets turned on. All I have to do is place it in her. 

She will bark on command while wearing her e-collar though. I keep the bark collar on the collar it came with and my e-collar is on a cinch it. Not sure how she knows the difference, but she does......( so basically I either did something right in her training or wrong in her training.....LOL)


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## Anna Kasho (Jan 16, 2008)

I have a dog who figured out that the bark collar has a 10 or 20 sec window between stims. Even on the highest setting, she'd go Bark (yelp!) BarkBarkBarkBarkBarkBarkBarkBark and stop before the second stim. I had to use the e-collar as well as the bark collar and randomly switch them around to break the pattern.


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## Mo Earle (Mar 1, 2008)

_"I have a dog who figured out that the bark collar has a 10 or 20 sec window between stims. Even on the highest setting, she'd go Bark (yelp!) BarkBarkBarkBarkBarkBarkBarkBark and stop before the second stim. I had to use the e-collar as well as the bark collar and randomly switch them around to break the pattern."

_Welcome to the Mali world !! I had to put two bark collars on one of mine Mals, as she also figured out the pattern of the bark collar.Two did the trick. We have 5 mals....don't worry about ruining their drive- you show them the tug,a decoy, a sleeve, a tennis ball....etc..... they are ready to go.They learn what the collar is all about-just remember to take it off, before you do training.8-[

also I would suggest - get a bark collar that you can re-charge- with Mals, they will get a lot of use- forget the ones that you have to change the batteries- a bigger pain than they are worth. Ours get their bark collars put on a night when in the kennel, and during the morning if we aren't home-when they are off, they are plugged in, and ready to go when needed...... just watch their necks-to prevent any skin irritations[-X.


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## Emilio Rodriguez (Jan 16, 2009)

Anna Kasho said:


> I have a dog who figured out that the bark collar has a 10 or 20 sec window between stims. Even on the highest setting, she'd go Bark (yelp!) BarkBarkBarkBarkBarkBarkBarkBark and stop before the second stim. I had to use the e-collar as well as the bark collar and randomly switch them around to break the pattern.


Wow! This one I'm going to remember and retell.


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## Anna Kasho (Jan 16, 2008)

Mo Earle said:


> Welcome to the Mali world !! I had to put two bark collars on one of mine Mals, as she also figured out the pattern of the bark collar.Two did the trick. We have 5 mals....don't worry about ruining their drive- you show them the tug,a decoy, a sleeve, a tennis ball....etc..... they are ready to go.They learn what the collar is all about-just remember to take it off, before you do training.8-[


That particular dog is not a malinois, though I think there's a little bit of mal in her. She's part pit part something shepherd-like (but not entirely like GSD). Actually a low/medium drive dog for anything besides food and small critters, but a damn smart one. :lol:


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## Meng Xiong (Jan 21, 2009)

My pup would wear the batteries out of the bark collar, and after I got sick of buying batteries, I figured i'd try one of those ultrasonic bark suppressing boxes. I am amazed at well it works, i'm sure my neighbors are wondering what happened with the dogs.

I have it set up in their kennel, but he dosn't have a problem barking when aroused or away from the kennel.


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## Jeff Oehlsen (Apr 7, 2006)

OK, so barking is a release of tension. It is a displacement behavior, so get the dog something else to displace to. I have not had an excessive barker ever, so you might consider that.


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## Julie Ann Alvarez (Aug 4, 2007)

Meng Xiong said:


> My pup would wear the batteries out of the bark collar, and after I got sick of buying batteries, I figured i'd try one of those ultrasonic bark suppressing boxes. I am amazed at well it works, i'm sure my neighbors are wondering what happened with the dogs.
> 
> I have it set up in their kennel, but he dosn't have a problem barking when aroused or away from the kennel.


This has happened to my GSD. I am not sure if the batteries are going bad because of the cold or his barking or if it is just not the best collar- Sportsmans. The batteries are about $8 for two and have lasted me about 2 weeks each max. I had a cheapo walmart bark collar years ago that batteries wer about $15 but lasted months.

What brand is this ultrasonic box? I would be curious to research this option for summer near the kennels.

Havok is pretty good about the normal neighborhood people & dogs but he doesn't care for strange cars and strange people & dogs and lets us know. Plus I think he wants to be a house dog now that he has gotten a taste for it. 

Julie


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## Meng Xiong (Jan 21, 2009)

Julie Ann Alvarez said:


> What brand is this ultrasonic box? I would be curious to research this option for summer near the kennels.
> 
> 
> 
> Julie


 

I bought this one https://partners.radiosys.com:4449/...te.jsp?item=129262&section=10647&beginIndex=0

I don't plan on using it forever (its only been less than a week), but i'll keep it ON for another week or so.


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## Tina Rempel (Feb 13, 2008)

The bark collars I use are the Dogtra YS300, rechargeable battery. They have held up very well. A couple are about 2-years old now with a lot of use.

Jeff, you're lucky. I dont have a problem with them barking when I'm home and can give more yard time, but during the week they are in individual kennels and yards. Since I leave at 4:30 AM I sure can't risk ticking off neighbors! One day when I can retire and move to more room and less neighbors..... :-D


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