Hi,I have a german shepherd named Tank.He has a problem with barking,he barks when I come in,when I come downstairs,and at the other dogs.He is just playing but he dosen"t know when to stop.People say it is his breed,it is like he is trying to talk to me.I don't mind it but I worry about the neighbors.Any tips on how to break this or is it battle not worth fighting?Thank you

if you have neighbors in the same building - you are gonna have mega problems. if there is a barking ordinance where you live you can be arrested & it will get very expensive.

you say you don't mind so you may be encouraging it without realizing it by your tone of voice & HOW you say things to him.

if you are going to stop it you must be consistant in telling him NO. very firmly, it is a command not a request, EVERY time he barks.

yes shepherds are very vocal & I'm afraid it will be an endless battle

Thanks for the advice.I don't live in an apartment building thankfully.I do try being firm and tell him no but my family and their friends have a tendency to encourage it.They don't mean to but they are hyper around him and he gets louder the more crazier it gets around my house.I will keep trying.Thanks

What I did with my Shepherd was, first, check out what caused the barking. If someone was driving in the yard, I said Good. Enough. As soon as he stopped, said good, and treated. When he would bark for what I could see no reason for, Enough, and when he stopped, good, and treat. Everyone had treats in their pockets, and used the same routine. Now, he is 2 1/2 and only barks for good reasons. The electric meter guy, coming in the yard, etc. Consistency is key.

This may get me in hot water with some here but one of the things I did with my GSD's was to squirt them with water when they nuisance barked. (supersoaker or pitcher of water) Of course I always praised them when they barked for good reason. Consistency is the key and can be a pain sometimes. In the beginning I would have to get up every few minutes to run outside and squirt water on the barker. If you can hang in there it does work. I've owned GSD's for nearly 50yrs and this method has never failed. Shepherds are vocal but smart. They learn real quick.
Good luck to you!

What ever works for some! I also, have had GSDs for 42 years on my own, and when I was young, my parents did, I was raised with them. You could try all the old time stuff, but if you want to positive reinforcement, just keep reading about training on the net.

Originally Posted by reynosa_k9s

This may get me in hot water with some here but one of the things I did with my GSD's was to squirt them with water when they nuisance barked. (supersoaker or pitcher of water) Of course I always praised them when they barked for good reason. Consistency is the key and can be a pain sometimes. In the beginning I would have to get up every few minutes to run outside and squirt water on the barker. If you can hang in there it does work. I've owned GSD's for nearly 50yrs and this method has never failed. Shepherds are vocal but smart. They learn real quick.
Good luck to you!

so you squirt them with water one time & praise them the next -- how is that being consistant? you are either going to allow barking or your not, you cannot have it both ways

tankers, until you get the family under control you don't stand a chance. can you crate him in another room?

I agree with Sue, if your family are hyper and jumping around it will set him off and make him nervous and unsure and the barking is his way of communicating his distress to you. You should try to sort this as soon as possible before it gets out of hand. There are loads of places on the net that give you free training advice on this problem, find one you trust and apply the techniques if you can and of course be consistent. This website offers free information and has helped me immensely Eliminate Dog Behavior Problems - No More Biting, Nipping, Barking!

I wish you luck
Terry

I have 2 GSD. They would bark at the neighbor when he was doing yard work. Yelling would only work for a second or 2. So I descided to claim my neighbor. I would stand with my back to the neighbor and my dogs in front of me. And give the the command for down. (Pointing to the ground). Now they just sit and look. It took a few times but GSD are smart. They do bark when someone drives up the drivway but that a bark I don't mind. Minn

Minn, I like how you worded that!! Claiming your neighbor! You made the dogs understand that he was part of your pack!!

Thanks for all the advice.I appreciate all the help.I will keep trying,I have alot of patience because I work at a kennel with rescues and boarders.Wish me luck.

I praise the dogs if they bark at someone on or near the property. If the object of my dogs barking is someone walking a block away or a cat, etc... then they got the water. As I said before, GSD's are smart and learn quick. It usually took no more than 2 to 3 days and my dogs learned what to, or not to, bark at.
Also, like I said, this may get me in hot water with some and I guess it did!
No prob. My 'puppies' are very happy and very well trained. The proof is in the pudding. :-D

Thanks I will try it out,water never hurt a dog.