Barking due to wanting something they can't have

[SusanWoods]

We have a 9 month old 70lb mixed rescue. We've had her since she was 2 months. We have a pretty open planned 1st floor and there are lots of windows. The dining room is in the center of the house and we have gates up to all other rooms. Generally when no one can be with her or she's been a bit naughty, she's in the dining room. Otherwise we let her in the rooms we're in. 

 

Anyway, she has a view of outside all over and we have two young kids 10 and 12 who like to go outside and sometimes have friends over. She can't be trusted not to jump all over people yet and even when it's just my kids we can't always trust her not to eat things she shouldn't. (Poop, rocks, sticks, etc...)

 

So when the kids are out or friends are over she barks (almost the only she time barks) and or whines in order to get to them. How do we address this? I can't give her what she wants when she's quiet. I try to do training with her then but that only lasts so long. 

 

(Pic of the pooch in question on a hike to show she does get to explore the world.)

[Adrienne]

Hello and welcome to the forums,

Lovely dog! I think I see some boxer in her 🙂 and I love the brindle coat! 

 If she's in the house when she barks and she's seeing the kids outside playing, most likely you're dealing with some type of barrier frustration. Barrier frustration is just that, dogs getting frustrated when they cannot interact with others due to something physically preventing them (fence, gate, leash).  Often times, the dogs get very excited when they see children playing with balls and they want to join in the fun.

 Ideally, we don't want them to practice this behavior because it has a tendency to establish since the dog has a deep need to vent. Barking, in this case, acts as a form of release from the frustration, and therefore, this behavior tends to strengthen and repeat. It soon becomes habit-forming and will automatically start taking place contingent upon the children playing. 

In some cases, more than barrier frustration, the dog is somewhat stressed/anxious, either because he/she wasn't socialized much around kids or isn't used to normal sounds children make when playing. This form of barking, may too become established as the dog is manifesting emotions and a need to increase distance.  In some cases, the dog may be also barking because of some concern about the children's play behaviors,  misinterpreting their vocalizations and behaviors for distress.

And then you have some dogs who may bark to send intruders away from their perceived territory. This often happens when strangers pass by a property line or a dog's perceived territory. This form of barking, may too become established as the dog is manifesting emotions and, if the children happen to move away, even temporarily out of view, the dog may come to believe that it's thanks to his barking that the children have left the scene, and therefore the barking will persist in hopes of sending them away again and again. Soon, you're stuck in a loop with a dog repeatedly barking due to the children's coming and going behaviors. 

Regardless of the underlying cause, normally, in such cases, the best piece of advice is blocking access to windows, but it sounds like your home is structured in such a way that you have no rooms without window access. So in cases as such we may need to do some troubleshooting to find the best way to tackle this, here are some ideas that come to mind:

Walk your dog. If children start playing at specific times, you can try taking your dog for a nice walk or have a family member do that. Simply, coordinate the walks with the onset of the children playing. This works out great as it provides an outlet for a dog's need for exercise and mental stimulation while also allowing the dog a productive way to vent.

Block visual access. If your home has windows in most rooms or perhaps moving to another room may be impractical, you may find it helpful to apply some opaque window film to prevent the dog from seeing outside. This alone can tackle many cases of territorial barking. 

Buffer the Sound. Often, dogs bark as well in response to the sounds children make when playing. You can buffer sounds by turning on the radio or the TV to cover the sounds of children playing or you can create some white noise using a fan or a white noise machine.

Encourage alternate behaviors. For mild to moderate cases, where your dog is responsive to you, you can create a new routine. Right when the kids start playing, you invite your dog to lie on her mat and you provide her with a long-lasting chew or stuffed Kong to enjoy. With time, your dog should start looking forward to her new routine! Here's how to train your dog to lie on a mat: 

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/video-archive/train-dog-go-to-mat/

If your dog isn't very responsive to you when she's looking outside of the window barking, it may help to train her to respond to a smacking sound as described here, working first with low-distractions:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/university/look-at-that/

* Please use caution, some dogs who get very frustrated/aroused may bite if they are touched when they are barking!

Provide confinement: Another option is to confine the dog to an area away from the window such as inside an exercise pen with a stuffed Kong to keep her occupied. As the saying goes: "out of sight, out of mind!"

I hope this helps, let me know if you have any questions, 

Best,

Adrienne 

Disclaimer:  Some dogs when very aroused/frustrated may bite.  If your puppy or dog is showing aggressive tendencies or is very aroused/frustrated, please play it safe and consult with a dog behavior professional (DACVB, CAAB) for safety.