Barking during food preparation for MY meal

[JudyCollins]

I know that this is not a new topic, but I have read through notes on barking and also through others questions and responses but not found a suitable solution.

My 5 month old English Springer barks whenever I start to prepare a meal for myself and also when I sit down at the table to eat. I have started to feed him before I start but it hasn't helped. I did ignore him and as I obviously cannot leave the room, I have been putting him outside. That was working well and even though he could still see me, he did not bark. However, now he refuses to go outside. He is too heavy to carry and he is too smart to trick into going outside (with a treat or a toy) Commands to go outside have no effect.

I play with him A LOT (games of fetch, hide and seek, tug, flirt-pole, treasure hunt etc) and I take him to the park or the beach for a play every day for about 45 mins as well as taking him for walks down the street. I also practise calming activities such as kongs and lickimats. I have wondered whether the bark buster devices with high pitched frequencies are worth a go?

[JMFS]

My eyes are drooping, but I'll ask a couple questions that may help before I crash and burn. :)  I'm almost certain someone else had this specific issue and there's a post about it around here somewhere.  I'm not 100% on that, though, and it's possible it was in a video I watched.  Darn CRS!

Do you have a separate room you can put him?  You can't leave the room, but perhaps he can. :) What about a Kong or other toy filled with treats to occupy him while you're cooking?  You mention that you do use them, but it wasn't clear if it's during these times of barking.  They can chew through food quickly and that's probably not giving you enough time to prepare your own food before he starts "talking" at you.  I Love the lick mats - even got one that sticks to the shower wall for Gertie's baths.  Momo ate one of the mats so he doesn't get those (I neglected to pick it up once Gertie was finished and wasn't aware he was happily chowing down on it).  My special boy!

Our dogs are not allowed past the cabinet in the kitchen, for example.  If they go into the kitchen they are told, "out" and they've learned that means they've crossed the threshold I'm willing to accept.  Initially I had to put a towel down for Gertie so she had a clearly defined area she was allowed to watch from.  Momo had to be put in another room altogether, his panting drives me batty!  I used to block him with a baby gate.  He could still see me, but was out of the way.  I know your issue is sound, not proximity, but sometimes proximity will cause the sound.

I don't have any experience with the sound collars so I don't have feedback there, but I did see the question.

[JudyCollins]

2 hours ago, JenniferM. said:

My eyes are drooping, but I'll ask a couple questions that may help before I crash and burn. 🙂  I'm almost certain someone else had this specific issue and there's a post about it around here somewhere.  I'm not 100% on that, though, and it's possible it was in a video I watched.  Darn CRS!

Do you have a separate room you can put him?  You can't leave the room, but perhaps he can. 🙂 What about a Kong or other toy filled with treats to occupy him while you're cooking?  You mention that you do use them, but it wasn't clear if it's during these times of barking.  They can chew through food quickly and that's probably not giving you enough time to prepare your own food before he starts "talking" at you.  I Love the lick mats - even got one that sticks to the shower wall for Gertie's baths.  Momo ate one of the mats so he doesn't get those (I neglected to pick it up once Gertie was finished and wasn't aware he was happily chowing down on it).  My special boy!

Our dogs are not allowed past the cabinet in the kitchen, for example.  If they go into the kitchen they are told, "out" and they've learned that means they've crossed the threshold I'm willing to accept.  Initially I had to put a towel down for Gertie so she had a clearly defined area she was allowed to watch from.  Momo had to be put in another room altogether, his panting drives me batty!  I used to block him with a baby gate.  He could still see me, but was out of the way.  I know your issue is sound, not proximity, but sometimes proximity will cause the sound.

I don't have any experience with the sound collars so I don't have feedback there, but I did see the question.

Thanks for taking the time to answer Jennifer. Yes I do give him the lickimat while I am cooking, but you are right in that it doesn't take him long to finish it. He isn't so keen on kongs and barking at me is much more fun apparently. Unfortunately my house is open plan, so no separate room, which is why I put him outside if I can. I have been thinking of training him to stay out of the kitchen area. I have seen videos on You tube on how to do it and think it is something that I definitely need to work on. At least training is seeming easier now that he is getting a bit older. A towel on the floor is a really good idea. Thanks!

I do also have a playpen that could be opened out to block off the kitchen, so that might be worth a try too. I think he would still bark but at least he would not be right at my feet.

Thanks again for your suggestions. I'll have another look through the posts on barking - there were about 12 pages of them and admittedly I did only look at 3 or 4. Hope I find it.

[Adrienne]

Hi Judy, 

I think this type of barking is tackled in the barking section because it falls more under begging behaviors. We have a begging section here with some tips:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/begging/

If you want him in the room with you, you need to make absolutely sure that no food falls from the table and that any family members are entirely on track with the rules. Keep your chairs nicely tucked in, ignore the dog and make sure no crumbs or other stuff ever fall from the table and that your pup never gets to jump on a chair or stand up towards the table to lick or steal stuff. Keep the chairs always tucked in under the table to prevent opportunities. 

This form of barking when ignored is prone to going through an extinction burst (behavior increasing before decreasing or even the addition of other new behaviors) so hold on tight to your rules of ignoring your pup when you are eating. Wear ear plugs if needed.

If you have neighbors and live in a tight-knit neighborhood, your best option may be keeping him busy while you are eating by training your dog to go on a mat and giving him a long-lasting treat (like a frozen Kong) or keeping him behind a baby gate. Boundary training like Jennifer explained can help too, although you may be stuck with a dog who still barks behind that boundary, so you may find it helpful to to give him something to stay occupied. 

[JudyCollins]

Thanks Adrienne,

Somehow I had not thought of it as begging for food, more like begging for attention. You are right - although I don't feed him when I am eating, I do sometimes toss him a bit of raw carrot or cauliflower when I am chopping it up, especially if he has been quiet  (to reward him for not barking!!) Have been meaning to train boundaries but it seems too hard. I can get him to go on a boundary (raised bed) but getting him to stay there is much harder. Also have not had much luck at keeping him out of places, like upstairs or the kitchen where there is no real physical boundary. I do realise that it is all about perseverance. I have to decide that I am going to train it and stick with my resolve. Thanks for the reminder and for making me realise that this was in fact begging for food!! Your articles are very helpful.

[JMFS]

Does he have his own bed?  You could put that near the kitchen to establish a boundary.  I like the play pen idea, but if you could get him to elect to stay in one spot on his own that would be ideal.  Much easier to teach him where a boundary is if you're traveling or staying with someone else for whatever reason.  Gertie sometimes won't stay out unless I put something down for her.  I'm unsure whether it's comfort or being able to see the area I want her to stay in.  Either way I know even just that towel is enough to get her to settle in.

[Adrienne]

I have wondered whether the bark buster devices with high pitched frequencies are worth a go?

I assume that the devices you are describing are meant to emit sounds that are uncomfortable to dogs so to produce a startling effect that will deter them from barking. Despite being advertised as painless (some compare its startling effect to the reaction to hearing a smoking alarm in humans), one must consider its effects on the dog. 

Sure, the dog may not be hurt in a physical way, but the animal can be impacted at an emotional level. If you are planning to use a high-frequency device to stop your own dog from barking, consider that using a device to instill fear in a dog is not a good way to train. It may lead to undesirable consequences that can be far worse than the barking itself. Yelling or punishing a dog for barking can often lead to the opposite effect. Rather than quieting the dog, it often results in more barking. 

And if, by any chance, it does succeed in quieting the dog, there can be potential negative side effects such as the dog becoming fearful of the owner, the dog getting more and more anxious and possible afraid of being alone (noise phobias have bee associated with separation anxiety), or even developing chronic stress that may lead to health issues. 

The fact that startling sounds can have a negative impact on dogs is something that has been known for some time. A study dating back to 1990 proved that ultrasonic sounds were aversive to dogs, triggering dogs to react aversively and with apprehension. 

So it is my belief that suppressing barking by using punishment devices doesn't do any good as barking is a form of communication. It stops the noise, but doesn't address the underlying emotional turmoil. What if the dog barks because lonely, frustrated or under-stimulated?. What if, he's anxious or fearful? By addressing the underlying emotions behind a dog's barking, one can address the issue at the root.  This allows us to solve problems without the fallout associated with aversive tools while also working on a better relationship. 

[JudyCollins]

Oh gosh, thanks so much Adrienne. I definitely won't consider it then! It was only because I heard from someone that their vet had suggested it that I thought it would be OK. Of course that could well have been invented by the Manufacturers, in order to sell the product. Usually I do take customer reviews with a pinch of salt for that very reason. I think I was hoping that it might be an easy solution that I would only have to use a few times.

Never mind I will continue to ignore and definitely not give any titbits and trust that things will improve.

Many thanks

Judy

[JudyCollins]

Thanks Jennifer, I am definitely going to try some boundary training. It sounds great!

[Adrienne]

12 hours ago, JudyCollins said:

Oh gosh, thanks so much Adrienne. I definitely won't consider it then! It was only because I heard from someone that their vet had suggested it that I thought it would be OK. Of course that could well have been invented by the Manufacturers, in order to sell the product. Usually I do take customer reviews with a pinch of salt for that very reason. I think I was hoping that it might be an easy solution that I would only have to use a few times.

Never mind I will continue to ignore and definitely not give any titbits and trust that things will improve.

Many thanks

Judy

 In general anything that says it stops barking fast is something that suppresses the behavior and has to use some type of aversive, either shock, sounds or citronella spray.  I know some vets who still recommend shock collars although many reputable behavioral organizations have position statements against their use.

If the barking is due to him barking in frustration because he was getting bits of food, and now not any more, it should subside, but expect some extinction bursts along the way (barking increasing before getting better, or trying some new behaviors to get your attention). Even attention of the negative type (like looking at the dog, talking to the dog even to reprimand is considered attention, so it's best to totally ignore. 

We can set our dogs for more success though if we give them something to keep them occupied long enough for us to finish our meals. It's best to have this ready beforehand so that a dog doesn't try to bark as you prepare it. With dogs who bark as I prepare their meals, I tend to stop and go back to sitting until the dog is quiet again for some time and if they bark as I get up, I go quickly back to sitting. Then after a bit, I try to walk again towards the meal-preparation area. Quiet gets me preparing their meals faster, barking gets me back to sitting. After several trials, dogs catch on quickly learning that they better be quiet if they want me to prepare their meal. 

As pups mature and learn better impulse control and therefore longer stays, we can start gradually delaying the time we provide the food to keep them occupied, building up to where they will stay on the mat waiting for their food after we are done eating. Both my Rotties learned to go on their maps during our meals, lie there and chill/snooze until we were done and then we would give them a cookie (or healthy left overs suitable for dogs) to reward their patience. With time, it became a strongly established routine. 

As a management tool for pups who haven't learned yet to stay on a mat or in a designated area for long, it is also possible to use a tether as an extra tool to keep them put in one area. A tether is simply a short nylon-coated cable with sturdy snaps at both ends. For smaller dogs or dogs who won't pull and panic, one can simply loop the leash around the leg of a heavy table (of course one that won't collapse or break!). 

[JudyCollins]

All great advice Adrienne. Thanks again!

Judy

[Adrienne]

You bet! Happy training!

Best,

Adrienne 

[JudyCollins]

Hi Adrienne

I'm very happy to report that Banjo has stopped barking at me when I am preparing my own food! So easy when you told me it was because I was feeding him bits of raw vegetables!! I had thought that he was just barking for attention because I was not playing with him!! Now he doesn't even come into the kitchen most of the time! 

I have also tried sitting down if he barks when I am preparing his Kong and that seems to work well too. Thanks so much! Life is much more peaceful now!

Kind regards

Judy

[Adrienne]

That's great to hear! Keep up the great work!