Howling and excitement

[Kenneth]

Hi my 20month old cockerpoo keeps barking for nothing  he’s started when we go in a caffe for a coffee he is very well behaved until it’s 

time to go as soon as we get our coats on he starts barking it sounds like an excitement bark how can we stop it.  Thanks 

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Hi Kenneth,

So this barking has started at the coffe shop right when you grab your coats and are about to leave? You mention the barking started this way, can you please describe other circumstances in which the barking/howling takes place? I am looking specifically for info such as what happens right prior to the barking and right afterward. 

Dogs bark for various reasons, and finding the underlying triggers can be helpful. I know it may seem like he's barking for nothing, but in most cases, there is an underlying reason.

 

[Kenneth]

He sits quietly waiting for us to finish but as soon as we get our coats it’s as though he’s excited barking I have also noticed 

when we go out in the car and arrive I get him out of the car and again he starts barking and jumping up in excitement.  Thanks 

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Hi Kenneth, 

Thank you for the extra details! It's nice that they allow you to bring your dog in a cafe'! This brings back nice memories when we once visited France with our Rottweilers and they were allowed to stay with us as we dined in an outdoor restaurant and we were even able to take them on a boat ride!

So it sounds like you are dealing with some forms of enthusiastic barking and possibly a little bit of frustration as well. This is not unusual in young dogs who are full of energy and need to learn a little more how to control their impulses and cope with daily frustrations. 

To tackle the issue directly, we firstly want to prevent rehearsal of the problem behavior as the barking is self-reinforcing on its own, but to further compound things, if every time he barks, you take him out of the cafe', or take him out of the car, he'll come to believe that his barking "works" so the behavior, (if not tackled correctly), will likely keep on persisting and establishing, making it more difficult to eradicate. 

So in this case, here are a few tips/ideas that come to mind:

-If possible, take your dog out of the car only when he is calm. Wait for him to quiet down a few seconds, and the moment he is quiet, start the process of getting him out of the car. If he barks, stop in your tracks and go back inside the car and sit down. Wait him to stop barking, then try again. The moment he's quiet again, progress to opening the door and letting him out, if he barks, stop in your tracks again and go back to sitting inside of the car. Got the drill? You are trying to give him the message that only calm behaviors make you progress in the process of getting him out, the moment he acts excited or impatient, you regress. If he persists in barking, go back  in the car and even drive around the block before you try again. Rinse and repeat as needed. 

The first days, it may take several trials until your dog gets the message, but in general dogs learn fairly quickly once they realize how their barking no longer works, whereas instead, quiet gets them faster what they want. 

-Same thing can be done in the cafe'. The moment he barks, take off your jacket and sit down again. Then once quiet, try putting the jacket again on. Rinse and repeat as necessary. He barks once your jacket is one and you are leaving the cafe'? Make an about turn and possibly even remove your jacket and sit down again. With time and several repetitions, you should be able to put on your jacket and leave with him being quiet. 

Now, it might not be very practical practicing this in a cafe' as the barking may annoy other customers, so if you can find another similar setting where you can practice first, this can help. Maybe, try at a friend's home mimicking what happens in the cafe'  or  you can practice maybe at the cafe' when there are not many customers, if the owner is a friend who won't mind. 

-Alternatively, there is another way to tackle the issue. You can help your dog not to bark by asking him to sit while you put on the jacket as you reward your dog for his cooperation by hand feeding several treats in a row and continue doing so as you both leave. With the dog's mouth busy eating, it's impossible to bark. 

Another option is, after your dog sits and as you put on your jacket on, let him play tug with a toy as you walk for several steps towards the door or letting him carry a toy or something else he may find valuable (like a small edible chew such as a bully stick you can carry in your pocket). Again, the principle is the same, keeping the mouth busy and draining some of that extra energy as you put on the jacket and walk towards the door. 

Timing is everything. Make sure to provide these things *before* your dog has a chance to starts barking so not to accidentally reward the barking. And avoid giving him food or toys around people if your dog is prone to resource guarding food or toys. 

You may need to practice in quiet settings (such as at home) first to get him used to sitting as you put on your jacket. You may need some dexterity, by feeding a treat from your hand as it goes through one sleeve and then feeding more as you put on the other sleeve. 

In cases like this, it also helps upping the dog's training and working some more on impulse control exercises as described here:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/impulse-control-frustration-tolerance/

You also may want to read about the Premack Principle and how it can help your dog learn how to better cope with frustration. 

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/premack-principle/

With time, your dog should learn to better control his impulses and his barking.

Happy training! Keep me posted on how things go!

Best,

Adrienne 

[Kenneth]

Thanks will try it 

[Adrienne Farricelli]

You're very welcome, keep us posted!