Persistant outside barking

[cgratti]

How can I stop my Jack Russells from barking at the neighbors and the neighbors dog when outside. Whenever they see them outside, they run to the fence and bark profusely. They wont stop until I come outside and yell at them.

Is there any way to keep them from barking at all without me having to lose my voice by telling them to stop 50 times an hour? I was looking into the training collars with the remote control, so when they bark I could correct them from the comfort of my recliner.

Any pros or cons to this type of training?

[Raised By Wolves]

Originally Posted by cgratti

Is there any way to keep them from barking at all without me having to lose my voice by telling them to stop 50 times an hour?

Sure there is.

Get them out for a brisk, structured one hour walk each day.

Keep them inside the house with you, unless you are outside to supervise.

Get to know your neighbors better so the dogs don't think of them as strangers. Maybe they'll even join you for a daily walk so all of the dogs get exercised.

Originally Posted by cgratti

I was looking into the training collars with the remote control, so when they bark I could correct them from the comfort of my recliner.

Any pros or cons to this type of training?

Not even gonna go there! Get out of your recliner, and interact with your dogs. This is what they need from you. They need exercise and leadership, not a zap for finding other outlets for their pent-up energy.

Good luck & have fun walking your dogs!

[mrsgrubby]

They sound like very high energy dogs and need an outlet for their energy. The post above was great in suggesting a long walk to tire them out. Also try to find things for them to do at home that will stimulate their minds as well, like having them work for food. and such.

[cgratti]

I walk them and they do get alot of excercise. My neighbors have come over and met the dogs, but they still bark. I spend an hour a night with them playing and romping, then when they get outside they bark. They only bark when the neighbors come out, it's more of a mean bark, not a playful one.

They only bark until the neighbors reach over to pet them then they are fine until they neighbors go to leave, then they bark again.

[Carrie]

Well, in addition to the terrific advice above....lots of exercise and some brain work (obedience training) you can do a search on this forum (in the search thingy on top) for teaching the command, "enough." You'll have to get up out of your recliner though. Dogs can be a lot of work to get them well trained and well mannered. Shock collars can really screw up a dog big time if used for stuff like that. Otherwise, you'll just have to stay with them and not let them run around outside on their own. Happy training!

[cgratti]

They know when they bark I will be out soon. They bark about 10 barks and then look at the door to see if I'm there. If I am standing there they stop, if I am not there they keep barking.

I used a bark collar before on another dog I had years ago and it worked well, after 2 days he would not bark at all. It got to the point that he would only bark without the collar, so I just used a "dummy" collar after about a month. I was looking for a more humane method, but can't seem to find one.

[Barrett]

Jack russels are such a high energy breed and need TONS of exercise. Do they play fetch? Do something with them that will tire them out through out the day. Treat balls are another thing that can work their minds while tiring out there body. There are many different ones out there. I suggest buying a few different ones and changing them every now and then so they don't get bored or figure out how to dump the treats. Also, run through their obedience commands many times every day and keep them on their toes. Make sure they are listening to you and watching you for direction at all the times. If they are used to learning new tricks, practicing old tricks, and minding you quickly, they will learn the command to stop barking much faster and it will stick.

I have dachshunds and the breed is known for barking. I taught them the command " enough and it works very well. It takes a long time to teach and fine tune this command. In fact it took about 3 months for my pup, Lucy, to finally agree to it. LOL, the little stinker! I used about 2 tons of treats and an endless supply of praise and I stuck with it every single day until she got it. Bark collars don't solve the problem, they just hide it. The dog learns when it isn't wearing the collar that it is free to bark. Teaching your dogs to stop barking is the only sure fire way. In the mean time, while you are training your dog, exercise them until they are too tired to bark.