Barking at night!

[D.Schäferhund]

Hi guys...

Ok we hve moved we have settled in... and my dogs bark!!!

Well thing is i was always proud that I could manage my kenneldogs regardless of temperament to be somewaht quiet in the kennel, menaing relaxed... And I really do not mind barking that much ... but there is something going on all night nonstop! I don't mind an occational arrousel or alertfrenzy, but that wuufff wuff wuff wuff wuuff all night long is even killing me. I always was proud that I could mange to keep them like the indoordogs... alerting when something was going on other than that quiet..

Well I know that two are kennel fighters and i moved them arround untill i fund the most calm kennelneighbors.
Worked to a degree...

So i tried blocking the sight, with tarps- cause i thoyught we have so many critters, but that didn't work.
I finally found out, too. that there is a dog about a half mile away, i guess, that does that continuos barking all night long, and a lot of times I think mine, and always just one at the time is answereing him.
and last night was quit extrem, though i didn't hear the neigbor dog, NNE wind, but that doesn't say my dogs haven't heard him, and it went on an on, i think it was my Brisa, with the metal roof on it, they sound a little different, and when Brisa stoped, Jade the Rescue, started bouncing, wich messed again with Brisa and often with the others so they all barked...
In between i know Brixi joined in with "kennelfighting", she currently is next to a puppy, she herself is a youngster still to and they like playing though the fence, not very loud, but still.
On top of the tarp cliped to the outside to block some view...i even turned on a radio in the indoor side of the kennel, but it seemed to have no effect.

Well we sit in the middle of a wheat field, free view all arround , plus cojotes that bark, where my dogs occationally join in...

all the other occational uprisings i don't mind, but the constant barking is annoying...

Any ideas guys How to help change that?
Even vry tired dogs do still bark at night, they often especially now when it is hot rest during day and bark at night.
even after a long day when I worked the dogs all day long it does not seem to be different a whole lot!

and i can't crtae them over night, and i really do not want to either,
I don't have closable dogydoors going to the outside run, so there is just a whole in the wall.

I even changed from feeding in the morning to feeding in the evening...

So guys any ideas?

mine are out!!! ;o)

[GSD]

It takes more work, but I would get the doors that close between inside and outside, and shut them in at night. With all that going on at night, it probably won't quit, but rather get worse, if they are left outside at night.

You could try bark collars, but by the time you spend all th money on those for everyone and the time it takes to put them on and off every night, you should just spend that time and money on putting in the doors between inside and outside.

Personally I'm not willing to sit up all night trying to train them not to bark, so I vote for doors or crates, both you said you don't want to do, but you know the saying. "sometimes you have to do what you don't want to" Boy did I hear that a lot as a kid. Good luck

[dogs4life]

Earplugs? Just kidding

A previous housemate used sound aversion with kennel dogs. Once the problem dog started barking
she would reach out the window and bang the metal siding of the house, it was very loud. I'm sure the neighbors hated it but it worked and we all got better sleep.

[D.Schäferhund]

@ GSD: Well something like the doggydoors dawned on me... is probably very convenient in the winter, too. The biggest issue i have with having to close it is, the heat in the summer, the air get's hot in there and i value the breese going through, in the winter of course it can be just the opsite and keeps the northwind out... For winter this is definatly in planing, since all my turds convinced me in union that rubber matts are a bad idea!!! ;o) But the heat is something that i guess is the main factor why i do not want them locked in inside,the windows there re build in and can't be opened...
I even put kiddipools in the outside runs...( and since the space is limited for the,m i hate limiting it even more... but yeah it could bring some peace, too...
And barkcollars... no i don't want to use them period! and yup it would be plenny work, especially since i would need several remotes and know exactly wich dog is barking....

Though for the summer, i think , I hope I haven't used the full possible potential of what could be tried... Granted you are probably right and I waste a lot of energie on something that might not work and i get to do what i tried to avaoid... ...but heck, you know ...we stubborn Germans =o)

@ dogs4life: had honestly thought about it, and was thinking about sitting it out, hoping it is a phase they go through with all them changes... first move than remodled kennels...

On the other side it might just backfire on me and they make a habit out of it...

[GSD]

stubborn Germans is right . I would either get exhaust fans put in on each end, or at least a couple doors that open top half and bottom, that way you can get some air blowing thru there. Sure some birds might get in, but what's the bigger problem. Fans cost more, but birds can't through. That's about all I got, Good luck

[dogs4life]

You're a smart lady Katja and I'm sure you'll find something soon.

Will sound aversion work? Maybe something simple like an airhorn, whistle or car horn incase it backfires or is not effective.

I was just kidding with the earplugs

[Ritz459]

A possible reason they could be barking is because you said you just moved. They may be just "alert" barking, but because everything is new, they are alerting to everything. Rose will bark at night whenever we have a full moon because she can see so much better. I use the sound aversion technique. The barking goes on for too long, I bang on the window. She shuts up, I go to sleep.

If you didn't want to buy bark collars, would one of those noise things work? Like, the dog barks and it sends out a noise that only dogs can hear.

[D.Schäferhund]

Ohhh them half doors are a good idea!!!

Sound aversion... hmmm,whisteling didn't work,doubt that it would have a lasting effect... they are not very sound sensitive! I guess it would work, when I would all sudden pop up behind the barker...
but they hear me coming tried that last night!
last nite Brisa was on her barking frenzi again, wind came from the right direction and i could definatly tell it was her, could hear the other dog in the distance, too. so this is the cause! atleast for the permanent barking.
So i tried to sneak out to pop up and surprise them... yeah right, they were waiting for me....

So I guess my biggest problem is that neighbor dog... and i can't control that one... grrrrr