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Barking mad in car

OldSofty

OldSofty

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Can anyone come up with any suggestions as to how I can stop my dog constantly barking in the car. When I first started taking her out in the car, she would go absolutely berserk. Barking, scratching and biting bits of the car. Buying a cage and blinds for the car cured all but the barking. Her previous owner claims it is due to anxiety but I am not convinced of that. Pepper loves getting into the car and will sit there quietly for as long as I like. That is until I start the engine, then she will start barking non stop until I turn off the engine and get out of the car. In my rear view mirror I can see that all the time she is barking, she is wagging her tail. When we get to wherever we are going she does not want to get out of the car, and when I do get her out all she wants to do is get back in. The things she to bark at the most are other cars.
Although I can cope with her barking on very short trips, my concern is that on longer trips it may be too distracting and cause an accident.
Pepper is a cross between a collie and boarder collie I am told and four years old. I have only had her for four months but already overcome many of her problems such as being scared of noises, cats, dogs birds and so on. She will still cower down and roll over when meeting other dogs but she does want to meet them and once has met them all she wants to do is play.
She has a few other problems but I can only cope with one at a time and tackling them in order of how serious they are.

Pepper.jpg
 
I have a suggestion. Put the crate in the car with Pepper in it on the back seat next to the window so she can see out. Cover the crate with a blanket big enough to cover the crate completely so that she can't see out of it.

Start the car engine. The moment she barks. Stop the engine. When she's quiet, start the engine. Stop
 
If she starts barking. Repeat until you can have the engine running without her barking. Praise and reward her good behavior. This is all under the assumption that she wants to go for a ride. She's a collie and I expect will catch on quick.

When she behaves when the engine is on, have someone in the back with her and take a drive. Hopefully she won't bark. If so, reward her by peeling back part of the blanket so she can see out. If she barks, cover the crate completely again. When she behaves, peel back part of the blanket. Cover immediately if she barks. Repeat until she realizes that no barking equals being allowed to see what's going on.

Again, reward and praise good behavior and be consistent. I hope this helps.
 
Oh believe me, she wants to go for a ride all right. She can't wait to get in the car, and once in her cage she does not want to get back out, and will just sit there waiting for me to start the engine.
Anyway, I'll give your suggestions a try and then get back to you. Thanks.
 
I was wondering whether it's excitement rather than anxiety. I used to walk a friend's dogs and she had a terrier who got so excited that he would shred anything that he could get his mouth to, either in the car or leads, harnesses etc. One of the partial solutions for him was to provide him with a piece of chewy rawhide to be a 'sacrificial lamb' while he was in the car. This just gave him something to focus his completely uncontrollable excitement on, and reduced both the barking and the damage he did to other things.

Have you thought of teaching Pepper to bark on command? For many people the start of getting control of barking is to teach a dog to bark on command, because as you teach them to bark you also teach them a 'stop' command that they understand. When you have that in place you can use the 'stop' separate to the 'speak'.

As for behaviourally addressing things, I'd also work on her excitement levels. She has to come and sit calmly by you to have her lead attached for going out, then she has to be sat calmly before the door is open, then she has to be sat calmly by the car before the door is opened, then she has to wait before being allowed to get in etc. You'll have a few weeks during which going out is a very long and drawn out process, but with her breeding Pepper is probably a horribly clever dog so once she knows that you are prepared to stand calmly and wait for her to get herself together, things should be a little easier.

During the time that you're waiting for her to get herself together to follow your command, don't pay her any attention at all BTW, don't tell her off and don't keep reissuing the command. There's nothing wrong with her hearing and she heard you the first time, so she needs to know that the next step won't follow until she obeys the first command. You'll know that you're getting there when she plants her bum down and starts yawning to get her excitement under control, and at that point you can have a little 'YES!!!' moment inside your head (don't look too happy or smile at her at this point though- she's still working hard to calm herself down).

As soon as she's properly complying you can give her some calm praise and move on to the next step. I'd suggest bringing in one new step every couple of weeks to allow her to get used to the routine of what happens each time you change things. The last one is, of course, that if she starts barking when you turn on the ignition then the engine goes straight off again until she's calm. Once you're through that one you can start on any time she barks when you're driving you pull in, stop and turn off the engine.

With a bit of luck, if she's getting the message about being calm then she won't have worked herself up to an uncontrollable barking machine when you're going out. Let's face it, going out is fun and really should be the highlight of a dog's day, so you're never going to have a really calm dog, but you can have a dog that keeps herself together and follows the rules in order to get outside for her run around.

Good luck :)
 
Yes, your right. it is excitement, over excitement to be precise.

It was Pepper's previous owner who was convinced that Pepper was suffering from anxiety. But in all fairness, if I listed all the problems Pepper came to me with. It would be easy for anyone to think she was suffering from anxiety. Especially with her being so afraid of just about everything outdoors, most of which I got her over within the first month.

Fortunately, being an old age pensioner, I have had a calming influence on Pepper and she has quietened down quite a lot in the four months that I have had her. When she first arrived all she wanted to do was play all day long. Her favourite toy being a rubber ring. She would wake me up in the morning by climbing on top of me, and when I opened my eyes, there she was right in front of my face with the rubber ring in her mouth. As I walked around the house, I could feel the rubber ring tapping against the back of my legs as she followed me around. The only time she settled down was when I laid down to go to sleep.

A ball thrower is the best thing I have brought for her, because now I can get her to run all over the field in front of my place to burn off some of that energy.

Yes, I have already started training her to sit calmly before opening the door, to the house that is, and to wait there until I step outside. That was one of the most urgent of problems to overcome. Before she would slip through the smallest crack in the door, and who knows what problems were waiting on the other side of the door. Actually, without prompting, she has taken this to another level. When she knows I am going to take her out, she waits on the other side of the room.

No, I have not thought of teaching Pepper to bark on command. Not even sure how to make a dog bark on command. But to tell you the truth, her barking could in fact result in my having to return her to her previous owner. I live in an old peoples bungalow, and none of my neighbours own pets. Any complaints from any of them about her barking could result in the Housing Association threatening to evict me.

You are also right about her being horribly clever, although I would not call it horrible. Within weeks she learnt the easiest way to get my attention, especially if I am using the computer, is to stand next to me with her head resting on my knee. If that does not get my attention, her dribbling soon will.

Don't talk to me about planting her bum and yawning though. Her favourite thing is planting her bum, usually on my chest as I lay down so I will scratch her back, and yawn while I do so. In fact she yawns every time I touch her, though I'm sure not from boredom. She also likes to stand on my lap with her bum facing me when I am using the computer and wag her tail in my face.

Anyway, you have given me a lot to think about, and I will certainly be taking your advice, even though as my user name suggests, I am an old softy who likes to spoil her. Thank you.
 
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A training collar may be helpful, if your dog keep on barking.
 
No! Not a training collar! There is a picture circulating on facebook of the damage they inflict and it is not pretty.

You need to find the reason for the barking. if it is the movement of the car that she is seeking and if she thinks that barking makes the car move then you need to address that problem. Collies find movement very exciting!

How much exercise does she get? I think that collie people have changed from saying that collies need lots stimulation to saying that collies need to be taught to "settle" more. Yes they need exercise but this needs to be tiring exercise rather than stimulating exercise. When they are not exercising they need to learn to switch off. if you could teach a "settle" command and, once reliable, move it into the car, that might help.

I would start and a calm time of day and teach her to lie quietly for a reward. It would have to come thick and fast at first but then be spaced out until she could settle for ten or fifteen minutes at a time. practice all over the house and garden and even on walks until she can do it anywhere. Once reliable you could move it to the car. Take it in little bite sized chunks where she settles for a few seconds with the engine running for a reward and then for a few more seconds. Move on gradually until the engine can run without any barking. Then put the car in gear and move a foot or two before stopping and rewarding the settled behaviour. Timing will be very important. Stop immediately the barking starts. She must understand that barking causes the car to stop. Settling makes it go.

This is all, of course, it is the movement that is causing her excitement.
 
Even before learning online about some of the bad effects training collars have had on some dogs, I had already decided I never to use one.

I am having a little success with Pepper using the advice received on this forum, but because I do not have enough time on my hands, I have decided to take her to a professional trainer. She goes for an initial assessment this Friday.
 
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That sounds like a positive way forwards OldSofty :) I hope you and Pepper both learn lots as a result of the assessment which will help you move towards her behaviour being better managed so you can take her out without the stress :)
 
Pepper has now been assessed for training and will have her first lesson this Tuesday.
 
The trainer arrived and took Pepper out for a 2 hour walk to start her training. The information she passed on to me when she returned was very limited. Mainly about what to buy to help with Peppers training. Things such as a long training lead, a whistle and some sort of dried fish for tip bits, whiting I believe she said.

She also told me to use the same commands as her so as not to confuse Pepper. For instance, instead of saying stay, I'm to say wait and so on. Oh, and not to call Pepper back to me by calling her name, but to use the whistle and beckon her with my hand.

Unfortunately, not being there while she was training Pepper, I do not have any idea what other commands were used. She did say that pepper would be easy to train and that it would not take long.

As far as I can see at the moment though, we are just talking at basic training, not anything to do with the problem of her barking in the car.

Maybe one will lead to another, who knows.

Its early days yet, but as she is not coming back again until next week, I seem to have no choice but to continue training Pepper in my own way.
 
Find another trainer. was there a reason why the trainer took her out without you?. Seems a little odd and know I wouldn't hand over my dog to a stranger. There are lots of fab trainers out there that will help you with the car problem. Keep trying, don't give up yet x
 
No reason was given why the trainer took her out without me, but I think I can understand why. There is a good reason I called myself OldSofty, its because I am old. Pepper is likely to outlive me. The dog trainer is doing 2 hour sessions to keep the travelling cost down, and no doubt thinks I could keep up with her.

As for selecting another trainer, I am not the one who hired her or paying for the lessons. Pepper's previous owner is doing that, and paying for any additional expenses too, such as food and vet bills. She only wants me to have her because Pepper does not like to be left alone while they are at work, and being old and retired, she knows I can be with Pepper all day and night.

Unfortunately, before taking on Pepper, my plans were to spend my remaining years seeing all the places and doing all the things I never got the chance to when I was younger and raising a family. That means travelling in the car a lot and being off the lead while I take photos of the places I go to see. Both of which requires Pepper to be better behaved than she is now.
 
Hi, has anything improved with Pepper? I also have a collie cross with exactly the same problem. Loves the car and very calm until I start the engine! I haven't found a solution yet and it's really impacting on where I can take him for walks etc

I'd love to know if you have made any progress
 
just a thought, have you tried sitting him in the rear seat with the window slightly open, just enough so that his whole nose can stick out.

1 he is closer to you to handle 2 he is close enough for you to ask him to stop, then tiny bit of his fishy treat as a reward for stopping.

My dog sits with his nose out most of the time,,, think he likes the many smells.

The fishy treat is perfect, a treat should be something he does not normally get as a food, hence he associates this special tidbit as something good.

He has to learn the NO command,,, in otherwards when you sternley say NO he gets no treat, (you say NO, do not treat him, then you either turn your back on him or walk away from him)

He will soon get to know that he gets nothing for a NO or NO BAD DOG command, he will soon suss out that you always give him a treat for positive results.but you dont like him and walk away when you say NO BAD DOG.

You'll be ok, given time, when you both learn everything about each other, life will be a lot sweeter, he has to learn all about you, and vice versa.

Shewy
 
It is a behaviourist you need not a dog trainer. The car issue is a behavioural one. It needs diagnosing as to whether it is caused by excitement or by anxiety.

Pepper needs to learn to settle in the car not how to walk well on the lead or sit etc. Look for a behaviourist from either COAPE or APBC.
 
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