Dorkie pup started barking

[Debbie Smith-Wright]

Hello, Coconut is now 15 weeks old, found her voice and likes it! Especially happens on walks when people approaching and other dog walkers! Now I've tried different techniques to try and discourage it as it can be embarrassing especially when I get The Look that tells me my dog isn't behaving!
Any thoughts /advice on what I can do to deter this so it doesnt become a habit please

 

[JudyN]

Do you think she's nervous of the people, or is she just keen to go and say hello?

 

[JoanneF]

Kikopup on YouTube has a series of good videos on barking, that's probably a good place to start.



You could also try this. When she is barking have a yoghurt pot smeared inside with wet dog food, squeezy cheese, meat paste, yoghurt or anything else she likes. Let her lick it, when she is licking she can't bark. While she is doing that, capture the quiet behaviour with a sound that will later be your cue, like ”shhhh” or ”good quiet”.

After enough repetitions that you think she will understand, use your cue word to ask for quiet and then give the yoghurt pot as a reward.

Slowly build the time between cue and reward, so that you are getting longer periods of quiet.

Then, when you are happy with progress, fade the reward by mixing the yogurt pot with treats sometimes, or a toy. Mixing the reward adds value with the ”what will it be ” factor, it's apparently the same reason people play slot machines.

 

[Ari_RR]

From a different angle- ignore The Look!