# Incessant barking



## jjstephens (Mar 8, 2013)

Hi All. I need some advice.

I have a pair of year old Anatolian/GP crosses. One of them has developed the habit of barking non-stop. 

We are surrounded by 600 acres of farm fields but my daughter & her fam live next door (about 200' away). Every time someone goes outside at their house, my dog starts barking and barks non-stop for anywhere from 15 minutes to a couple hours. I'm not fond of bark collars but in desperation I tried one on her. It worked for a couple hours but then she just wore out the battery plus a replacement. The only thing that shuts her up is locking her up in her shelter. That's fine for brief times (like if we have company) but it's obviously not a long term solution.

Any ideas how to correct this maddening behavior?


----------



## bluemoonluck (Oct 28, 2008)

That's just the sound of your LGD doing it's job :shrug:. They bark to let predators know that they are there and that keeps the predators away. This is one of the main ways GP's keep your stock safe.


----------



## jjstephens (Mar 8, 2013)

Yeah, I know they bark to warn off predators. I want that--that's why I got her. But this is waaay over the top. If my daughter goes outside for 30 seconds to grab a couple sticks of firewood the dog will sometimes virtually non-stop bark for two hours. I've tried to train her with 'enough!'. That works great as long as I'm there, but ten seconds after I go back inside she's barking her head off again. 

She did this a couple months ago--it lasted for a month or so. Then she pretty much stopped. She's just started doing it again in the last ten days or so.


----------



## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

GPs seem to bark 24/7. It's the breed. I have had several, and they all bark almost constantly at night. In the day, they sleep a bit more, but at night they bark. It is just the breed.
I have found that bringing them inside the house will quiet them, and make them sleep. But that kind of defeats the purpose of an LGD. If you have more than one, then just bring a couple into the house at night so there isn't so much barking from so many dogs. 
I do know one family that locks their dogs in the barn at night with the sheep. That helps with barking too.


----------



## jjstephens (Mar 8, 2013)

I thought my problem might have been solved last night--but not the way I wanted. I went out to close everything up for the night and both dogs were gone (granddaughter left the back gate open when she came to get eggs). I hunted for them for an hour in the dark. No luck. Just as I was on my way back into the house they both came bounding up, thrilled with their grand adventure. They were so wound up it took another 10 minutes to get them into their shelter for the night.

For the time being, I'm cooping them up at night as the birds are in a secure hen house that also gets closed up at night.

When the weather turns I plan to fence a larger area for my chickens and eventually, goats. I'm hoping that by then I can trust the girls with the birds. They're still at the age (1 yr) where they sometimes get too excited and kill/maim the birds. In another thread on this site, some more experienced folks assured me that they'll grow out of it in a few months. Anyway, when I enlarge the fence I'm going to move the dog's hut into the same enclosure. That will get the dogs a little farther from the house. 

Truth be told, the barking doesn't bother me that much. But it does bother my wife. Big time! What I'm reacting to is her constant nagging (probably not the right word, but another doesn't come immediately to mind) to shut the dogs up!! I wanna keep mama happy!


----------



## Dead Rabbit (Oct 30, 2010)

my GP was doing the same. all night long. we had her de-barked. now the bark is as loud as a loud cough. more than enough volume to alert everything she is around, but not enough to keep us and the neighbors awake.


----------



## mawalla (Oct 28, 2002)

I guess I'm lucky, my GPs don't bark constantly. Only when there is something out there. The lab barks more than they do, the senile old fart!


----------



## FamilyOfFarmers (Mar 25, 2013)

My guard dogs have taken to barking at the livestock when they get to close to the fence.... I really wish they would realize the animals can go all the way up to the fence but not out of, as well as don't let anything in....


----------



## peteyfoozer (Nov 23, 2012)

Your dogs are still really young and learning their jobs. I'd try helping them understand that its ok for your daughter to be out and about in her yard. We were able to get our Maremmas to ignore deer and such, while still alerting to the ranch dogs or anything else. They are order nerds and they do notice if anything is different. I'd try going out when they are barking at her (while your daughter is still out) and reassuring the dogs that it is ok. LGD's are unusually intelligent and usually can learn what is and what is not acceptable. They still need to mature and learn.


----------



## Little_Bit_Red (Nov 19, 2010)

Dead Rabbit said:


> my GP was doing the same. all night long. we had her *de-barked*. now the bark is as loud as a loud cough. more than enough volume to alert everything she is around, but not enough to keep us and the neighbors awake.


:shocked::Bawling::hair


----------



## HappyFarmer (Jun 17, 2006)

I say good for you Dead Rabbit for finding a solution....good for you, good for your livestock, good for your neighbors, and good for your dogs who are able to perform their job!! Not every situation is the same, I'm glad you found a solution that works for you.

To the OP: your dogs should settle down with their barking once they mature a little more and can distinquish between what and who is considered a non-threat, and what and who is a threat. At a year mine bark at just about everything, by 3 years they cease barking at neighbors unless they come closer than 20 feet, by 4-5 years only real threats to their livestock. 

My definition of a threat and theirs aren't always the same, but I can see the potential of their definitions so hey, I just let them do their job and the do that by barking first, physically defending 2nd. 

HF 


Quote:
Originally Posted by *Dead Rabbit*  
_my GP was doing the same. all night long. we had her *de-barked*. now the bark is as loud as a loud cough. more than enough volume to alert everything she is around, but not enough to keep us and the neighbors awake._


----------



## jjstephens (Mar 8, 2013)

One curious thing I've noticed is that every couple days the two dogs switch off being dominant (i.e., one will be for a couple days then the other will assert herself and take over for a couple days then they switch back again). It is (mostly) only whichever one is dominant that barks non-stop. The other mostly just observes.

They got out again Sunday afternoon--figured out how to jimmy the gate latch. Fortunately, the field behind the house is bare at the moment. I spotted them nearly 1/2 mile away. Fortunately, they came when I called them. One of them cleared the 4' fence without even trying. The other came to the gate. I caught the jumper trying to clear the fence again yesterday. Now I have another problem! 

To keep her in rein I have temporarily put her on a 15' tie out chain with a small brick (about 2 or 3 lbs) on the other end. That keeps her grounded but I don't think that's a viable long term solution. Any ideas?


----------



## peteyfoozer (Nov 23, 2012)

They are still young. Mine tend to switch roles occasionally still. As far as the fence, I would run a hot wire top and bottom. To get them 'informed' about it, hang a couple pieces of bacon on it so they can get a good zap and learn to respect it. Be careful chaining them, as the dog could feasibly hang itself. It takes a little time for them to determine what is ok and what is not. I have one that does tend to be more barky, but it always turns out there is a reason. Good luck with them. Once they mature you will wonder how you ever did without them!


----------

