Hyper barking adolesent! - Advice needed!

I put a similar post on alittle while back but didnt get any replies, after last night being a nightmare I had to try again!

Loki will be a year old on xmas day and is definately going through his teenage rebelion! Out and about he is generally very good, coming when I call, not jumping up on people etc but at home he barks ALOT and if someone comes round to the house (which isnt very often unfortunately which I think is half the problem!) he gets very hyper and excited barking and trying to jump up at them.

Last night Loki was awful he was so hyped up and didnt stop barking hardly from when we got in from playing ball at about 6-6.30pm until 9.30-10pmpm when he finally fell asleep, my OH wasnt well and Loki kept trying to jump on him and bark at him so I took him upstairs but being up there when hes hyped up makes him worse, I wasnt feeling great and really struggled to keep my calm with him last night, I tried making him lie down and be quiet and then giving him a treat which usually works but he wasnt interested in the treats last night and wouldnt stop barking for anything, when he gets this hyped up a short time out then a game to wear off his excess energy usually helps (the time out to stop him barking so he doesnt associate the game and attention with barking but he wouldnt even stop barking in his time out last night!
Im sure being couped up all day doesnt help but Im really worried the neighbours might start complaining about his barking soon, I really need to be able to tell him to stop and have him stop, I have tried teaching him the behaviour I want i.e. for him to lie down quietly but if he does do this he will only do it if hes having a treat every few minutes as soon as I try to extend the time he gets up and starts barking and jumping up! Ive tried a quick squirt of water as a diversion but he barks more cause he wants you to do it again, Ive tried ignoring him until he lies down quietly then praising him and giving him a treat, but he has learnt he gets a reaction from my OH when he barks and jumps up at him, when its just me he seems generally alot calmer but when OH is there he jumps up at him, he rarely does it to me if OH ignores him but I tell him 'off' in a calm voice and he generally does but then he goes back to OH barking at him and he shouts at him then Loki gets worse and I have to intervene.

I could really do with some advice on this now before our neighbours start complaining if anyone one can help it would be greatly appreciated!

Hi Hannah, I am sure others will be able to give you more meaningful advice regarding training, but it sounds to me as if Toller possibly still has too much energy to lie quietly in the evening.

OH does the afternoon/evening walks with our dogs during the working week & I can always tell if he has 'skimped' on the amount of exercise he has given them because although (luckily for us) neither are particularly vocal & they are pretty obedient, they just really struggle to lie still.

I know that you do need to be able to control him - I'm afraid I don't really feel qualified to give tips on actual training, but if he is hyper out of boredom/unused energy, IMO training him to keep quiet/lie still is going to be Very hard work.

I believe that diet can also make a huge difference to 'hyper-ness' (if there is such a word) and if he is getting enough exercise, perhaps changing his diet will help. Neither of these suggestions are about actually training him to shut up on your command, but I think both could possibly make it far easier for you to teach him.

I think the only way you can tackle this Hannah is to really knacked Loki out, can you not find another country walk that is perhaps more lit up??

Sorry Hannah - I put Tolller instead of Loki!!

I agree with you both but dont know the answer! I have started walking him at dinner time now he will walk nicely on the lead hoping that will help, but theres no where I can take him after work for an offlead walk in the dark eveings which is what he really needs! OH doesnt like me walking him in the dark on my own but wont come with me either, I need somewhere lit up enough for him to be able to play fetch where he has to really run for the ball, we tried on the beach but just lost his ball everytime we went and without playing ball he doesnt use up enough energy!
I play with him in the garden after his onlead walk but its too small so he never has to run too far for the ball and its totally churning up our garden too!


No probs!

[QUOTE=Hannah;861244]we tried on the beach but just lost his ball everytime we went
QUOTE]

Hannah, will he retrieve sticks as well as balls? If so, whenever you go to wooded areas (assuming that there isn't always a ready supply on the beach :lol) start colecting thick sticks/branchs (from the ground of course, not direct from the trees!). You can then take these with you to the beach.

This way you really don't have to worry too much if he can't find it...at least it is not costing you anything and you could always take two or three with you.

During the winter 80% of my walking is in the dark & both my dogs like to play. I do loose the odd toy here and there but find that if I take white ones they are far easier to spot in the moonlight. Both mine are just as happy with a stick (and Hoki loves plastic bottles though I know I'm not really supposed to let her play with them).

Re walking by yourself in the dark, I can understand that could be a problem - I do it but living in the middle of nowhere, I think risks are far less.
Perhaps if you joined a local training class you would meet others who you could walk with in the evenings?

I think it would be worth going to the beach armed with several cheap balls and a torch!

It also sounds like he is barking for attention.
Does he bark in his pen during the day?
If he does, what reaction does he get?
Does he bark at people coming in and out at work???
I'm wondering if in his pen he is being inadvertently rewarded for barking, which of course will have a knock on effect when he's at home.
When he's barking, it sounds like he's getting a response not surprisingly as you are worried about your neighbours.

I don't think it's just that he needs wearing out as his barking has always been a bit of an 'issue'. Have you spoken to your trainers at class about this?

Hi again!
Just thought...you are going away soon aren't you? It could be that Loki's barking gets worse when he's in kennels, may not be worth putting a training program in place til you are home???
Ax

Hali I dont like him playing with sticks but do take a few cheap balls when I can the problem is more he cant find them and play fetch properly then me minding losing the balls, he didnt seem to be getting properly tired out cause he wasnt playing a proper game of fetch, but I may start going back down there again, I just worry alot when he goes in the high waves at night, I dont mind in the light when I can see him but the sea water breaks his flashing collar and I dont like to not be able to see where in the sea he is, and in the evening the tides always right in so theres not alot of beach to play on!

I do go armed with a torch and a few balls when I go, as I said above its not just losing the balls its him not being able to play a proper game with the dark and the tide.

He barks for a few minutes after I leave him in his pen, I always leave him with a treat ball/cube/kong and I walk out without looking back and shut outside door after me when I leave, I dont know if customers give him a fuss for barking in his pen or not, but to be honest if hes barking I can generally hear him from my office but I dont hear him alot!

I try not to give him a response for barking, if its just me and him I ignore him but OH will only do this for a very short time before he looses his temper and shouts at him, so hes learnt his barking gets a reaction from OH!
I have talked to my trainer about it and she says its dificult to suggest what to do when its contradicted by OH, we've worked on teaching him alternative behaviour i.e. what I want him to do instead of barking and he will lie down quietly when told but I havent been able to get past the treating him every minute or so stage without him getting up and barking again, ive tried alternating a treat with verbal praise to extend the gap and eventually only give him verbal praise and the occasional treat but hes not having any of it.
His barking has been an issue since I moved into a room in a rented house earlier in the year when he was about 4/5 months old, the nosies from other people in the house triggered the barking, and he does still bark at noises but will generally stop when I say ok, enough but this barking is for attention now!

Yes he is in kennels at xmas and I was worried it would make his barking worse and was unsure if I was best to really work on getting him to learn to lie down quietly when told now so its in place before he goes to the kennels or whether to wait til after, Im hoping (money permitting) to have my trainer out for a 1 to 1 at home after xmas in the hope my OH will listen and we will all be working for the same team!

Don't blame you for not liking him in the sea - hadn't realised that he wouldn't stick to the beach (but should have guess from his breed).

sorry that I haven't come up with anything useful but at least your plan to get 1 to 1 after Christmas seems sensible and hopefully will sort things out.