Buzz has taking up barking!

Buzz has started to bark at something in my yard... I'm pretty sure it's the Blue Tongue Lizard, who has lived here as long as I have... My old dog, Tessa, would also bark at him, but only when he was in plain sight in the middle of the lawn... The lizard normally stays still and just hisses..

Buzz will stop barking as soon as I tell him 'quiet'.. When he's quiet I'll go out and ask him what the problem is... He'll go to the middle of the yard and point his nose in the direction of the 'problem' and give one bark... During these incidents Sebastian is normally sitting close to the house, but watching Buzz..

All this doesn't pose a problem, when I'm at home, as the dogs are inside with me most of the day, but it could while I'm at work... I'm back on day shifts now, and I hate to think that someone will be complaining.

I have no problem with dogs barking, as long as they're not mine..

Any ideas on how to solve this problem?

Thanks
Lene

Today one of my neighbours came to complain! Thank Goodness he was nice about it...

He said Buzz appears to be very nervous, and barks at everything that moves - trees, branches and themselves, when they're having a cuppa on their back deck. He said Buzz has very quick movements and his eyes constantly looking for something (danger?). He also said that he's frothing at the mouth, but that could be due to his overshut jaw and wry mouth?? He does tend to drool a lot, when there's food around, but only from the lefthand side of his mouth.

I'm going to speak to the vet, and I'll email the breeder as well as try to call the bloke who sold him to me..

Apart from that I don't know what to do?

Thanks

Lene

Hi Lene if it isn't a silly question (I don't know much about lizards, do they have 'territory' ) is it possible to move the Lizard and put it somewhere else, then Buzz may be more at ease. How old is Buzz?

An overshot jaw and wry mouth can prevent the mouth closing properly and cause drooling on one side, you can't really do much about that.
Dogs can salivate more and 'chomp the jaws' when they are fearful and stressed (they often do it if they are afraid of going in a car) perhaps this is the frothing your neighbour saw.

Do you have a camcorder you could leave running to record his behaviour when you are out. That way you can watch it back and have a better understanding of what might be setting him off. Also, if it is the lizard that is upsetting him this much I would be tempted to find it a new home. After all the lizard is an uninvited tenant. LOL

Hope you solve the problem soon.


Heidi

Thanks for your replies...

Buzz is 18 months old, and I've had him for about a month and a half. He's desexed.

Buzz is a very nervous dog, and it looks like he barking because he's afraid (of everything)... I thought it was just the lizard initially, but now I see it's also insects, trees and braches that move, birds etc. etc.

Thanks
Lene

Hi Lene where did Buzz come from, somewhere where he hasn't seen these sights and sounds before, maybe a town or perhaps he didn't go outside very much ? He doesn't sound very well habituated to your kind of surroundings.

Hi Lene I would try not to acknowledge there is a problem so Buzz does not focus on it. Also get rid of the lizard if you can, find it a new home somewhere else .

Is Buzz toy or food orientated, if so the only think I can suggest is to spend lots of time outside where the 'scary' trees and things are playing with him so he is distracted from them and at the same time comes to associate them with a positive and pleasant experience. Feed him out there too, does he have a Kong, again this would occupy him outside and distract him from the trees etc.

I agree with Mini on this one, we spent a week in the garden with Dingo. He was always barking at the neighbours, birds, passing pedestrians you name it. I had a week off work so spent my time out there with him. He was nosing around while I did the gardening. Now he only barks if someone is approaching the garden or the front door. Sometimes they just need to be taught what you require of them in the garden as well as the house.

I hope you have a happy little doglet soon.

Heidi