Complaint about puppy

I am feeling very stupid that all my posts are about the same problem but now my neighbours have complained twice about my Puppy making so much noise
They dont seem to like dogs much and the first time they seemed to be expressing their concerns but the second time they were quite cross
After one night last week where he didnt settle(another post) he seemed to be fine but apparently it really disturbed the neighbours....hence the first complaint.
Then this weekend we had some DIY to do in one of the bedrooms so we took the dogs out for a really good run and brought them back and left them in the kitchen with kongs and toys. They have been left in there for short periods at a time loads before with mixed results.....and I have been making sure I go in and praise when he is quiet but on sunday Sherlock just wouldnt give it up.....the plan was that I would help my other half with the things he needed an extra pair of hands with and I would spend some time in the kitchen working on my laptop so that the time was broken up and he would get used to us coming in and out. I have done this loads and thought it was working as there seemed to be less and less bother about shut doors but as soon as I walked out of the room he would start barking. The noise its self seems to have changed to more consistant barking too so not sounding upset like before but now its louder and goes on for ages

my neighbours who had family round for the day were really upset and to be honest I was at a loss as to what to say to them except that I was going to try and get more advice on how to handle this and apologise over and over. The last thing I want is any formal complaint or to fall out with the neighbours about it.
Does anyone have any more advice? Im so confused and upset about it.
I dont want to be so bothered about this esp if its just puppyness but now that they have complained again I really need to find a better way of dealing with things and something that will make sense to Sherlock.
He does seem very relaxed in the areas that I leave him and will happily play/sleep etc in these areas when im not there some of the time which makes it even harder to understand why he sometimes he barks so much
Sorry again for the boring post but would really like some more ideas thanks for reading

http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/...antbarking.pdf

this may be of some help, it goes into different barks, and their meanings, etc

Also if you go to the DEFRA site, search under D and you can find info on "does my dog bark too much"?

You may find a reputable behaviourist is a good idea, or a good trainer with behavioural knowledge.
Organisations to try are www.apdt.co.uk and www.apbc.org.uk for a good one local to you. Beware of those just advertising in say the yellow pages as they may not have up to date knowledge

Wys
x

Maybe a baby gate could help instead of a shut door. When Boris was a pup we used to put a gate across the kitchen and he was fine with this as he could still see and hear us. A shut door probably makes your pup feel quite separated from you and what's going on in the house.

I've said this before, but Sherlock sounds so much Bo my Slovak Pointer, right down to the neighbours complaining about the noise she makes! ok, not a laughing matter I know, but just so you know that you are not alone.

Remind me of how old Sherlock is again?

With regard to the neighbours, put a letter through their door. You will be able to explain the situation so much better on paper than you will be face to face. Apologize for the noise, remind them that Sherlock is still only a puppy and tell them what you are doing in order to solve the problem. Also say that there could be short periods of barking while you are working on the problem but you would appreciate their understanding on what you are hoping will be a short-term issue.

German Pointer types really are people dogs and that is why they 'suffer' when separated. Sherlock obviously decided that he could hear you upstairs and didn't know why he was excluded from the fun.

I would keep doing what you are doing now...enforcing regular periods of separation. One trick I find to be quite effective is to wait until they fall asleep and then walk out. If you walk out when he is fully awake and active, he is far more likely to vocalize in protest just because he can.

Thanks Wys those links were really helpful. The bark info was really interesting. we are starting a training class in 4wks with a apdt trainer so I will be speaking to them about it

I have considered a baby gate but the lay out of the house really doesnt work for this. He would only be able to see the hall way and front door so I dont think this would help.....I also take him to work and have a baby gate there for him and while it helped initially he still barks at it thanks for the advice tho

Hi Labradork, Sherlock is 16wks now and I know he is still a baby but I do feel like what im doing isnt helping. I have to say I did quite a bit of research on pointers and not once did I read that they were noisy....should have spoken to you first really shouldnt I?!? What have you found worked best for Bo?
I love Sherlocks character and he is so lovely but I do need to be able to go places (at least other rooms!) without him. I am worried that I am inadvertantly teaching him that its ok to bark because I cant let him go on for ages. I have resorted to going in and ignoring him but he doesnt go and settle else where he just sits next to me (even if i keep busy just follows me around)

I have spoken to the neighbours again and tho they werent exactly friendly I feel I have smoothed things over for now.....not sure how they will react if he causes problems again tho

Thanks for the replies

We use a gate too, which worked for us.

Its stressfull, espech when the neighbours are complaining

Sounds like he needs to get used to being on his own and to learn the rules that he dosent get out till he is quiet

I would put him in the other room and just stand by the door, the sec he stops barking - even just to get some air, open the door and calmly reward
repeate a couple of times then carry on your day as normal

after a few goes he should start to get the hang of quiet means I get to go out
then slightly extent the periods of quiet you expect before you let him out

another trick is to chuck a handful of treats on the room, leave the room and close the door for a sec, open door while he is still eating and wonder about like nothing happend

dont let him follow you into every room all the time, sometimes just leave a room, shut door and go back in agqain, no big deal

I would also teach him some stays on a mat, build up slowly to having him stay as you go out of sight then reward lots lots lots
you being out of sight is a GREAT thing

Thanks for the reply....I have been trying to only go in when he is quiet but if I am anywhere near the door it makes him worse and there isnt a break in it long enough to open the door and if I go away and he does go quiet as soon as he hears me get close he starts again. I feel like Im not getting the behaviour I want to be able to reward it consistantly enough to get results.
He does sometimes settle and go to sleep fine and then he is rewarded loads but the reward then unsettles him and we go through the whole thing again and its usually harder to settle him again afterwards. I hope I am making sense....I am sure its my timing that has been off on rewards or going in at the wrong time and I am making it worse not better but unsure how to fix this.

I feel like I need to get a proper idea of how Im going to handle it EVERY time and stick with it but unsure of exactly the right thing to put in place as there doesnt seem to be something that works at all to build on.

I have been teaching him stay and he is picking this up where I can go out of sight for a second or two so will continue doing this and I am working with my older dog to get her to stay in her bed when we leave the room as she always has a sniff under the door then goes back but that seems to bring sherlock to the door and he doesnt relax then.

I like the treat idea too and coming straight back in while he is distracted so will try that I think

Thanks again

i am also having issues with this! i hope you get an answer and maybe i will as well.

Hi
Let me know if you find something that works too wont you....its very difficult so hope you can resolve the prob with yours.
Feel free to add some info about your dog on this thread if you like and maybe your experiences might help us come up with an way of making it easier