Barking...

[aussieowner]

Hi All,

My dog, Mac, is approaching 7 months and we've just booked him into Obedience training. He has already had puppy socialisation (which he just LOVED) and knows some basic commands. Last night, I went to the introductory lecture for the course and was concerned that Mac might catch some bad habits from other dogs, especially barking.

Mac does not bark (I'm not even sure he knows how to properly). His closest attempt is a gruff sounding noise. However, when he was at puppy socialisation and other dogs would bark his gruff got a lot stronger, but he never brought it home. I'm now concerned he's going to actually learn how to bark and make a habit of it!! Does anyone's Frenchie bark? And if so, how do they control it? Has anyone's Frenchie picked up bad habits from other dogs?

aussieowner

[adora's mom]

Adora does bark sometimes. Usually only when she's startled. I have to say that Frenchies can be good watchdogs!

She makes that same sound you described, "grrrruff!" - but it's not loud and not often (thank goodness).

Beckham can be a bossy loud-mouth, I'm glad Adora hasn't picked up on that! Luckily all I have to do is put the citronella bark collar on him and he shuts right up, it never even has to go off :lol: He has learned to imitate Adora's grumbling Frenchie noises - pretty funny to hear them coming from him when they're playing.

[franp]

Dari barks and makes some of the most god awful sounds you have ever heard, at the dogpark.
At home she is relatively quiet.The only time she makes noise is when the doorman buzzes from downstairs.Then she does not bark, she yodels, whines and makes noise that is undescribable.

The other time she makes noise is when I go to do the laundry :confused: A baby like scream..My neighbors came to me and said that if they did not know how well I took care of her; they would swear she was in pain!And ONLY when I leave to go to the laundry room....

No, I do not think they pick up bad habits..

[gmacleod]

I don't think they pick up barking habits from other dogs either.

But if it does turn out to be the case, a relatively simple cure is to teach him a "quiet" command. LOL - and the easiest way to do that is to teach him first to bark on command. Easily done just by giving a speak command when the dog is barking, and then rewarding him. They soon catch on to that. And if you can get him to bark when you want, then you can teach a quiet command (same method) to get him to be quiet ;)

[paulabeans]

Molly is a great watchdog!! She barks whenever she hears someone outside. Mingled in with the barking is the yodeling and baby-screaming that Fran is talking about. She can be very vocal - she even barks when someone's doorbell rings on TV!

She also does the low grumbling "brummppff" bark.

[franp]

Sometimes, like when the porter is cleaning the hallway, Dari will not even bother to get up; she will bark/yodel with her head on the couch.. Or the floor..

She knows who is in the hall; it is like she is telling them she is there and she wants to play.But,why bother to raise her head??The noise does not do any good anyway. :lol: Silly girl

fran

[gilazno]

Biggie Barks. Mostly when he is on the deck and people/dogs pass by or if he gets startled he will sometimes bark as well. We have taught him no bark (or the quiet command) it is pretty cute, he starts to kind of whimper when we use it, its like a muffled bark cause he knows not to actually let the bark out :lol: Biggie has learned several things from his doggie buds (going up and down stairs, how to walk on a leash) but i don't believe he has picked up any bad habits from them..he developed those all on his own!!

[Evon203]

I absolutely LOVE the "yodel/bark" that these dogs do. I was told that Frenchies don't bark unless they are alarmed. I guess my Chopper is different. My husband loves to get him talking to him. He sounds so much like a person when he does that yell/yodel thing, that my husband's trying to get him to say Mama. :p Now, all Aric has to do is say "mama" and Chopper starts doing the yodel. He is also VERY protective, and a little bit "scaredy-pants". He'll jump up and try to be scary if he hears any noises in the house. I love it.

[Martina]

Lola barks when she gets startled and just the other day, I caught her yipping in her sleep - it was the funniest thing! Lola also barks when she needs to go out and potty. Gigi only growly barks when she wants attention. They both like to get in my face and grunt, snort and snuffle 'converse' with me :D