Use Treats to Break Dog's Barking Habit

by Steve Dale

American Eskimo

Q: My 11-pound American Eskimo dog barks constantly when she sees another dog outside. She almost goes through our door or window.

When I let Foxy out to say hello, she's just fine with the same dogs she was furiously barking at indoors.

What can I do?

-- L.F., Clearwater, FL

A: Foxy may have simply trained you to let her out to see her friends. She barks and you comply.

If this is the source of the problem, let Foxy bark her heart out. Instead of taking her outside when she barks, let her wind down first.

Tell her what a good girl she is for being quiet, then take her out. When she gets outside, give her a treat.

This may not be exciting as seeing another dog but it's still rewarding. Over time, she'll learn that you'll never let her outside for barking, but when she's quiet, she gets to go out.

Foxy's "issue" may be more complex.

She could be expressing territorial aggression. And, let's face it, American Eskimo dogs are quite vocal.

Veterinary behaviorist Dr. Scott Line suggests teaching Foxy an incompatible behavior. Here's what he means:

When another dog walks by outside and Foxy begins to respond, immediately grab a treat you've set aside for just this occasion. This should be something Foxy craves, and that will take some time to get at, such as a Kong toy stuffed with low-fat, low-salt peanut butter. When Foxy begins to bark, show her the toy. Have Foxy sit, so you're rewarding the sit, not the barking. Place the toy right in front of her nose, so she smells it. When she's quiet, say "good quiet" and offer the goodie.

"If this doesn't work, management might be another way to tackle the problem," says Line, of Atlanta, GA, associate editor of "Merck/Merial Manual for Pet Health Home Edition" (Merck and Company, Inc., Whitehouse Station, NJ, 2007; $22.95).

Either close the drapes or keep Foxy out of the room where she gets riled up watching other dogs outside.

After several months, once the pattern is broken, she may forget her former habit.

Veterinary Dermatology - Dogs with Itchy Skin

Q: My Golden Retriever has itchy skin.

I've been to three different vets and spent hundreds of dollars, but nothing has helped. My dog has dandruff-like scales on the ends of her ears. And her ears are always dirty, though I clean them daily.

After treatment, her ears get better, then they get bad again.

I'm at the end of my rope. How can I take away the awful itch?

-- E.D., Steuben, ME

A: Veterinary dermatologist Dr. Karen Campbell, head of specialty medicine at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, begins by pointing out that Golden Retrievers are particularly prone to inhalant allergies.

As a result, there may be an overgrowth of bacteria and yeast in your dog's ears.

Treatment will help for a time, but unless you treat the underlying cause, the problem will recur.

"I don't know which tests have been done, but seeing a veterinary dermatologist certainly seems the right thing to do at this point," Campbell says.

PET STORIES and PET ARTICLES ...

Pets | Use Treats to Break Dog's Barking Habit | Dog Behaviors & Habits