Barking

Here are some opinions of KerryBlues-L Newslist subscribers

Citronella Collar

We use a citronella collar with excellent results on Renny.

[This collar squirts a lemon-type odor in the air whenever the dog barks. It is available from most pet supply houses and catalogs.]

We don't even bother to turn it on anymore. She wears it in the house. It was her habit to bark at the other dogs. Rather then yell at her, get everyone in a tizzy and still have no results, we use this collar. Works great, takes us out of the picture as bad guys. Renny learned very fast.

Sharon Burnett
Seattle WA

"Quiet!"

I'm not sure my technique will work on every dog, but it works for my two Kerries.

Our living room picture window--at Kerry height--affords a great view of the neighbors' dogs doing their business on OUR territory, and all the neighborhood cats coming and going. Both drive Jazz and Guinness to distraction (not to mention the rest of us). When enough is enough (and the "Quiet!" command isn't working), I stop what I am doing, stand between the dogs, and calmly stroke their backs while saying things like "All gone" and "No more" (words they normally associate with no more treats--sad news!). If the trespasser is still lurking in the yard, I may say something like, "Oh, that's only Amy." A calm voice and the stroking goes a long way in restoring peace. Also, the fact that I'm there and paying attention helps, too, I think. After all, the purpose of the barking is to alert the master that something unusual is going on.

Jan in Santa Ynez, CA
Jazz ("Out of the way--I'll handle this!")
Guinness ("Say the word CAT, and I'm out the window!")

Pennies

Someone told me about the pennies-in-a-Coke-can trick. So I put a few coins in an empty Coke can and set it beside the door. Next day, when we went for our walk, Simon burst out the door yapping, as usual. I tossed the can toward him [...]. Instant silence. Naturally, I praised him profusely for being a "good boy, quiet boy!"

After that, the mere sight of the can was enough to quiet him down. I do want him to give a warning when someone is coming, but if his barking becomes excessive, I just go to the door and hold up the Coke can. Usually, now, just the words "Quiet boy!" are enough.

Linda deLeon
Golden, Colorado

Just a word of caution here. The can with pennies in it is supposed to be thrown down on the ground, not at the dog. It is the loud rattling noise that seems to come out of nowhere when the undesirable action is being committed that acts as the deterrent, not being hit with it!

Lisa Frankland
Langley AFB, VA

Squirt

Our teacher suggested the following and it has worked for us. We have had great results with a squirt bottle full of water located at every possible place in the house! We purchased 1 quart bottles with a heavy duty handle that can shoot about twenty feet with only one handed operation.

Meagae is allowed to warn us anytime. She can bark three times at the front door, for example and after that she gets a face full of water streaming from heaven. She does not seem to associate it with me, but does not like it and stops barking. I thank her for the warning barks, "OK that's enough" and it is over. If I am not there to respond to her she keeps barking and that is OK with us. She is 2.5 years old and has only recently seemed to come to grips with that rule. She is obeying it quite easily now, but I have refilled those bottles many times in the 2 years we have been using them.

She also responded to the empty coke can with a few pennies inside that made a loud uncomfortable noise. The reality is that my aim is crummy and I hit a nice table by the front door one too many times to keep using it! (I was
supposed to pitch it on the floor right in front of her.)

Shannon Miller