I have to vent.

[melonie]

Wrinkles barking issue is not easing up.
I've clued into some of her triggers, but there isn't a whole lot I can do to prevent them.

1. The fridge kicking on or off. Really it isn't very noticeable to me, it's a newer fridge... but she notices it.

2. Food. Or anything she considers food. Packaging that might contain food. A pan, bowl, handle sticking out of the sink...If she can see it, she will go ape sh!t.

3. People in the other room with food. Dogs in the area of food.

4. Kids/adults/dogs/noise outside.

5. Base from tv or music.

6. The clicker

I am able to drown out some of the outside noise by having the tv or radio on.

I try to keep any food items, bags, etc out of her site. I can't even put anything on top of the micro because she will bark and work very hard to get to it.
She will go so far as to put her front paws on the counter, or stove, jump and try to grab anything she can.


This weekend has been hard as she has barked a lot through the night and early morning. So I'm extra tired and fed up. So I'm releasing it here. lol

I use the squirt bottle on her. It helps to stop a barking streak. It doesn't always end it, but it's enough to distract her and get her mind off it. Unless it's food related.
If she is in the living room with people she will still bark.
She will also be stupid about food, and try to steal it from you. It's an obsession in her.

She's a special dog.

[loverocksalot]

Have you tried being ready with food treats in your pocket or handy some where and just tossing them too her when she is not barking? If she is that food motivated as I know she is smart she may pick up on quiet gets her the food. After doing this for a while with her add your word quiet instead of clicking since that makes her bark anyway. Or say good quiet and toss her treats. Hopefully she will eventually learn the what the word quiet means and that it will bring her the food she wants and barking gets her nothing at all.

[melonie]

The problems with treats is that once she gets one she goes into stupid mode, search for more, and begin barking.
She still gets treats, but never when she is barking or being obsessive. I tried using the clicker, but she barks at it.

[loverocksalot]

Yeah that is why I think you need to use a different marker then the clicker. Ok well maybe she needs to work. Since she likes to search for more food how about actually doing nosework with her and maybe her brain will get tired.

[melonie]

I'll try and get some video of how she is. She acts like she's ADD. Hard to explain.

A good walk to wear her out doesn't help the barking. I had to take a different route last week, it had some pretty good incline over a bridge, and very sandy, deep gravel mixed with washboard road. She was slowing down and didn't mind when we turned around to head home.


I've tried to get her into NILF, but I haven't been able to teach her to sit, not even a 'shake'. She's a tough little nut.

It's just something I'll have to keep working on, and keep trying to find more patience. Sometimes it just gets to me and I have to have a hissy.

[sharron]

Is she getting enough exercise to exhaust her ? Have you tried the Flirt Pole ? After a three to five minute period with the Flirt Pole , she will be exhausted.

I can understand your frustration....constant barking drives me crazy !

Is this something new with her ; or something she has always had , only becoming worse ?

If this is something new,I wonder if there is something medically going on with her .

I know medication is the last resort. However , I had a dog that was acting similar. Took him to the vet for an exam and everything checked out. I was at my whits end. I decided to put him on Melatonion and see if that would help him . After a few days on it...I had my boy back !!

I'm telling you , besides the constant barking and freaking out on every sound in the house and outside , he had even started walking backwards , circling and standing in a corner.

Observing him and what triggered this odd behavior...I was at a loss. I made sure he got exhaustive exercise and kept him on the NILIF program no matter what.

The melatonin , NILIF program , and exercise worked beautifully. After a couple weeks of following the above , he settled down and the barking ceased. The odd behavior of walking backwards, I found was somehing simple. My fault. I had removed a carpet from the back of my bed and everytime he got off he would slip. I have hardwood floors . After jumping off the bed and slipping, he was afraid to go into the kitchen from my room because he had to go around th fridge. That's when e would back up , circle and freeze as if seeing a ghost.

Replacing the carpet , adding another carpet to the front of the fridge,,,,was why he acted so weird.
lol !! After seeing he was back and back to his old self,,,I stopped the melatonin. I was so happy !

Hope you find some relief soon too.

sharron

[sugar]

As for the noise issue, have you tried using a noise machine or white noise machine? Maybe having some kind of noise always going will help her not focus so much on any single noise?

Chubby is like that with food, only instead of barking he does a whiny-mooing-screeching noise. If it sounds like food, smells like food or sounds like something food may have been packaged in then 'game on!"

[melonie]

Sharron I got Wrinkles in Dec. She didn't start this until June after my daughter left for a 3 wk vacation. It started with thunder, and has progressed from there. She didn't do this at food until probably a couple of months ago. So it's safe to say it's gradually getting worse.
She is not a playful dog really. I did almost get her to chase after a ball a few days ago, but she quickly lost interest. I have been meaning to get a flirt pole, but I keep spacing it off. A friend is supposed to make one, just need to get on his butt and get it done.
I'm not sure how she'll take it. She does have a high prey drive though so it might work great.

I use nilf w/ my other two dogs. I've tried to implement it with Wrinkles, but she hasn't caught the hang of commands, except no. I do make sure she is quiet before she gets anything from me though.
I haven't figure out the secret to training her. She's not the smartest dog I've ever met! She was not socialized with people, and only knew her abuser for the first few years of her life. She's also not the greatest around other dogs. It's not that she doesn't like them, but she is more of an alpha girl, and doesn't have very good social skills.


Sugar, this summer I ran a fan for her to help keep her cool, that noise wasn't enough to drown out noise. It took me a while to figure out her triggers because I couldn't hear them.

If I didn't have to keep her in the kitchen, her food barking would subside. But when she is in the living room, she's still an idiot over what she thinks might be food!

[sharron]

Melonie I understand. Beau was rescued from a very abusive life as well. He was used as a bait dog because he refused to fight . Long story.

He too , didn't show interest in playing ball or any activity. He was not socialized either. A story for another time.

Beau had some issues from the start. Once he was settled in and on a routine , he adapted well. However , if my schedule changed , and his routine was changed in the slightes , he started having strange behaviors. For example. If we arranged the livingroom differently, Beau would not enter . He stood in the kitchen and his total body shook, eyes glazed , and he would not
pay attention to commands !! I was extremely worried that I would lose him from whatever he was going through. I took him to the vet and described everything to him. Because of Beau's horrific past abuse , it was told to me before his adoption that his abusers used a board with nails on him ( head and body as punishment for not fightng ) !! He had seizures many times in a day...

After informing the vet of this . The vet thought it best to not stress Beau out since he had only been with me about a week at this time. Vet advised me to put the living room back the way it was orginally. That this simple thing triggered Beau into becoming very stressed and at this point , I could very well 'break his spirit' and cause him more mental anguish.

I put the living room back the way it was and this weird behavior stopped.

At first I thought Bau wasn't the sharpest pencil in the box either. Beau and Wrinkles could be related ! ha !! Just kidding. I learned it wasn't that Beau wasn't smart. It was his negative experiences from his past that made him pause and take notice, weighing if he did this or that, what would he receive in return....another hit on the head ; a beating etc...
I do believe in my heart of hearts,your daughter's leaving on vacation triggered a 'loss' in Wrinkles mind.

What worked for me and Beau , will also work for you and Wrinkles. Believe me , be patient , stay calm no matter how frustrated you get...and stay positive !

Thunder , lightening , backfire from cars, fireworks etc....Beau barked and carried on just as Wrinkles does still.

For thunder , I would put one of my T-shirts on him ( my scent ) for security during a thunder noise. I didn't coddle him or baby him in any way. While thunder went on outside , I sat with both Toma and Beau and give them a doggie puzzle to work on that had treats inside. Every time he or Toma figured how to retrieve the treat ,I gave Toma her favorite ball ( she loves balls ) and would give Beau a high valued treat and praised them both. Be patient !! It does work !

Also if you can find a tape with thunder sounds , lightening sounds, and other noises she is afraid of. Play it daily , starting on low then the next time , turn it up etc...until it is loud. Go about doing what you normally do , without saying or making a big deal out of it. Once she notices you going about your daily routine...she will become more secure.

I wasn't aware Flirt Poles could be bought. I have always made mine. Very simple and nothing to making them. In fact , one is made fro a child's fishing pole. I removed the old stren and put a stronger stren on the pole. On the and I added a SKINEEZE SKUNK. I wasn't sure Beau would be inerested...But watching Toma , he learned quickly. On another longer flirt pole, I added a high valued favorite,,, a weiner.

Stay calm , be patient and don't fret, she'll come around soon !!

sharron

[melonie]

I don't think Wrinkles was physically abused/beaten, if she was, maybe not that much. (We do know other dogs found with her did have severe physical injury) She doesn't show any signs of being hit etc. She was malnourished, infested with fleas, worms, etc. and was suffering from secondary infections due to allergies. The dogs were chained 2 dogs to an axle, with very short chains. Some has their teeth pulled/filed down.

She went into a foster home in July '10. She was there up until a couple weeks before she was given to me last Dec. Over all she is a happy dog. She isn't much for snuggling or giving affection. She doesn't seem to want a lot of affection, but tolerates it well. When shes had enough she gets up and leaves. She is just now getting to the point of snuggling with my daughter at night. Usually she sleeps at her feet.

I do think my daughter leaving woke something up in her. But I don't know why it has only gotten worse.

Desensitizing her to noise will be a long process. If it were only thunder, that would be easy. I could even deal with her barking when it storms, since she is fine if you sit with her. But it is the barking at everything else that is the problem.

She is right now barking at the box of baggies left on the counter, pretty sure she believes it is food she can't get to.
I've been grabbing video of her being herself. Hopefully this weekend I'll have time to stitch the footage together.

[sharron]

Oh ok , that is good to have some background information on her. Glad there wasn't any physical abuse. Of course mental , emotional , and down right neglect of any sort can rear it's ugly head .

Melonie , throwing a thought out your way . You mentioned she is fine as long as you sit with her . Then while you are still sitting with her , she notices , and is distracted by a box of baggies on the counter. What does she do , leave your side and approach the counter while barking ? Do you stay seated and respond to her , or do you ignore her. I know , the barking would drive me bonkers too !

If , and when you have ignored this behavior , what happens ? I am also curious to know , does she sleep through the night, or is awakened by this or that noise and starts barking once again ? My goodness , this is a tough one !

Thinking she might need to be put on some type of anxiety medication. This is why I suggested Melatonin. Have you discussed this option with your vet ? She also might be wired this way , and it might be that medication is the answer. Just my opinion...but at this point I would discuss this with her vet and see what he thinks.

Sorry I don't know what else to suggest.

sharron

[melonie]

I'll have to 'test' her on her reactions if I'm just sitting with her.
Usually I'm doing some thing, and she waits until my back is turned before she tries to steal what ever she is after. If she can't steal it, she will wait patiently until I am out of the area. Thats when the thieving attempts happen, then the barking.

She will sleep through the night w/ no barking if she is locked in the bedroom w/ my daughter. But if she manages to get out of her room, she barks a lot. When my daughter isn't home she isn't allowed in her room because she will pee on the floor. So on the nights she happens to be at a friends, is pretty much hell.

I'd let her sleep with me, but I'd have to crate the other dogs, then listen to them whine all night. They're used to sleeping with me!

I will talk to her vet and see what she thinks is going on.

[sharron]

Geeze ! I must hand it to you . I could not tolerate the continued barking for this long !

The more I read about Wrinkles , the more I think she is mentally inbalanced, Somethng definitely is going on with her , Although my heart goes out to you Melonie , my heart goes out to poor Wrinkles ! I am sure , for whatever reason , Wrinkles is going through, it is someting she cannot control .

Dogs have anxieties just like people. They become depressed and adopt weird behaviors.

Imagine for a moment , if you will. You are Wrinkles.
For some reason , you are anxious , depressed and can't stop barking no matter what. You know you cannot stop barking , and , although you really want to stop..your signals are not all firing as they should. How very frustrating for Wrinkles !!!

I had a dog that was wired wrong and had many unwanted behaviors. I did everything to get her focused on me. No matter what I tried , nothing worked ,

Took her to the vet . After an exam and hearing my story. The vet told me that my baby was wired wrong and she couldn't help it. That my dog was going through some type of mental anguish in her head and she needed medication to curb this inbalance. Vet said that it was similar to being Bi-Polar !!
After being put on medication ( forget the name of the medicine since it has been years ago ) Anyway , after being on the medication , my dog was a new dog ! No more constant barking or unwanted behavior.For the first time she looked relaxed and
care free !! She focused on me , listened and we had a fresh start !!

Sometimes we must use medication , if everything else tried doesn't succeed .

Positive thoughts speeding your way .

sharron

[melonie]

I wouldn't doubt she's a bit off her rocker. She's a weird mixture of content, happy, and psycho.

I do think she knows what she's doing. She's a liar just like my other two dogs.

Most days aren't that hard to handle. But some days when I've had a crap day, her antics get on my last nerve and I need a time out!
We'll get through it, and I will look into melatonin.

[Dave]

Oh yeah, they all lie. And they know how to play you.

[sharron]

LOL !!! Yes , these dogs of ours know how to play us !

Melatonin is sold over the counter. Before anything though , check with her vet .

Hope she calms dwn soon.

sharron