# How to stop my dog barking at my horses . . . help please.



## wonkey_donkey (4 October 2009)

We rehomed a 14 month old Rotti bitch 2 months ago and she is a really lovely good natured dog. 

However, she has started to bark at my horses all the time and it's really getting on my wick !!

Her behaviour is on the increase rather than calming down and I am concerned it will keep getting worse.  

She was not neglected in her previous home and until she came to us she'd had no contact with horses.

I keep telling her 'NO' but she takes no notice and it's starting to upset my other two little dogs cos they think I'm telling them off instead !!

She's also had two decent kicks up the backside off the horses who got fed up with being woofed at but this has not put her off.

So pleeease can you guys help with any suggestions of how to stop this behaviour ???


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## Maesfen (4 October 2009)

Try a water spray at her any time she does it whether it be by hosepipe or a bottle spray but have it on high pressure rather than just a dribble spray.  We have a basset that has to bark when you let them out, he just can't help himself and he knows it's wrong; this stopped him but he's brainy enough to know we haven't got the bottle handy every time, lol!


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## ucmeicu (4 October 2009)

you can get anti bark collars, some nasty ones that give an electric shock  but there are kinder ones which release a squirt of citronella   havent had to use either but they are available if all else fails. Have heard the water spray mentioned above works well but you have to be very quick with it!


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## CAYLA (4 October 2009)

Always keep her on the lead when near then so you can reprimand her for any over selous behaviour, try not to tie her up from afar as she will only get frustrated nor let her circle them, she needs to be close to you when she is around them u can keep her calm and under control, try starting by maybe having her in the stable whislt u are brushing the horses down, when she can see them in a calm state do this as a one on one whithout the other dogs around, tie her to something for safety this way she is close to the horse so less likley to get frustrated but safe enough not to reach and close enough for a reprimand, tell her to DOWN firmly even take a long a long lasting bone for her to knaw on quietly, this way she has something else to focus on, after a good few sessions of this start to walk the horses out and get someone to hold her close behind, again to reprimand any over selous behaviour either by a check on the check chain, or get a halti so u have more control of her head to pull here in on tell her LEAVE, also take some treas like cheese and chicken breast and when she is calm and ignoring then slip her a treat, the key is to work with her close to them at first but at a safe distance and not from a great distance where u are constantly shouting at her from a far.

Also try and take her for a good run or walk b4 your training sessions to calm her down and drain some of her energy and obs u could include as suggested a spray collar to reprimand the barking in with the training sessions.

Itmay be a good idea to work on some distance control, u may want to find a training class that offers this so u can eventually control her from afar when u see signs of her settling so u can command her DOWN, and stay via hand signals.


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