[Labracadabra]

How can I train a dog to stop complaint-barking while outside in the yard?

He is content for long periods of time inside, hanging around the house, but if I put him outside on a long tether while I am inside...it's a bark festival. He could be complaining at being tethered, or complaining at being by himself, or both. He loves being outside off leash, but until we are fully fenced, I can't let him roam alone.

I guess the thing to do is start with small intervals and then increase the time.....?

 

[annieG]

Good luck. Tanner will just throw his head up and bark away when he is left outside. We go outside, stand over him and tell him to shhhsh....if he does he gets praised...if not, he has to go inside. We live on a corner and there are always people and dogs going passed.

 

[MaxandMe]

wish i knew the answer but I don't. I also don't have a fenced yard yet either.

In previous years though, i have yet to know any of my dogs that like being outside alone for anything other than a short length of time.

I however do have a porch, like Annie --- i do the same thing ,
as i have one neighbor with small kids and their friends that come over and my other neighbor works in his yard alot. Took my doodles a few weeks to settle down oustide on the porch. I do know though the few times they didn't stop, NO praise, no treat and they came back inside.
NOW my doodles love to watch cars drive by their heads moving like they're watching a tennis match hahhaaaaa

I have found that my doodles love being inside or outside Just As Long as it's with ME , Dave or my Son :wink: they do NOT want to be alone
(they're fine and quiet though if crated when we leave the house)

 

[Guest]

Maya hates being outside alone as well. She barks cause she wants in. I I am out there or she is with another dog she is fine. Sorry no help I know.

 

[sandy]

Nicky stays outside in our fenced backyard for short periods of time (not hours) without me being there. He never barks without reason! If I hear him barking I'll go see why. Once I do that, he stops barking. He doesn't bark because he wants in.

Instead of tethering your dog, couldn't you just put a leash on him and take him outside for a walk?

 

[sandy]

Here is an article about tethering dogs.

http://www.hsus.org/pets/issues_aff...e_facts_about_chaining_or_tethering_dogs.html

 

[Tink]

The only one of my dogs I've ever tethered for more than a 3-5 minute potty break is Canada. She goes absolutely stir crazy and does this awful yelping scream the whole time she's on it. I can't stand to listen to her, so I know my neighbors would find it highly annoying. If she's loose in a run she will carry on like that if she sees someone outside and can't get to them, but if she's not able to see anyone she is usually much more quiet in a run than on a chain/cable.

I personally can't say I blame her. If someone chained me to something with only 20 feet of leeway to move around I'd protest too! What really concerns me is that while chained they're vulnerable to any other animal that happens along. There is no escape.

 

[MaxandMe]

funny but i was thinking of tethering in a whole different way till i read that article.

when i say Tether a puppy, it's more for housetraining for short periods of time or when princess peanut was trying to have reign over the whole house as a tiny puppy and was quite the Whizzer :wink:

I have yet to know a dog that likes to be on a dog run or chain which is why they have fences

 

[Labracadabra]

Hi again, thanks for your responses.

I read the article on tethering...which sounds more extreme than what I am talking about. Louie walks on leash with me and plays frisbee etc. in the back yard off leash. He takes potty breaks at his spot in the back yard off leash...he is "poochie bell" trained to ring when he wants out.

So, he's started to ring the bell to go out WAY more than just to go potty, which is fine except when I need to work (I work at home--and I can see the back yard from my desk). He loves to lie under the magnolia with a chew toy IF he is off leash. Since I can't spend all afternoon with him in the yard--which is fenced on 3 of 4 sides--I thought I'd tie a long tether to the same tree where he normally hangs out so he could have the outside time he wants. Mais non! Woof, woof, woof to that!

Once we finish off the fence all will be fine. Til then I just have to discern which bell ringing means "potty" and which means "play"!

 

[L's Mom]

Once we finish off the fence all will be fine. Til then I just have to discern which bell ringing means "potty" and which means "play"!

I don't have anything tos ay about the barking, but mine are not interested in being outside for very long alone...

Lucas was also taught to ring the bell, and started ringing it whenever he wanted to go outside... we just had to figure out which ring ment he had to potty and ignore the others... it's getting much better...

 

[cissy k]

Our 14 year old Cocker loves to be outside just lying on our porch. We have a 15 foot "leash" that is attached to our porch rail that we use for her. We never leave her out there for long and we leave the front door open and the glass storm door closed.

As soon as she wants to come in she stands at the door and barks once or twice. We immediately let her in. So, although we are technically "tethering" her, she loves it. She gets to go out and enjoy the fresh air but is still able to come in when she wants.

I will say that this would not have worked as well a few years ago as she would have tried to run to the end of the line every time a human or dog went by. But at her age, she doesn't really care about all that anymore.

So, as with everything, it all depends on the circumstances.