Lab puppy barking

[nater]

I just wanted to throw this out there and see what people would suggest. My puppy is now 3.5 months old and is doing good at sitting, fetching, and etc... He seems to bark when he wants attention, food, water, and to play which is understandable. There are many other times where he will bark at us for unknown reasons. Also he barks in his crate if put in there when he is not tired and also when traveling in his crate. Any suggestions? Is this normal for a lab puppy?

[winniewalleye777]

I would assume this is normal for a lab puppy, or at least it was for my chocolate. I had her in a kennel outside, and when she was not tired she would bark until I came out. I would act real mad and two finger slap her on the nose while using the command "no barking." It took about 2 nights for her to find out that when she barked she would get slapped, so she would bark and then hide in the back of her house. After a few weeks of this, she decided that barking didn't get her anywhere so she quit. I believe that if you are strict enough the problem will be taken care of fairly quickly. good luck! Also, what do others think about the bark collars?

[Powerstroke]

The only thing I disagree with in that response is the slapping...especially the nose since you plan on relying on that nose in the future. Other than that, you use a command like "puppy name" No Bark. And ignoer the puppy until the barking is done.

That worked for my dog, It curbs the bad behavior because they realize the negative behavior doesn't result in you playing with them.

[Ufatz]

Everybody is on the right track. But don't hit or slap your dog in the face! This lesson will take a while, but do as suggested-when he barks you have to get to him quickly and command him to stop. You can say No Bark, or Stop or whatever command you want to use. But stop THIS habit NOW!! The no bark collars DO work. If you must smack him one do it on his tough old hind end with the palm of your hand. It is TOTALLY normal for a young pup to want to bark just for the hell of it or to get attention. Stay cool. It's all gonna be okay.

[Cootz]

I used a spray bottle of water. Wasn't really a big problem to start with but I didn't want it to become one either. Took just a couple times.

[eskomo]

pinchits ear while saying no bark. Labs ears are a sensitive part of there body. Also get on the floor and play with the puppy, when playing occasionally roll the dog over on its back and put your faqce on its neck like you are going to bite. sounds funny but it is a natural form of dominance over the dog. If you form this bond you will have a better time training. remember to the dog is having fun, avoid hitting, and try to avoid bark collars, wreak a dog with one of those when used with a training collar.

[nater]

Well I am trying the water method and it definitely gets his attention and works good. Once he gets it once he will try and back away out of reach, its funny to watch. I think the biggest thing is for me to get used why he might be barking and if it is something I need to do for him I can usually cure it that way. I just have to think like a dog. Yeah I couldn't get myself to use a bark collar on him. I am taking him to obedience classes and is fun to see him learning! Thanks for your suggestions.

Nater

[JDM]

Bark collars are very effective, even on a pup. You cannot just leave it on them permantly though, as they can cause sores around the neck. They give the dog instant feedback for negative behaivor. Most of them start with a low intensity correction and then progressively get stronger. They also time out and shut off if the dog doesn't get it and barks through the pain. In the right situation, it can cure your problem. The rest of the suggestions are all worth noting. The biggest thing is that you have to be very consistent in enforcing the no bark policy, or the solution will be all that much harder to accomplish.

[CFD200]

My lab pup is almost 4 months old. She deceided recently that she would like to get up at 5am rather than 6 when I would wake her up. The first morning I let her out to go to the bathroom and put her back in. The second morning when she woke me up at 5am I put the Gentle Leader on her and left her in the crate until 6am. Now she does not bark. She looks ticked off and depressed when we put it on her, but it does not hurt, and in her case works great.