# Barking when people come up the driveway



## AmbikaGR (Dec 31, 2007)

Have you considered bark collars for when they are outside?


----------



## T Man (Mar 18, 2010)

No because they already wear wireless fence collars.


----------



## Bender (Dec 30, 2008)

The easiest would be bark collars (and it sounds bad, but you can put them on as well as the invisible fence collars). Other than that, you'd have to have them on leash and work on 'quiet' when someone is driving up the driveway and repeat often enough (more than not, in other words they don't get to bark as much as they have to be 'quiet') so they learn to not bark. 

Depends on the dog, teaching them not to bark can be done. For most dogs anyway. Storee usually has to have an e collar on if she's out because she's a noisy brat, and knows that if she stops barking when I go out I can't correct her for it. Even then she doesn't care sometimes, she'll bark. But, she has learned from a bark collar to control herself, and often just having one on means she can go hang outside for a while. 

Lana


----------



## T Man (Mar 18, 2010)

I will have to try to just keep controlling it when it happens I guess, not sure that I want to put the bark collar on yet along with their wireless fence collar. It's not that I'm worried about them doing something to someone, I just think it looks rather intimidating if two dogs come running out barking when someone drives up. Spencer in particular puts on the tough guy act, charges out with this loud deep bark.


----------



## RedDogs (Jan 30, 2010)

Set it up. Car at bottom of drive. Car comes up. Dogs get really great treats....and during that time, car is moved back down. Car comes up. Dogs get really great treats. If they're barking...do less driving/car moving. We've had good success in a fairly short period of time.


----------



## C's Mom (Dec 7, 2009)

Reading this thread with interest because I, too, have a golden who barks his head off when people come to the door - even people he loves.


----------



## T Man (Mar 18, 2010)

RedDogs said:


> Set it up. Car at bottom of drive. Car comes up. Dogs get really great treats....and during that time, car is moved back down. Car comes up. Dogs get really great treats. If they're barking...do less driving/car moving. We've had good success in a fairly short period of time.


 
Hmm, a good idea, but to do this I would have to borrow a neighbor/friend and their vehicle, they don't do it when they see my truck or my wife's van.


----------



## momtoMax (Apr 21, 2009)

I personally wouldn't want to get rid of that behavior. They are alerting you that someone is coming into your territory which I find handy when I am upstairs and my Willow let's me know that someone is at the door. I also appreciate it because I know that if a burglar is casing the neighborhood, when she does that - they cross me off their list of best houses to hit.


----------



## Elisabeth Kazup (Aug 23, 2008)

Personally, I like the fact that no one can sneak up on me. I'm alone at the barn a lot. BUT...I also like to be in control, so Penny knows the command "that's enough". It covers any behavior that I want her to stop, from playing too rough to barking at little kids walking by.

Have your dogs had any obedience training? Do they usually follow your directions? If so, you can start teaching "that's enough" on just about anything. Basically, you are simply interrupting what they are doing at the moment and asking them to focus on you. 

I give Penny the command with a 'halt' hand signal. When I have her attention, I tell her what I want her to do instead. If she's barking when I don't want her to, I give the command and then tell her 'hush'. I like 'hush' because it's a soft word that can be drawn out and is non-exciting. "Be Quiet" can instill even more excitement and more barking. IMHO


----------



## pride-and-joy (Aug 11, 2010)

*Citronella Spray Collar*

My 8 year old rescued Rottweiler wears a badge of courage. The white ring around his muzzle is a scar of white hairs. The original idiot owners zip-tied his mouth shut when he was a puppy and it sliced a 1/4 groove all the way around. They did it because he incessantly barked while banished to backyard (in GA heat in the summer with no water!). Imagine that...a bored unhappy puppy barking  Anyway, fast forward 8 years and he's living in the lap of luxory. However, he's still quite the barker :uhoh:. A motorcycle zooming past the house, neighbor walking the dog, the grass growing...doesn't matter. 

This tool keeps Fred from unnecessary barking. A microphone senses the bark and sprays a burst of citronella scented liquid. It only takes once to remind him to hush. They also have a lifetime replacement guarantee. I've returned a couple that stopped working -- with no questions asked. 

Link to Spray Sense Collars: Spray Sense Bark Collar Product Description - Premier Pet


----------



## Chloe Braun (Aug 21, 2010)

Dog behavior varies, your dogs are the "protector" type of dogs. If you want this behavior removed you may try bark collars or obedience training 

Hope everything works out!


----------



## Jo Ellen (Feb 25, 2007)

I'm definitely in the camp of not discouraging any kind of alarm type barking. Our dogs are much better than us at knowing what is in our environment. You just never know when this will come in handy -- more than a few lives have been saved when dogs sound their alarm.


----------



## Chloe Braun (Aug 21, 2010)

This article might help you.

Golden Retriever Barking

If all else fails, obedience training might be the key! =)


----------



## Golden123 (Dec 6, 2009)

Sadie does bark when somebody comes up the driveway. I don't mind it though. It lets us know somebody is here. It's not an aggressive bark by any means, just a warning bark, and once you let her out, she can't wait to see whoever it is.


----------



## cubbysan (Mar 13, 2007)

I would be afraid that if they were not barking, they would not be seen and accidentally ran over.


----------



## T Man (Mar 18, 2010)

Thanks for all of the replies, but I think I need to be clearer that my two GR's hardly ever bark other than when they see someone coming in the driveway or if something is in the yard that isn't normally there.

I agree that alarm barking can be handy, but again I don't want people who come to my house to be fearful to get out of their vehicles. Of course we go outside and recall the dogs when we see someone drive up but at times we are a few moments later and the person is left wondering if they can get out of their vehicle or not.


----------

