# Scared and sad



## abracadabra (Sep 4, 2014)

My Golden is 2.5 years old. He is not perfect. He's been through obedience training and remembers the commands but seems to have selective hearing when it comes to following through. He was raised in an apartment (by us) but has always gotten plenty of exercise. We lived in a house up until recently where he had a yard and a dog walker. Things got expensive and we were commuting a long way to work, so we moved into another apartment about a month ago. We still visit his dog walker but now I come home on my lunch break to take him out. I also take him out first thing in the morning before I go to work, and then after work from about 5:30 PM to 8 PM. He gets 4+ hours of outdoor play/exercise per day, yet he is no less calm in our apartment. He barks at people coming out of doors, lunges and barks at dogs coming out of the elevator, etc. Some people are forgiving, others not so much. I do not know what else to do. I have done high value treats and clicker training (clicking when he sees a person/dog but looks at me without barking, and then giving him a high value treat). The most difficult thing seems to be the unpredictability of someone popping out of a door. At our first apartment we had a behavioral specialist help - she brought her son and had him come through the lobby, up the elevator, etc. The training got too expensive...that's pretty much when we relocated to the house. Now we are back in an apartment and the old demons are appearing. I am very worried that he will build a reputation as a mean, barky dog. I want to try squirting him with a water bottle when he barks at people in the halls, but my partner is afraid that it will just be negative reinforcement and might cause him to act out even more? Or a bark collar? I definitely don't think it's a need for exercise - he gets plenty - but some need to protect us, and I don't know why he feels that way. I am sad about the situation, feel guilty now for making him lose his backyard and dog walker, and scared that our future here is bleak. Any ideas?


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## ktkins7 (Jul 20, 2013)

I had to try a bark collar for Ella because she wouldn't stop barking in our backyard. I got a Sportdog brand collar that has multiple settings. I set hers to start with a mild correction and it increases if the barking continues. It worked pretty quick for her. I didn't want to use it but neighbors were starting to complain. She caught on the first 10 minutes. 

I would not use one if he is fearful. There is also redirecting him when he begins to bark. 

Could he be feeling anxious? I would think anxiety could cause him to bark more. Maybe being able to hear people and not see them? If it's anxiety others might be able to provide better advice than me. I haven't figured out how to help my Ella with her car anxiety. I was going to try Rescue Remedy, which is supposed to help calm them, but I haven't picked it up yet. 

Good luck. You've got a handsome boy.


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

Welcome to the forum.
Your boy's beautiful. 

I'm sorry to hear about what you're going through with him, sure some of the members will be able to help you.


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## Bosn'sMom (Feb 11, 2013)

I have somewhat been though this.. not the barking but the moving and comfort level. We have moved three times in Bo's short two year life and they key to it is really making him comfortable. It took a few weeks for him to get used to his new homes but leaving music or the tv on during the day greatly helped, as well as familiar things.. furniture, smells, his dog bed etc. The tv though seemed to do it for us.. its like voices calmed him or something. Also, I leave the blinds down. We found especially in our new place there is much more street action- dogs being walked, trucks going by etc and the blinds being down eliminates him yelling at things.

i would also suggest more exercise to make him more tired but it seems you have that covered 

hope this helps!


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## fostermom (Sep 6, 2007)

I would try following NILIF and seeing if that helps him feel more comfortable. It may be that he feels that he needs to protect you because he doesn't think you have everything under control. NILIF has him doing something (i.e. sit, down, wait) to earn something (i.e. going out the door, being fed, eating). With some dogs, that really helps them let go of wanting to control everything.


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## Wenderwoman (Jan 7, 2013)

I'm a little in the same boat as you. I've tried the normal methods and now I am trying other tactics and I think I am seeing slow progress. It is definitely something that my girl has trouble controlling. She barks likes a maniac at one particular dog my neighbor has through the fence and still has excessive greeting disorder in random degrees.

First, yes, I do use the squirt bottle. It works wonderfully. She has a love hate relationship with it. If she knows she's in trouble (and she knows) she will stop whatever she is doing. If she's not in trouble, she runs to the bottle to have it squirted in her mouth.

Second, I have to do my best to ignore her when she's a spaz when I come in. Sometimes she'll be doing well and then my min pin will come along like a spaz and get her going. If they are listening, I tell them calm, make them sit and then pet them. If I can't get them to calm down, I move as quickly as I can away from them and ignore them.

Third, I did not make any progress with her and the neighbors dog until I moved directly in front of her, grabbed her collar and yelled as firmly and loudly as I could to sit and no bark. I do not want to be physical with her but for some reason, she would very aggressively bark and lunge at the dog. Even though she was on the other side of the fence, I didn't want her doing this. The problem was that she was so excited that she didn't even hear me. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this unless you really trust your dog not to turn on you because you never know for sure about excited dogs. This did seem to help. In less excited states I have done this, stood between either of my dogs and whatever they are going bonkers over and tell them no and they back off but in this case, she was just too excited to listen. In fact, whenever she is too excited to listen, I will pull/push her behind me and make her sit. I am always very careful not to hurt her and I never hit her.

I think you also always need to remain as calm as possible yourself and once the dog is listening, use a "calm" command, in a calm voice, projecting a calm disposition and say something like it's okay, be calm. Don't ever yell or be excited when you say calm, it will feed energy and they will be confused about what calm is. You do need to establish a "calm" command though so that they know what calm means when you tell them to be calm. Once you establish a calm command, you can try to pre-emptively use the calm before a situation arises. I will use leave it, calm or it's okay with my girl before approaching something I think she'll react to and that really gets the best results. If you are standing in front of the elevator say, it's okay, let's be calm and praise for being calm. Say "good dog, calm." If they are being calm.


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## goldlover68 (Jun 17, 2013)

Nice dog, hard to grow them properly without proper obedience. Golden's usually will figure it out if you stay after them, but it can take a long while. Go to an Obedience class, working with the trainer both you and the dog will learn how to work these problems out. Do not go to a class in a store, find a trainer who has classes just for training. Bark collar will help, if you follow the instructions carefully, but you should not leave it on him when you are gone. So he still may bark when you are away, which will become a problem. Obedience class please!


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## abracadabra (Sep 4, 2014)

goldlover68 said:


> Nice dog, hard to grow them properly without proper obedience. Golden's usually will figure it out if you stay after them, but it can take a long while. Go to an Obedience class, working with the trainer both you and the dog will learn how to work these problems out. Do not go to a class in a store, find a trainer who has classes just for training. Bark collar will help, if you follow the instructions carefully, but you should not leave it on him when you are gone. So he still may bark when you are away, which will become a problem. Obedience class please!


I stated in my post that he had already been through obedience training. Three different classes at a facility by our house (not at a pet store).

Thanks for the other ideas. I will try Nothing In Life Is Free.


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## ktkins7 (Jul 20, 2013)

Just thought I would mention that Ella took multiple obedience classes through 8 or 9 months old. One at a time, but there very few weeks she didn't attend class. When I took a break for summer I found that her behavior want as well and she was sometimes off the wall. I think the class exercises the brain, even if it's repeat stuff. And it gives the dog something to do. I'll be enrolling Ella in another class this month. 

You could also try different classes. I'm going to do nose work and agility with Ella.


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## abracadabra (Sep 4, 2014)

I think the last one my dog did was last autumn. I may try a refresher


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## Anon-2130948gsoni (Apr 12, 2014)

Your dog is gorgeous...and really just is coming into maturity, so there were bound to be some behavioral changes even without all of the moving and environment changes.

I second the idea of another training class, because it sounds much more like anxiety behavior than brattiness to me. A squirt bottle may change the barking behavior, but it may just change to a silent lunge and nip instead! Personally, I never go to negative methods until I'm 100% certain that anxiety isn't a cause of an unwanted behavior. Getting him out in a structured, predictable environment and working on his brain can make such a difference.

Is he clicker trained? My less confident dogs have done really well with my clicking/treating little moments of calm behavior...I'm a big fan of clickers.

One more thought--where does he sleep? We just went through some anxiety-related guarding behaviors with my male Border Collie mix because we had several major changes in a row--we moved, our Golden died suddenly, and my senior male hound mix started to turn over the lead dog role to him--which he really isn't ready for. He had been sleeping on our bed, but when the guarding stuff cropped up, I put him back in the crate at night and now he's remarkably calmer and more relaxed.


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

I think you are seeing a fear/anxiety reaction in the hallways and lobby. He doesn't know these people and dogs and he is reacting in fear. If you use an e-collar on him he very well could associate the pain from the electric zap with the people/dogs he is afraid and make him worse. I would not recommend that. 

You need to get back with the trainer that helped you in the first apartment, since it seems they were able to help him. Expensive or not, it's the only fair and right thing for your dog. Get help to work with him so he learns the people and dogs he is seeing are not a threat.

In the meantime, when he starts to react turn and walk away from the person/dog and reward him when he comes with you.


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Beautiful*

He is so beautiful. I agree with FosterMom that maybe he is trying to be protect you, as he doesn't feel you have everything under control.
I think obedience class would be great!
Moving is a HUGE ADJUSTMENT for animals, at any age.


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## Melfice (Aug 4, 2012)

ktkins7 said:


> Just thought I would mention that Ella took multiple obedience classes through 8 or 9 months old. One at a time, but there very few weeks she didn't attend class. When I took a break for summer I found that her behavior want as well and she was sometimes off the wall. I think the class exercises the brain, even if it's repeat stuff. And it gives the dog something to do. I'll be enrolling Ella in another class this month.
> 
> You could also try different classes. I'm going to do *nose work and agility with Ella*.


I think these classes will help out big time! I have my golden and Brittany in Nose Work (same class), and my Brittany in agility. Both classes are awesome for my pups, and I just started beginner competition obedience for my Brittany too.

Rusty is on a waiting list for agility, and I keep my team very busy these days. About two months ago now, Rusty earned his CGC title, and Skunky (my Pomeranian) earned his AKC STAR Puppy cert. Wow I'm doing a lot with these pups haha, and I still want Skunky in Nose Work or agility one day.

And I still want to put Rusty into competition obedience or Rally...but where will I find the time for all this 

The point I'm trying to make is...keep your pup busy with jobs and training...it will improve. Puzzles help too...you can find some dog puzzles online or make some yourself. Using up a dogs mental energy will be like walking or running.

I wish you the best of luck with your pup


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