# Barking when I'm preparing food - any food!!!



## Maxs Mom (Mar 22, 2008)

Gabby is like this. She thinks ALL food or anything that resembles food is HERS!!!! I laugh she is more lab like when it comes to food than golden. The other day I had some popcorn, and you know the left over seeds at the bottom of the bowl? Well Gabby was SURE it was puppy kibble. She is food OCD for sure. I am on a mission to figure out too how to slow her eating down. I have a slow eater bowl.... not working. 

Gabby was barking like crazy for a while. Our lab Quinn did that too, we thought it was funny at first (we have NEVER had a barking dog) however it got old. So with Gabby I let her a couple times then worked on the "quiet" command. I don't care for barking dogs, I don't mind it when they have good reason (someone outside). For our lab, we had to go to a bark collar. It was the only way to quiet her down. She does not need it now, she wore for 2-3 weeks and that was all it took. She still barks, but not nearly as bad as she did. I don't know at 13 weeks I would go that route. 

When in the crate, you can cover it so your dog can't see you. We did that with our lab at events. She would start to get whiny, barking and gear up, we covered her crate so she could not see. When she settled down we would allow her to see, if she started up again, cover. She figured out QUICKLY she wanted to see and had to be quiet. She is VERY good in her crate at events, and at home.


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## Charliethree (Jul 18, 2010)

Is there any way you could teach her that when she barks you go away? Any kind of interaction (even talking) with her when she is barking -reinforces the barking. Perhaps put her in her kennel, give her a stuffed kong or something to entertain her and start 'cooking' if she barks - leave the room until she is quiet, then return and give her a treat (for being quiet), if she starts up as soon as you re-appear - disappear again -as long as she is quiet, you stay and periodically reward for the 'quiet' -she barks - you leave. It will take some practice but she'll catch on.

A lesson I learned from a foster pup... She had a very hard time settling down and any time I went near food, she would get really wound up. After trying other things, I came to realize that she was trying to tell me she was hungry. I started feeding her a little extra at mealtimes and it helped a lot - she could settle down and even started sleeping thru the night.


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## goldenboy2010 (Nov 23, 2010)

Our puppy hasn't taken an interest in our food. But I had the same problem of him barking for his food. I find that telling them quiet or giving them any reaction just reinforces the behaviour. How much exercise does she get a day? Barking is sometimes as a result of boredom too.

Puppies should work for their food even at 13 weeks. I go by the NILF principle - Nothing In Life is Free. There is a lot of info online. Cesar Millan is an advocate of this too. If you haven't already, you should start teaching her to sit or lie down quietly, and then place the bowl on the floor. It's a little difficult at that age so it is something that requires work and patience. You should also make her do a few commands before she gets the food. For example, make her do five sits in a row (with a treat or kibble each time she does it right). Then she gets to eat. Another suggestion is to take her for a walk or exercise before mealtime so that she doesn't have so much energy and is more likely to be submissive for her meal and quiet while you are eating. 

The one thing I did that contradicted the NILF principle is when to feed him. I never fed him after us at that age. Barking through a meal is annoying. When he was done eating, we put his blanket/mat beside our dining room table in the same spot everytime and gave him his favourite toy to play with while we ate. If he was quiet, he got a piece of kibble or treat occasionally throughout our meal. If he sat up and started to walk away, we made him lie back down on the blanket. Then we give him a treat after a minute of lying down or playing. And so on. This really interrupts your meal but it pays off as they mature. Now he now knows that when we eat, he has to lie down quietly in one spot. Giving a good toy will help ease boredom while you eat. Or if you want to feed her after you eat, give her some kibble in the Kong or a food dispensing toy to keep her busy while you eat. Or give her an ice cube to lick.

Those are my 2 cents. But it definitely gets easier as they mature and with regular obedience training and practice.


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## julliams (Oct 27, 2010)

I guess when I am cooking a meal for the family, I cook meals that take only around 30 minutes to make so often I'm doing a couple of things at once and leaving the area to "deal" with her is just not possible. Thankfully we have our school holidays now so there is not real rush to be anywhere but in a short time that will change. 

I hear "pay no attention to the barking" but also "do not allow her to find her voice" which makes it hard to know which is the right approach.

I'm thinking of investing in a Kong Wobbler which might be something I can give her whilst I prepare. It's supposed to take quite a while for them to get the food out and you can put it in the dishwasher so it will be hygenic. But even organising that will bring on barking I'm sure.

We find that if we eat at the table she is not too bad but if we eat in front of the TV (something we like to do from time to time) she becomes a real nuisance in that she comes over and jumps up on everyone's laps making the whole meal one of anxiety rather than the comfortable meal it's supposed to be. I guess the answer to that one is to tether her just out of reach and give her a kong.


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