# My 5 month old barks at everything!!



## Coastal Pup (Jan 30, 2021)

Bumping up


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## laurab18293 (Oct 6, 2021)

He might be a little bored. If the weather is a problem I would look into fun inside games and treat puzzles. Also, training with your dog is a great way to stimulate their mind and get some energy out. There are plenty of youtube videos that I used myself this past winter. I just googled "inside games for dogs" or "training for fun with your dog". Also who doesnt love a well trained dog? This will help both of you and its fun!

I also love Kongs, puzzle mats, and frozen beef marrow bones from the butcher. Im not an expert but I find when I give my dog something to do like chew something frozen or lick she will settle. My Billie girl loves a job as most Goldens do I believe. 

Best of Luck!


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## sevans (Jul 18, 2021)

Also- crate training will be a big help- especially if he has something to keep him busy- beginning with short periods.


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## Aeacus (Sep 1, 2021)

Kuttu said:


> Mealtimes are a headache because he will go on barking untill he can see the food.


Perhaps some more experienced dog owner can back this up, but to me, this indicates that he has learned to bark, to get the food.

Now, getting this "bad habit" is easy, since it only takes 1-2 times, where he barks and after that, he has gotten the food. While it is considerably harder and time consuming to train him out of it.

Idea is, not to give him the reward, he thinks, he can get with barking. Be it food, or even your attention.
And it will be difficult, since you need to outlast his barking "sessions" and only when he is quiet, you give him his reward. <- This teaches him, that he does not get what he wants with barks (currently, he does think so).

Oh, crate/pen training also helps, especially alone training. This way, your pup can be without you for some time, without creating a racket.


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## goldielynn (Sep 5, 2020)

The barking during mealtime seems to be demand barking. Typical of young puppies, but you have to nip it in the bud soon or it just becomes an annoying habit. The barking at the baby gate also seems like demand barking, trying to get your attention.

You cannot feed him if he's barking -- I know it's hard but this just reinforces his barking. By this age, our puppy mostly outgrew his barking. There's an interesting technique suggested by some trainers to fill a jar with coins, and you can shake it every time he barks at you. Every time he barks, you shake. I think it's supposed to mimic barking back. Soon enough, he will stop barking, and just wait 5 seconds (and then build up to a longer duration, maybe a minute), and then set his food down. Do this enough times, and he'll get the message. Same thing with letting him through the baby gate -- don't let him out until he's quiet.

Funny thing is that now we're trying to teach our dog "speak" as a command/trick. And it's sooo hard to teach because we've conditioned him so well to not bark at us. At best, he'll let out half a bark after 5 mins of waiting.


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## kikis_retrieving_service (Mar 29, 2021)

We have had success eliminating behaviours with the can of coins! (Countersurfing).

Ours demand barked at mealtime around that age too. We would have her on a house leash, ask her to sit, and prepare her food right in her line of sight. Every time she barked or broke her sit, we'd say "too bad" and stop. Only after she was sitting quietly in her original spot would we resume. The first few times she needed the leash for us to enforce putting her back in the same spot, but she picked up really quickly that the fast way to food was to sit quietly. These are very intelligent, food motivated dogs I think!


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## Kuttu (8 mo ago)

Hello! 
Thank you everyone for your suggestions. A lot of it was boredom. I have started working on training and indoor sniffy games in the morning when I cant take him out. That works wonders. Now there is pretty much only the sound of his snores as he sleeps on my foot.

As for the mealtime, I am working with him so he comes and sits next to me quietly while I make his food. Its still a work in progress, but he is doing loads better now!


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## Aeacus (Sep 1, 2021)

With our pup, and every time it's feeding time, we have a ritual what we do:
* Once the bowl is ready with his food, we stand next to his bowl holder, holding bowl in our hands, waist level. And then, our pup has to sit down, close-by and look us directly into the eye, for about 5-10 seconds. After he has done that nicely, we lower the food bowl, so that he can start eating.

This has several positive aspects for doggo:
1. He feels like he has earned his food (doing tasks, like sitting quietly and making eye contact with us).
2. It teaches him manners, to be patient and quiet.
3. He knows that food comes from us and doesn't magically appear.

When he doesn't make eye contact with us and/or watching the food bowl instead, we do not lower the bowl. He has to complete his task correctly to get the food.


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