View Full Version : Schnoodle barks at everything!
dogdaze
06-12-2006, 09:49 AM
My 1.5 year old schnoodle, Cracker, barks at everything - birds flying, leaves blowing, poeple, other dogs (of course). She seems to have a very strong prey drive. When she is not barking at what she sees, she is snuffling along the ground, and I mean it's like she is trying to ingest the scents. But the barking is really a problem when we go for walks in our neighborhood. I have seen people actually turn around and walk the other way to avoid us. Cracker was a stray dog a few short months ago, so I don't know what may have happened to her. She is a perfectly sweet and well behaved doggie when not on the leash. Great dog manners at the dog park, too. But on the leash she is a (Fire)Cracker. I've tried the (not so) Easy Leader, a harness, etc. but she still pulls until her tongue turns blue and she is breathing like a freight train. Any ideas? She was worth saving, even if it takes work to help her through her "issues".
kelsiebug
06-12-2006, 10:12 AM
schnoodle? what is a schnoodle?
dogdaze
06-12-2006, 10:24 AM
Cracker is a schnauzer and poodle mix. Someone decided to mix the two most annoying dog breeds - and then I adopted one!
kelsiebug
06-12-2006, 10:43 AM
oh........ im sorry, but a poodle x schnauzer is a mix breed.
then on the training- my dogs we use to have were bad at that. all we had to do was after the first few dogs we had to train, we bought a choke chain, two leashes and when they began to pull we snatched it back a bit and said wait. then soon enough my daddy could say, "wait now" and precious would turn around and wait, stop pulling and all- but that was us and our gsd's. not sure if this will help any, but you can try (?).....
:)
dogdaze
06-12-2006, 11:09 AM
Not sure what you are sorry about. Sounded a bit like purebred dog snobbery. I'm sure you didn't mean it that way!
ChessieLvr
06-12-2006, 12:18 PM
Cracker is a schnauzer and poodle mix. Someone decided to mix the two most annoying dog breeds - and then I adopted one!
LOL! Don't you hate it when they do that! Good for you for adopting a dog needing a home!
No help for you on the barking/excitement. Maybe she'll chill out once you've had her longer and the walks become more routine.
A controversial solution to the pulling...I use pinch collars on both my dogs. When used correctly, there is no harm done to the dog. It really helps and is worth trying if all other measures have failed.
Re: harnesses...Many dogs are often encouraged to pull when using a harness (mine are).
Good luck! Post some pics of your cute pup!
kelsiebug
06-12-2006, 12:43 PM
Not sure what you are sorry about. Sounded a bit like purebred dog snobbery. I'm sure you didn't mean it that way!
did i sound mean, snobby, what!? im sorry,( there i go again,) i didnt mean it to sound like, but i hate that these ppl give these mutts names like chicapoo, boxerdoodle, sheperdoodle, and all that, get what i mean? to me a schnoodle is a mutt. :)
Jake2006
06-12-2006, 12:57 PM
Hi, Welcome to the dogforum (I'm new too) ..
this is just a shot in the dark but what about clickers? Jake used to graze all the time when i first got him (he was also a rescue dog) - he'd eat ANYTHING - he'd even chase after his ball and stop on the way back to me to eat anything in his way! So I started rewarding him for not eating - I'd put him on his harness and when he went to graze (think he was a highland cow in his past life) I'd pull him back and say NO and he'd look up at me and I'd say good boy use the clicker and give him a treat.
I don't know how could stop him not barking other than say no (does he respond to you when you tell him to shut up?)
Its just a thought!
Anyway, good luck
Jake & his Mom Carole
dogdaze
06-12-2006, 02:33 PM
Clicker training is about the only thing I haven't tried, probably because I'm not familiar with it. Guess I need to do some reading. Cracker does respond to treats, but since I don't always have treats with me I'd like to get past that part. I've had her for 4 months now and if I look back on the time we've spent together, she had settled down a little. I know she needs time, and I'm willing to be patient. And I thought puppies were a lot of work!
dogdaze
06-12-2006, 02:38 PM
What's a "gsd"? Is this some sort of AKC shorthand that we mutt "ppl" don't have the key for?
dlambertz
06-12-2006, 02:47 PM
is is a german shepherd dog. :)
dlambertz
06-12-2006, 02:50 PM
my husband tells lily what a good girl she is when she barks and pets her to let her know she did good. something he learned from the dog whisperer... it seems to have worked well with her but you need to be consistent.
lassie
06-12-2006, 03:33 PM
What's a "gsd"? Is this some sort of AKC shorthand .................................................. ......... its a german shepherd dog
dogdaze
06-12-2006, 05:57 PM
Thanks for the clarification. I never would have figured it (gsd) out on my own. Just to say "mutt" is rather vague. Cracker looks like a white schnauzer with curley hair like a poodle. I wish I could figure out how to add apicture to a message.
Also, I do think that talking calmly and giving calming signals (yawning, licking lips, etc.) works if I do it before Cracker has gone completely bonkers. But, she gets to bonkers pretty fast. Maybe she is just crazy and should be a stay at home dog. I'm not near ready to give up yet.
dogdaze
06-12-2006, 06:22 PM
LOL! Don't you hate it when they do that! Good for you for adopting a dog needing a home!
No help for you on the barking/excitement. Maybe she'll chill out once you've had her longer and the walks become more routine.
A controversial solution to the pulling...I use pinch collars on both my dogs. When used correctly, there is no harm done to the dog. It really helps and is worth trying if all other measures have failed.
Re: harnesses...Many dogs are often encouraged to pull when using a harness (mine are).
Good luck! Post some pics of your cute pup!
I hope this worked. It's sort of a test. If the picture is there, you'll easily see the schnauzer and poodle
http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g37/darraenorling/000_0009.jpg
kelsiebug
06-12-2006, 06:53 PM
:) he is so so so so pretty!:)
Zoes_mama
06-12-2006, 07:11 PM
Cracker is a cutie!!
ChessieLvr
06-12-2006, 08:38 PM
http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g37/darraenorling/000_0009.jpg
Awwww...she's too cute!! Now she just doesn't look the the rascal you make her out to be!:p
To post a pic so it shows up in your post,
Click on the yellow mountain/sun icon
Enter the URL of your picture
Now how to resize a picture??? Obviously, I have no clue!!
lassie
06-13-2006, 02:11 AM
are you talkng about the same dog???????????? looks so cut and innocent in the piccie LOL
MrsRottie
06-13-2006, 04:23 AM
Ah bless! What a lovely boy he is!!
You could try the water pistol trick for the barking... get a small one that will conceal in your hand. When out walking, he barks, you squirt him in the face. Sounds barbaric, but it's only a bit of water and will shock him into stopping. At this point you could treat/teach key word ie Quiet, good quiet boy etc.
The most important thing is not to let him know where the water is coming from - don't even look at him while he's showing unwanted behaviour.
Good Luck!
dogdaze
06-13-2006, 01:42 PM
Cracker and I thank you all for your kind words and advice. She can be cute, but cute is as cute does!
I tried the water gun out this morning and it worked like a charm! At first when she got a spritz, she looked around like, "What the heck?". It didn't take long until I could tell that she had wanted to bark, but looked around for the spritz instead. I thank you and my neighbors thank you!
I may now be able to post pictures, too. We'll see.
http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g37/darraenorling/100_0193.jpg