Question: I adopted a 3 year old female Shih Tzu last year. The adoption organization told me she came from a small breeder that kept her in a small outside kennel. She is a great little dog but she has an annoying persistant bark at night. It happens after we have gone to bed when someone comes in the house late or any loud noise outside. How do I remedy this problem? We need our sleep, any ideas?
Answer:
The first thing to do is to begin by ignoring the behavior. ANY comments to the dog negative (“No” or “Stop it”) or positive (“oh, it’s ok, it’s just sissy”) give the dog the attention that it is seeking.
The longer a behavior has gone on, the longer it will take to correct. It sounds like the behavior has been going on for 2-3 years. Correcting it can be fairly easy, BUT will take time.
Step 1: “Birdcage” Method: Cover the dog’s crate with a sheet or blanket and place in an isolated part of the house. Put toys, treats, peanut butter filled kong, or whatever else the dog like. You don’t want it to be a punishment. The dog needs to be conditioned that there will be no reward outside the crate for making noise.
Step 2: Be Consistent: (This is the hardest part)You need to do this every night realizing that it may take several weeks because of how long the behavior has been a part of the dog’s routine. This is not a quick fix.
Step 3: If there is no reduction in barking, you may need to seek an evaluation for a trained professional.
Regards,
Jason Purgason, CPDT-KA