Stop the barking!!!!!
Our girl is wonderful, except for a couple things...first, she's shredded 4 beds so far, and too many blankets to count. I hate to take everything away from her as we have ceramic tile thru the whole house. Any suggestions?
And barking...this ones a biggie. She barks for attention almost constantly. My husband and I are home with her all day, so I don't think it's separation anxiety. She just wants to play ALL day. If we put her in her pen for quiet time...she barks. If we try to ignore her..she barks for attention. We've tried loud noises, and guess what?? She barks. Water bottle..barks. Telling her "no bark"...she barks back. Forget locking her in a room..she would eat her way out. She thinks my husband exists solely for her entertainment. I understand therein lies most of the problem...but how to fix it????? #goodthingtheyrebothcute
And barking...this ones a biggie. She barks for attention almost constantly. My husband and I are home with her all day, so I don't think it's separation anxiety. She just wants to play ALL day. If we put her in her pen for quiet time...she barks. If we try to ignore her..she barks for attention. We've tried loud noises, and guess what?? She barks. Water bottle..barks. Telling her "no bark"...she barks back. Forget locking her in a room..she would eat her way out. She thinks my husband exists solely for her entertainment. I understand therein lies most of the problem...but how to fix it????? #goodthingtheyrebothcute
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"It's not just a Dog, it's a Bull Terrier!"
www.bulliesofnc.com
First of all, I am probably not telling you anything new here, Bull Terriers ARE VERY ACTIVE dogs. They always were and always will be.
I sometimes feel a little sorry for people, who get those pups, thinking how cute they are, being unprepared and completely overwhelmed by their steam two weeks later, having nothing to put up against it and eventually being completely ruled by a puppy of only a few months of age.
In your case it does not seem to be so bad. But if this level of energy is still kind of new to you in a dog, it will become a learning phase for your dog AND for you. No problem.
High excitement levels, a lot of activity, in some of them barking (my dog is a barker, too), jumping, problems with calming etc. are ALL perfectly normal behaviors in YOUNG Bull Terriers.
Plus Bull Terriers go through a looooong phase of maturing. So these issues may take a little longer than in other breeds to be corrected by training.
But it is possible. they are smart and they are willing to learn.
It seems like you have already tried a lot of things.
While the bad news is that you will probably have to live with the fact that your dog is on the more vocal side in general and WILL bark occasionally, the problem can sure be controlled to a certain extend, especially the barking for attention.
So, here's a list of questions trying to figure out, what is going wrong and making your attempts so unsuccessful so far.
When did that barking phase start and how long have you been working on the issue?
You say your husband is the target of her barking. You are not?
She is calling for him?
How does he react to that?
Also how exactly do both of you react to her barking?
Can you describe a sample situation with order of events, timing etc.?
How long did you put her into another room so she had the time to destroy it?
Did she chew through her stuff during your absence?
How much exercise and WHAT kind of exercise and training does she get each day?
Are you doing any calming and patience exercises?
How about mental exercises (searching, tricks, problem solving ...)?
How is your day structured? How long is she alone each day? What happens when you come home?
Do you have very structured days or rather irregular?
What kind of pen/ crate does she have and where is it located in your house (exposed, remote…)?
keep her active with long walks, fetch, tug of war, bully pole ect.
If thats doesnt work,
-doggy daycare. Its not just a place to use when you are at work, or can't watch your puppy, its a place for them to learn social skills, to play, and to burn off energy.
-dog park. I take Boomer and Chooba at least 2-3 times a week, a couple hours each time. It has all the benefits of daycare, with the added bonus that you can be there to watch her play.
You could get a puppy rearing book and have just one sentence in it.
"A good and happy puppy is a tired puppy" and 90% of any issues will be addressed and fixed.
In my experience training and exercise can bring it to tolerable limits.
We have some worse days when Djamila acts pretty hyper. That seems to be on those days when I don't have the time to pay as much attention as usually, because I am stuffed with work. And to me it seems like a form of self-entertainment, if that makes any sense. She tends to be announcing the fly at the wall then.
But that's very rare. Most of the time Djamila's barking is controllable and limited now - especially if she gets enough attention and exercise during the day, as well as calming phases.
And after all, I don't want my girl to completely stop barking. It tells strangers that a dog watches over the house. Not the worst thing in my opinion.