christinepi Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 Tracker sometimes lets me know when it's dinner time with some really shrill barks, but no more than a few times a month. I always ignore it so as to not teach him bad habits. I don't even look at him. I always wait until he's been quiet for a few minutes before I get up to feed him (provided it is indeed dinner time). So that's never been a problem. But lately (after more than 5 years) he's started to bark (and he's otherwise very quiet) just because he feels like it. It still doesn't even happen daily; it's more like twice a week. Mainly it's just one or two barks and that's it. Maybe later breakfast, or some other random time. Most recently it happened 10 minutes ago, which was AFTER just having been fed. He looked at me with the same exasperated look that says "I'm starving, don't you get it???" as when he barks BEFORE he's fed, and wiggles. It is so stinking cute and I just want to pet and kiss him. It seems to me he's not doing that to get food, since he's just been fed, but he's just exuberant somehow, which is nice; yet I feel if I reward that by paying attention to it, I'll teach him it's ok ALWAYS--is that true? Or will he know the difference? Mind you, it's not a problem, I'm just curious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeofNE Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 Buck "talks" to me too. He was totally silent for six months, then as he got more comfortable, he started voicing his opinion on various matters. Usually he's telling me he'd really like to go check and see if there are any chipmunks outside, or rabbits, or such. I usually just tell him, "Not yet" or "not right now" the first few times. After the third or fourth time I tell him to shut up! That usually works. Quote Susan, Hamish, Mister Bigglesworth and Nikita Stanislav. Missing Ming, George, and Buck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fruitycake Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 Monty had someseizures and seemed to revert to puppyhood (including obnoxious shrill puppy barks in our faces), and I think I manages to cure that by laughing out loud at the ridiculous noise from a 75 lb dog. He was never rewarded for it, though, so it took only a couple of weeks of laughter at him to cease that behavior. I am about 98% sure that he knew I was laughing at him and not 'with' him because when I did it he'd get this disgusted/disgruntled look and sigh and go back to his bed. It wasn't a fake laugh either, because a bark that sounded like it was coming from a 10-week old 10 lb puppy coming from a 20 month old 75 lb greyhound was really funny and I actually couldn't not laugh. Is there a way you could encourage playfulness before the sharp bark comes into the picture and if he does bark immediately ignore him to indicate your disapproval of the barking? So quiet on his part gets fun interaction and barks that pierce the eardrums get the silent treatment? You might use a cue to indicate barking is wrong (not a yell or the overused 'no!' but just a word for quiet) before ignoring. Sorry I can't be of more help, but laughing at Monty was our cure for that! Thank goodness.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christinepi Posted July 2, 2015 Author Share Posted July 2, 2015 Monty had someseizures and seemed to revert to puppyhood (including obnoxious shrill puppy barks in our faces), and I think I manages to cure that by laughing out loud at the ridiculous noise from a 75 lb dog. He was never rewarded for it, though, so it took only a couple of weeks of laughter at him to cease that behavior. I am about 98% sure that he knew I was laughing at him and not 'with' him because when I did it he'd get this disgusted/disgruntled look and sigh and go back to his bed. It wasn't a fake laugh either, because a bark that sounded like it was coming from a 10-week old 10 lb puppy coming from a 20 month old 75 lb greyhound was really funny and I actually couldn't not laugh. Is there a way you could encourage playfulness before the sharp bark comes into the picture and if he does bark immediately ignore him to indicate your disapproval of the barking? So quiet on his part gets fun interaction and barks that pierce the eardrums get the silent treatment? You might use a cue to indicate barking is wrong (not a yell or the overused 'no!' but just a word for quiet) before ignoring. Sorry I can't be of more help, but laughing at Monty was our cure for that! Thank goodness.... Laughing might actually be the best strategy. His "new" barks come on so infrequently and out of the blue suddenly that I can't really pre-empt them with anything. I'll try laughing, which is really easy to do anyway... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Rubbles_Mom Posted September 6, 2015 Share Posted September 6, 2015 I've also started to see this. Now barks at me when it's dinner time or wants to play. Trying to ignore and teach "quiet". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smurfette Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 Andy does the same. He barks at me in his little puppy voice whenever he wants attention. I discovered that it is less frequent the more we all roo together. I encourage my boys every few days to a nice greyhound song. I sit on the sofa and start rooing and my boys join in. It's a pack thing. A sign that we belong together. But I have to say that I love my hounds' voices and I encourage them to bark. We live in a small village with mostly elderly people and there were some breaking and enterings some weeks ago. I feel much safer with my barking trio. Even my neighbours feel safer because my boys guard their property, too. So we don't get problems. And we all know greyhounds do not bark that much, just a little... ...and out windows are soundproof... Quote Sorry for butchering the english language. I try to keep the mistakes to a minimum. Nadine with Paddy (Zippy Mullane), Saoirse (Lizzie Be Nice), Abu (Cillowen Abu) and bridge angels Colin (Dessies Hero) and Andy (Riot Officer). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kudzu Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 Mine all seem to love laughter so anything that gets a laugh seems to get repeated. Be careful what you laugh at. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest CarryOnAMusing Posted September 8, 2015 Share Posted September 8, 2015 A sudden, silent, "stink eye" in his direction may silence him too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mansbestfriend Posted September 8, 2015 Share Posted September 8, 2015 Hi. Often greyhounds hide their emotions very effectively when they're around us. When they want to share, it's probably worth taking notice of. Whatever you choose to do, please do try to find the reason behind the barks. (Rhetorical questions) It's almost certainly an attempt to communicate something, but what? What were both dog and human doing immediately before the barks? Were you somehow soliciting a reaction? Was the dog frustrated? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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