Teenage Rebellion?

[savannahsmom35]

Sigh... It seems like once we get over one hurtle and Savannah is being SOOO good, we reach another. Her newest crime?? Barking and not listening (more than normal). She has started barking while we are in the house for NO reason. EVERYNIGHT. I will say "No bark". she barks at me. I say "no". she barks at me. I say, "Savannah stop". she barks. I say Savannah, do you want to go get in your bed? Sometimes this works, usually she will still bark at me. so I put her in her bed for "timeout" for about 15 minutes. Then let her out. Usually we will do ths routine about 3 times a night. I have tried telling her no bark and giving her a treat when she is quiet. She will only stop barking if I have a treat and that is only for a few minutes. Also, if I put her in the backyard to potty, she will run around and bark like a fiend at the frogs and crickets chirping in the woods. When I try to call her to come back in the house, she won't come. I have tried treats, food, and toys and cannot get her to come in (even after she has been outside barking for an hour or more.) The only way I can get her to come in is to catch her when she runs past me. So for the past 2 nights, I have to take her out to potty on her leash to keep her under control. This is not working. By the end of the night, I am aggravated with her and so is my dh. So, here is my question. Is she in her teenage years and rebelling? Is she doing it for attention? Why has this started all of a sudden (she has only been doing this for the past 2 weeks) PLEASE give me some advise on how to stop this!!!!! If anyone else is in the same boat I am in, PLEASe let me know so that I won't feel like such a bad mother!

Edited to add that Savannah will be 7 months old on August 8th...

[Jen]

Jixxer does exactly the same thing for me. He is 11 months old and I have had him for the past two months. We went to our first obedience class Tuesday night and the only thing he wanted to do was bark at the other dogs. I kept saying "no bark" but he just ignores me. I know my neighbors just love me. Especially at 6:00 in the morning!

[Eliz222]

She is at the exact age for teenage rebellion, but I have never heard of barking as part of rebellion. Maybe try taking her on a long walk in the evening? My two seem to increase their energy right when we are ready to unwind! I will try to take them on a walk, or throw a ball in the backyard. This seems to help alot. Maybe playing with her (tug of war, throwing a ball) will help release some of her energy. Just a thought!

[Cairns2]

Sounds like adolesence. They suddenly realize there is a whole world out there and decide to bark at all of it. I don't know if they are trying to assert themselves or just testing us. Emma went through this at 18 months but it can occur anywhere from 6 mths to 3 yrs! I just ignored her outbursts and she outgrew the stage in a few weeks. I really think it's just growing pains. Check out "Surviving Your Dog's Adolescence: A Positive Training Program" by Carol Lea Benjamin.

[savannahsmom35]

Gosh you don't know how relieved I am to hear you say it is probably just a phase! Shoe, I think it may have to do with the walking too. I have only walked Savannah once this week due to the heat wave we are experiencing down here. We barely get down the street and she is panting up a storm. Hopefully it will cool off some soon and we can get back on our schedule!

[Guest girliejr]

Jack started doing the same thing at about that age. Unfortunately, he did not grow out of it! I know he does it out of bordom and because he wants attention. He does it a lot outside too. He will bark at the wind (I swear!) if it is blowing more than normal, he will sniff the air a lot and then bark for what appears to be no reason! I think it is just part of being a Cairn . I do need to take Jack for longer walks, that might be a great way to get his energy level down! Good luck Savannah's mom...I hope she grows out of this "stage" soon for you!

[Brody'sMom]

I wonder if it is the heat? A few days ago, Mia was barking like crazy the other day. She generally doesn't bark unless there is wildlife around, but on this day she was barking like a fiend. We brought her in and she quieted down, but she kept wanting to go back outside and bark!

Edited to add Mia is 9 months old.

[kayharley]

I've come to the conclusion that exercise is a must to exhaust our Cairns. I've been misled into believing that their frolicking in the house and playing in their fenced yard is adequate.

I've been trying to take a long walk every day with Madison and Elliott (Winnie isn't up to it although I feel bad taking the two and leaving her home) to tire them out and help release some of this terrier energy.

Today we did the nature hike at a secluded state park that has the most beautiful grounds. Madison was excited to walk; Elliott had to stop every 2' to sniff but it was his barking that I found amusing. He got into a tiff over a large boulder, a stick that came out of the brush, a weed as tall as he was and when we saw people on horseback I made a quick detour.

They konked out as soon as we got home and I even got to partially strip Elliott's ears while he slept.

I can understand your frustration at the barking. Madison is a #1 pain in that regard. She's going to be 2 next Friday and has lived in the same place since we got her at 3 months. We have the same neighbors who have the same cars/motorcycles/trucks/dogs/kids. Our yard is quite private with shrubs and trees and a fence but she just has to cause a commotion every time someone goes outside or slams their car door or walks by or even sneezes! It's not just a few quick barks but a long continous howling and then I find myself yelling at her to get inside. It's so embarrassing but I wonder what's worse.... a dog barking or it's owner yelling at it?

[Kramersmom]

Kramer is not a barker out of the ordinary, he will bark at the garbage trucks. He is actually afraid of the trucks but barks from the inside looking out! As far as exercise, it is a must as others have said. Since it is very hot as well here in Chicago, I exercise Kramer in the home with his favorite! PLAYING BALL! He is totally crazy for playing ball. I said if he was human he would be a ball player.

I throw a tennis ball in the house and he runs and fetches it, comes to me and drops it and we repeat this gosh many many times until he flops on the floor to say mom I'm tired. We do this before bed every night. PLaying ball with Kramer is the one thing he loves to do so we do it often threw out the day. It's so hot here I don't even like taking him out for a swim until the evening when it cools down.

I think maybe the barking is when there bored just like the kids saying mommmmm I'm boredddddddddd only with our pets there barking

Hang in there I'm sure she will stop.

[Scully'sMom]

Hmm...Scully just turned two and she barks at ANYBODY going past the house. She barks at them like there's no tomorrow and I explain with a chagrin that she's not mad at them she wants them to come play with her. (I just made that up, I'm not sure what she's thinking. ) Anybody - and I mean - anybody can come near her and she'll jump on them and lick them to death. I try saying "NO BARK", "Scully, NO!", etc. and it's like talking to the wind.

Now her new thing is with the yard fenced in she likes to lie in wait in either of the upper two corners by the gate. She's just WAITING for a car to drive up or down the driveway and then she runs back and forth across the gate barking her head off.

Nothing we've tried helps.

Is 2 too old to be a teenager???

[bradl]

Heck no. Fifty is not too old to be a teenager Time for obedience training. If you put Scully in a down stay she probably can't do that and bark at the same time. Or try lobbing a shake can to distract her.