My dog, eva, barks all day when I leave her in her cage. This wouldn't be a huge problem except I live in an apartment complex and she drives my neighbors crazy. I know that she isn't hearing noises that make her bark because she is stone deaf.

I have no idea what to do. I have never had a dog that has been as much trouble as this one.

I would leave her out of her cage but I know that she would destroy my apartment. She always poops in her cage too. I know that she can hold it because I'll feed her at 5pm and she won't poop until about 4am or even later sometimes. But when I leave her from 8-5 she always poops in her cage (I had a couple weeks were she didn't--this has become a new thing). I've left her for about an hour before too and when I come back she's pooped. I think she does it to make me angry.

I've started to totally ignore it because I know that any reaction is a reaction and I'm hoping that not drawing attention to it will make her think that I don't care and she will hold it.

She has been diagnosed with OCD as far as chasing shadows and what-not so I dno't know if that could have something to do with it? We just switched her medication so hopefully in a couple weeks that will begin to work. In the mean time I am open to any and all suggestions!

Thank you everyone!

There are anti-bark collars that use a puff of citronella rather than an electric shock. I haven't used them personally, but they sound much more humane. The citronella has a strong and disagreable scent that distracts the dog and makes the after effects of barking unpleasant. Check out the Premier Pet Products website.

Carol, I have to "spread it". I fully agree that the citronella collar would be the best method to use in this circumstance. Jenie it isn't a method I like but when you are up against such a tough situation such as this, it is definitely preferable over a "shock" collar which I wouldn't use under ANY circumstance.

Jenie, you haven't mentioned how old Eva is and how long you have had her. Please understand that she isn't doing this or any of her other "negative" behaviors because she is "angry" at you. She has some major issues that she has been diagnosed with that need to be addressed. You have stated that you leave her in her crate all day for 9 hours. That is a very long time to leave any dog alone without the benefit of exercise. With OCD and shadow chasing, that girl needs more stimulation, distractions, and some sort of an outlet. You are right to ignore the pooping in the crate situation. If you aren't there to catch her in the act, it is useless to correct her. Correcting after the fact will confuse her and possibly create more issues for you. Just clean up the mess.

It is very challenging training a dog with disabilities. Do you have any doggy day care/training facilities in your area? Do your vet, neighbors, or friends, have a trainer they can recommend? My suggestion would be to contact a doggy day care facility or a recommended trainer, and speak to them about your dog's unique problems. You need to find someone who has experience training dogs with disabilities. I also think she will benefit greatly from playing with other dogs at least a couple of times a week at a day care facility. The best way to deal with the OCD issue is to tire her out. She needs a lot of exercise. An exercised dog is a much easier dog to work with and train. You will also find that if she is tired out enough, she will easily sleep through the night and not need to take a potty break at for a.m.