Hi,

We have a 6 month old brussels griffon named Stella. The problem is, she won't
Stop barking at family members. If she hears them come down the steps or any
Little noise she barks. We have tried putting her in here crate, telling her NO and
Cesers technique of shushing her. We are at our wits end!
If anyone has any suggestions please write me.

This worked for my neighbor.

Ultimate Dog Silencer Pro Anti bark Control Device for Barking

BTW, brussels griffons are one of the cutest dogs ever, congrats.

I may not have an answer either, but I am not surprised Caesar's technique didn't work, and distrust bark collars. Too many reports of dogs becoming neurotic. They don't address the fundamental problem. The dogs see all the people and dogs in the household as a pack with each having their own rank in the pack and a top dog. Life is much easier if the 2 legged pack members outrank the 4 legged ones. You can learn to play the role of top dog by reading some books or going to a good obedience class. A good obedience class or book is about you learning to be top dog, not the dog learning it gets a treat if it sits. Start at Raising Your Dog with the Monks of New Skete.

''Elevation for small puppies: Sit on the floor and gently put your hands around your pup's middle, below his front legs, and lift him up. He is facing you. Hold him for 15 seconds. Repeat until he no longer struggles. If he is past 10-12 weeks, lift his front feet off the ground, but don't pick him up.

Cradling for small puppies: Hold your puppy gently on his back, as you would cradle a small baby. If he struggles, hold him firmly until he quiets for 10-15 seconds. With larger pups, you can do this as your sit on the floor, with your pup between your legs.

Quiet lying down: Place your pup on the floor on his side, with all 4 legs pointing away from you. Use your hands on his neck/shoulder area and middle, to hold him in this position. When he is quiet, praise him. Lengthen the time that you keep him quietly in this position. When he accepts this position well, handle his paws and muzzle, while keeping him quiet.''

The quotes mean this isn't my original work. It is copied from my Puppy Raising Manual. I have long used these or minor variations of them, and they are very effective. You may want to give him a belly rub while he is on his back too. Helps bonding. There is a big difference between him rolling over and demanding a belly rub, and you choosing a time to roll him over and rub his belly. The latter cements your place as pack leader.

The above are fundamental techniques I suggest for almost all behavior problems and should help with barking too. The truth is, Labs usually don't bark that much and I don't have methods of controlling barking that I have been successful using. It isn't even in the manual from the dog guide school. The manual does have a suggested reading list. One I have read is The Other End of the Leash by Patrica McConnell.

She suggests the first step is not to yell at the dog. After all, usually if one dog starts to bark, any others around will to. So yell at your dog when it barks and it is happy to have you bark with it. Quietly tell it enough and walk over to it with a treat, doesn't need to be very big. Let him know you have it and use it to lure him away from what he is barking at if anything, and praise him as he shifts his attention to the treat and away from barking. Once away from where he was barking, give him the treat.

Unlike much of my other advice, this is not something I have tried and found works. It does come from a reliable source and I would trust it more than something I found on a website I know little about. I just hope she isn't smart enough to figure out if she barks, she gets a treat plus your attention.

Your little dog is doing what comes naturally to her and what she feels is her job. Barking is an instinctive behavior of alerting her pack to an "intruder", even though you and your family know there isn't any intruder. She hasn't figured that out yet. She is a dog that is very protective of her territory and she is letting her leaders know that someone or something is approaching. She hasn't learned to differentiate who is a friend or foe. She doesn't know every family members footsteps yet. So, she is alerting anyone and everyone that there is a noise she is unfamiliar with and views it as a threat to the home.

When she barks like a maniac, if you give her attention by touching her, petting her, yelling at her, talking to her, picking her up and crating her,. you are actually encouraging this behavior. Direct her into a down position (lie down) and say "shh shh" or "ch ch ch" in a quick staccato to get her attention focused on you and, at the same time placing your hand in an open position in front of her face, which is your signal for her to stop, without touching her. Just a completely open palm (as if you are directing traffic) right in front of her nose so her only view is of your hand. When she becomes completely quiet, tell her "good girl", praise and pet her. If she starts yapping again, stop touching her, repeat the correction & only praise & pet her after she completely stops. Use this technique every time she yaps. Consistency is the key. She is still a puppy and it will take many corrections to extinguish any unwanted behavior. Please don't lose your patience with her. Insistent barking really is one of the most difficult behaviors to correct and/or redirect.

Hi there! I would like to introduce to you the product that I have also been using for my dog which is very effective and easy to use, the Craig's Paw Old Fashioned Bark Stopper. When your Stella starts to bark excessively, simply pick up the Craig's Paw Old Fashioned Bark Stopper, give it a shake, and regain control of your dog's barking. It's just that simple, dog barks, you shake hand, and dog stops. To see this product, please click on this link <a href=”http://www.craigspaw.com”>http://www.craigspaw.com</a>.