Saturday, November 10, 2012

Dog Health Questions: How can I make the family dog shut up!?! Please help!?

We've had a greyhound/lab mix for over a year now and she will not be quiet. Don't get me wrong, I love her to death but I'm taking AP courses in high school and need to be able to sleep. The problem we have with her is a little different than most dogs. She doesn't bark. What she does is makes this EXTREMELY LOUD "Woo" sound that can almost split your ears because it's so piercing. I wear Extra-Strength ear plugs and still hear her "wooing" as we call it. It always wakes me up and is seriously affecting my sleeping pattern, thus affecting my grades. I beg my parents to try and quiet her which my mom tries to do but my dad won't. The neighbors complain but my dad doesn't even try to quiet her. She can be heard wooing up to 4 blocks over. I'm amazed animal control hasn't been called on us! It's so insane and I am on the verge of going crazy here. No matter how many times we tell her no or stop or be quiet: you name it, we say it, and she does not stop. We've put her in dog training and she doesn't stop. We've tried squirting her with a squirt bottle and that's the only thing that starts to quiet her down but we have to squirt her about 10 times before she stops wooing. I really don't know what to do here because nothing but the squirt bottle works but my dad doesn't want us to do that to her. If anyone has ANY tips on how to make her quiet please, please, please share them! We can't spend a lot of money though but I'm totally desperate. Also, what is your opinion on squirting her since that's the only thing that semi-works?

Dog Training Hand Signals - 2 Important Commands You Can Teach Today



Recommended Answer:
Have you considered that your dog's "wooing" might be separation anxiety? Does your dog sleep in the same room as any one of your family member? Sometimes wolves will make a sound almost like it when it or a member of the pack is separated from the rest. If it is separation anxiety, then all you need to do is let her into one of your family member's room.

Another thing you can do to correct the "wooing" is to give a correction to the dog. Every time, the dog woo, you can use a correction word; always use the same word to correct the behavior. If that does not work, then you can use a touch and the correction word at the same time. When I have to use a touch to correct my dog, I usually use my fingers to imitate a bite (which is what dogs in the natural world uses to correct a member of the pack) and do a quick "bite"/firm tap at the side of the neck or at the space between the ribs and hip bones (the two most sensitive areas on a dog's body). For this to work, the correction needs to be done by everyone in your family/pack so that your dog is getting the same message from everyone. When you give any correction, verbal or physical, you never want to feel any emotion other than calm and assertive/firm; when you feel anything but calm, such as nervous, anxious, frustrated, angry, etc, you become weak in the dog's mind and dogs do not listen to weakness. Dogs also do not take well to punishment, which is when a correction is done when the person is feeling anything but calm.

Also, having all your family members taking the pack leader position to your dog helps a lot. As a pack leader, your influence on your dog's behavior carries a whole bunch more weight than a follower trying to get the pack leader to do something. You can try reading "Be the Pack Leader", "Member of the Family", and "Cesar's Way" by Cesar Millan to learn more about pack leader mentality, how the dog world works, and solving many dog behavioral problems.

Good luck.

Edit: Forgot to mention that you do not want to give affection when your dog is wooing, for example, petting. If you do this, then you are telling your dog that you like your dog making that noise.

Dog Training Methods


  • Well if it is seriosuly becoming a problem you could get him debarked, personally not something I would do and if ur dad doesnt like the squirt bottle I doubt he will be up for getting him de barked
    And I use a squirt bottle on my dogs all the time, counter jumpers!!

  • Often times if u put pennies ina soda can and shake it when ur dog barks, it will help.. She wont like the noice and will avoid it. Their ears r super sensitive.

  • My dog has the same problem, except he growls instead of barking. Make sure before you go to bed that you can satisfy him such as feeding or drinking him, playing with him, etc. Maybe he needs attention too. Try paying attention to him more.

  • I see nothing wrong with using a squirt bottle, I don't use it on my dogs personally because they love it so it'd be more like a reward to them. But I do use it on my cats.

    When I was training my puppy to quiet up I'd wait for him to bark, ignore him while he did (no matter how long she "wooos", ignore it) then once he was done I'd say Quiet and praise him. I would so this everyday, everytime he barked. Now when I say quiet he knows what it means and he knows what he should do, which is to hush up.

    EDIT: Debarking should only be considered as a last-ditch effort after serious attempts at training have been made. The bark of a de-barked dog is very pathetic sounding, and to me even more annoying then a bark. De-barking does NOT fix the problem, only the noise. Your dog is still trying to bark but only now it can't get it's point across. This will only stress the dog out more, causing more "barks" (wheezing) I cared for a de-barked dog at the adoption agency I volunteer for, he was the saddest sounding thing I've ever heard and "barked" CONSTANTLY

  • Debark your dog...Debarking is a veterinary surgery that involves removing tissue from the dog's vocal chords. This results in a dog's voice being quieter, when done properly. It does not stop barking/wooing as the word debarking implies, but the bark/woo now sounds like a whisper, and is thus not irritating to neighbors of dog owners that frequently bark...My girl friend had her dog debark because it wont keep quiet, but its not really a cruel thing to do, like others think it is. She don't have any complications of the surgery, and she is doing just fine now...Debarking dogs is a controversial topic. but it will help everyone else, you and the neighbors. Supporters of debarking argue that the procedure saves the lives of many dogs that might be sent to pounds because of incessant barking or wooing. Some people acquire a dog that barks/woos frequently and are soon immersed in struggles with neighbors who must listen to the dog barking at all hours of the day and night.

    For some this means trying to find the dog another home, or simply sending the dog to the pound. Since many dogs never get adopted and are euthanized, supporters see debarking as a far better choice. Additionally, those who support debarking also state they feel there is no significant evidence suggesting that debarking causes emotional damage to the dog. Since the dog can still bark, though quietly, it has not had its main “warning weapon” stolen. Most dogs that are debarked are usually subject to less remonstration and punishment by owners; so proponents of debarking suggest that dogs that are debarked are actually happier.

    Misconception about the results of debarking persists. Some dogs that have undergone debarking are likely to bark frequently, sometimes incessantly. This sounds like a weak cough, and may, in fact, prove especially annoying to dog owners. Thus dogs may be punished for barking even after debarking has occurred. People usually opt for debarking dogs when the animals chronically or habitually bark. A loud barking animal can certainly be a nuisance to owners and neighbors, especially if the problem is consistent. It is quite easy to see why frustrated owners search for a way to silence their noisy pooch permanently, especially if the animal does not respond to behavioral training or tends to bark constantly when left alone. In some cases, when neighbors complain to authorities or the situation is unlivable, owners may be unsure of what to do other than have their dog debarked. Other solutions, such as sound-activated shock collars or muzzles seem equally cruel. Some owners may even choose to kill or abandon their pets instead of dealing with the problem. Yet therapists and dog trainers insist that most barking problems are fixable with proper training. Hope this helps....

  • The answer to ALL dog training issues is obedience training. Obedience classes are available through local kennel clubs. They have two additional benefits. First, they will introduce you to people in the community who can help you with all issues regarding puppy care, and second, they provide you and your dog with great opportunities for socialization and new friends.

    If you have never taken a dog to obedience training,,you have no idea what you are missing. You and your dog will be much happeir for it, and you can be very proud of your dog when he gets his canine good citizen award. There is no better way to solve the problems you are having!

    Check it out here : www.Dog-Training-Advices.com

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