Opinions on barking at other dogs - Page 1

So, once again, I'm gonna show how new I am to having a dog. 

A few weeks ago I brought my pup to the vet to finish her vaccinations. She was barking and barking at the other dogs (because I had accidentally conditioned her to do that, and have been working to correct it now :-/) and the vet was kind of severe to me about it. I should add, once my pup is able to smell and play with any other dog for a little (so long as that dog isn't aggressive towards her) then she stops barking and just wants to lick their mouths and such. But since people are freaked out once they see  a GSD bark, even though she's still small, they don't let their dogs near her. So she keeps barking and barking.  She doesn't normally bark at people, and is extremely gentle with children.

So my question is this: is it so absolutely horrible that she barks at other dogs? I saw a man walking 2 giant bull mastiffs, and his dogs ruffed at me, but didn't lunge or pull on their leads or anything like that. I get that it's annoying when a dog barks, but if it's not trying to be aggressive or lunge or anything, can barking be so horrible that I get looks when I take my pup to puppy school to work on her training?

I'm sure some people on here would say that any barking is intolerable, but I'm looking for more generalized thoughts on the matter- a discussion of the pros versus cons of dogs barking at other dogs.
 
Oh, and I'd appreciate it if I didn't get the whole speech on 'you didn't socialize your pup enough.' It's a complicated matter, and we have been socializing her.

The way I see it, you can teach your dog not to bark, as well to bark with commands. You most likely get looks because your ill mannered barker can be a catalyst for other dogs to misbehave. Their owners are not appreciative of your training at the present. Do keep at it, with an experienced trainer if needed. Wise words I will repeat for you, that I learned here:

It is better to prevent a training problem, and much harder to fix one. Best wishes with your pup.

"I get that it's annoying when a dog barks, but if it's not trying to be aggressive or lunge or anything ...." .... she's not doing these behaviors .... yet. As she gets older, this behavior may escalate and besides, if you keep allowing her to bark at every dog she sees, pretty soon you aren't going to want to take her anywhere.

Okay, that's fair.

Well, when she barks at other dogs, we don't allow her to play with them. We just keep walking with her, keep her moving away from them. That's what the puppy school trainer said to keep doing. We will also be getting her a gentle leader. I was just asking about opinions in general, because I've known some people who do like it when their dogs bark. Hence the getting opinions.

Bichons, toy poodles, Shih Tzus, Poms,  all considered "cute" and "feisty" when they bark and/or lunge at other dogs or people. GSD's that do that are vicious.  It's a double standard. Do what you need to do to teach her that behavior is not acceptable, get professional help if that's what it takes. 

Can't say I'm crazy about the response you got from you vet either, I'd  probably not be going back there again. You don't need to be lectured about a barking puppy, you need advice on how to teach her not do it. If I get the impression a vet doesn't like my dog or the breed, they don't see me again.

Good luck, I think she just needs some training and maybe a basic OB class taught by a GSD person or at least someone who likes the breed.

I see you are taking her to puppy school. That's really a good idea.

Thanks for the advice Blitzen about the vet. We've gone there twice, and saw a different vet each time, so it might have just been that particular woman who might not have been thrilled with my pup. I think the puppy school will definitely help, but I've also started on doing some mild dominance and submission stuff with massages and physical manipulation. At first she freaked out, but even in just two days she's been calmer and more likely to obey when we tell her 'no.' She's also (finally!!!) started to really enjoy being rubbed all over.

Do you have any advice on barking when it comes to scheduled play dates? Our friends have a giant 6 month old puppy that comes over every now and then, and I'm just wondering what I can/should do if she starts barking after they start playing. We've just been letting the other puppy do his thing, which is normally ignoring her or rarely nipping close to her so she gets the message. Is that fine? Thanks!!!

Oh, I don't know if this matters or not, but she's 14 weeks tomorrow, so I'm not sure that makes a difference or not in terms of a training approach. We had been having a private trainer come to our house to help us learn what to do, but eventually decided that we wanted to go a different route and start puppy classes in a formal environment.

Uschi,
It really is a matter of you being consistent at that age. Whenever she barks inappropriately, you have to be right there with your "NO". And then gently praise, when you get the response you want. If that means you have to interrupt play to put a leash on to get her to pay attention to you, and your "NO", that is what you do. Once she is quiet and calm, you allow her to play.

Not much different than a two year old baby, at the moment. I actually use the word, "Quiet" and I only have to say it once, because the "barker" knows, I have been alerted but I made the call, "All is well". 
 

One barking dog can get a whole kennel of dogs to start barking, so it's a bad habit for her to have developed. The barking can also trigger aggression in other dogs that are reactive. They can see it as a challenge, and it may trigger a fight.

Add that to how annoying it can be to others, and it's definitely a habit that needs to be corrected.