# Behaviour issues with Barney Boo the Cavapoo



## chocolatequeen (Mar 16, 2014)

I took on Barney (cavapoo) who was already castrated, in Oct 2013, he will be 3 in June. The reasons for rehoming him from the small family was that he needed more time with a family, it all seemed to good to be true tbh.
So months on, I now have the reasons for her rehoming, I love this dog to bits, who was a replacement for my 14 year SBT who sadly went to doggie heaven April last year. But he has some issues i cannot stop myself.
We have come across a few issues, his main one is the barking, should someone knock at the door, he aggressively dives at the letterbox (which he has damaged), absolutely no time at all to intervene. He will tear the post up if he gets to it. He barks at passers by from the kitchen window when we are out (he sits on the kitchen table, we have a v small kitchen so moving the table isnt an option) He will bark also at bikes, scooters, high viz jackets, cats and passing dogs. I have started having him on a short lead and making him sit facing me, short sharp small yank at the lead when he reacts. Fingers crossed, it calms him down slightly. Although I try not to act tense, it has come to the point that it is a hassle to take him for walks.
At this point I would add that I have tried the ultra sound collar (absolutely no difference whatsoever) I even checked the batteries.
Although the aggressive barking is the proper issue, he has now started emptying the bins during the night.
I have started adapting the pack leader tips i.e meals after ours, standing in between and making him wait and also making sure he sits and waits for me to go through the front door.
My problem is that, my husband was adamant that after Jack (SBT) died, we wouldnt have another dog but I missed him so much and need to fill that void. So the slightest trip Barney makes is noted and the last thing I want is for Barney to be moved on again; therefore these are desperate times for me because I love this dog so much, just one cuddle from him makes it feel all better but actually it isnt 
I would love to ask a behaviourist to come into our home but I simply dont have the funds to do this; therefore I am desperately asking for help on your forum.


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## ElvieMogs (Mar 22, 2012)

I'm no expert and I'm sure people who know a lot more than me will give you more advice but certain things leap out at me from what you've said. Barking is generally fear based not due to aggression so aversive techniques such as leash jerks, ultrasound or spray collars can only make things worse in the long run. Also ditch the pack leader efforts. Again, it makes things worse. Pack leader theory is based on a fallacy and does nothing to resolve the underlying issues.

In the first instance you need to try to avoid situations which set him off which will quickly give you a calmer dog then very very slowly reintroduce the scary situations. Install an outdoor postbox if possible. It worked a treat for my dog who used to station himself in our hall waiting for the postman each morning. Can you block off the kitchen window when you're out...blinds, curtains or just a piece of cardboard on the windowsill. Move the bins out of his reach.

Can you walk him in places or at times you're not going to meet anyone? Then very gradually when people bikes are in view at such a distance that he doesn't react, treat and reward, don't punish. It' say long process he will gradually get to react a shorter and shorter distance. I'll go and find some references for you


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## Sarah H (Jan 18, 2014)

I'm about to go out so this will be short and and sweet as I didn't want to read and run, but the first thing you need to do is change the environment.

Get some of that frosted paper that you can stick onto glass and put it on your windows where he looks out. This will mean he can't see people to bark at them. Obviously remove bins etc when you go out so he can't get to them.

If you can get a stair/baby gate to cordon off the door so that he can't get to it to rip up the letters. Only when you control the environment can you start training.

Also the 'pack leader' style of training has been shown to be out-dated and lots of people are very averse to it so I'd start looking up more positive training styles, maybe look into BAT too.

Hope I've been of some help but I'm sure other people have more ideas and tips


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## Linda Weasel (Mar 5, 2014)

I don't believe that to stop, sit and look at the things that make your dog bark on the lead is the best way to go. Not only are you alerting him to the fact that there is an issue, also, because he's stationary he has more time to take on board that he barked...and it had the desired effect; the person/object went away (he doesn't know that they were going to go away/past anyway).
Maybe better to reinforce his 'heel' or 'with me' command away from these situations, then, when you give the command, he will know what you want him to do in these circumstances. Obviously keep it all light and use a 'jolly hockey sticks' approach, so he has no reason to pick up from you that there may be a problem, and initially make your goal to just get him past these things with a minimum of fuss.
Also, it's too easy to get oversensitive to your dog's behaviour if you know there is somebody in the background looking for you to 'fail'......been there.
My dog seems to have learned on his own what "come on, it's none of your business' means, just cos I've said it to him so many times.

Hope this helps.


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## staffgirl (May 1, 2013)

I'd second the suggestion you look into BAT too (behaviour adjustment training). My understanding is that you gradually expose your dog but keep them under reactive threshold whilst in the presence of their trigger, whatever that may be. Plus make practical changes to the environment as already suggested by a couple of people. I have had amazing success using BAT techniques for certain things with one of my dogs. A qualified trainer helped me no end teaching me how to use these techniques. Cost me £30 for an hour and a half session where she taught me what to do.


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## Bagrat (Jun 4, 2012)

Sarah H said:


> I'm about to go out so this will be short and and sweet as I didn't want to read and run, but the first thing you need to do is change the environment.
> 
> Get some of that frosted paper that you can stick onto glass and put it on your windows where he looks out. This will mean he can't see people to bark at them. Obviously remove bins etc when you go out so he can't get to them.
> 
> ...


What Sarah said!! The fewer opportunities he has to practice the behaviours you don't like the better. Do you do any clicker training?If so as well as looking at BAT (Official Behavior Adjustment Training (BAT) site: humane help for aggression, frustration, and fear in dogs, horses, and other animals.) you might like to look at the Look at That game. There are videos on you tube. Your dog learns to glance at the trigger then do a whiplash head turn back to you on the click for a treat. Looking at scary things becomes part of the game. Below a couple of examples
Clicker Training &#39;Look at That&#39; LAT Game -teaching dogs to focus and eye contact - YouTube
Yoshi Plays Look At That (using a clicker) - YouTube


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## BoredomBusters (Dec 8, 2011)

Barking has many causes, attention seeking, boredom, fear, frustration ...- you need to work out which one is the reason he is barking before you can fix it. 

I would put some management in place, so he can't keep practising the behaviours - so don't let him have access to the front door and/or post, and don't let him in a room while you are out that gives him a view out of the window.

If he's barking because of frustration, the things you have tried will frustrate him more, and make it worse. If it's attention seeking, you are giving him the attention he is demanding and making it worse. If it's boredom, you will be having no effect - I doubt it is fear, but it's possible that's how it started back when he was young (especially if he was castrated young).

The methods you have tried are all quite 'confrontational', although I realise this is probably due to a bit of desparation on your part. If it is really that his home is at risk I would contact the APBC and get a behaviourist to come and help you. If you really don't have the funds then you may need to resign yourself to rehoming him to someone who is able to afford the care he needs. I hate to be harsh, but if you can't afford care for a dog then you shouldn't have one.


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## MollySmith (May 7, 2012)

BAT worked for us as my dog went through a completely mad barking adolescence and lead reactivity. You need a behaviourist to help you understand it though and I free, if you cannot afford this then you either have to reevaluate your prorities and invest in good training for life (as opposed to the ****** that you are employing now) or rehome him responsibly to someone who can. poor dog, all you've described is so easily resolved with a good trainer but not through the Internet. 

At least consider having 3 or 4 sessions to learn the fundamentals of clicker and BAT work so you stop thinking like a pack leader and get to grips with positive training. If you can afford ultra sound collars and presumably Jan Fennel stuff then you should be able to afford a behaviourist - for us it was priceless and worth double the money we paid for the amazing relationship we now have with our dog.


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## 8tansox (Jan 29, 2010)

BoredomBusters said:


> Barking has many causes, attention seeking, boredom, fear, frustration ...- you need to work out which one is the reason he is barking before you can fix it.
> 
> I would put some management in place, so he can't keep practising the behaviours - so don't let him have access to the front door and/or post, and don't let him in a room while you are out that gives him a view out of the window.
> 
> ...


The bit in bold I find to be extremely harsh and un-called for IMO. In an ideal world everyone would be able to afford things for their dogs, in reality this is not the case.

Personally I'd be looking at finding a training school, they're not terribly expensive and hopefully they can see the dog and handler and work out exercises etc. for them to do. Classes charge anywhere from around £3.00 upwards, but I would always go along to watch first without your dog. Shop around, don't go to anyone who uses "dominance" methods, I think it's already been said, these methods are outdated, we use far nicer methods today. Go along to a few, ring around before you go, see how big the classes are, I personally don't think there should be more than 8 dogs per one instructor - absolute maximum, (we have 4 dogs per assistant and that's plenty!).

Good luck, it does sound as if you both need some training and some/lots of trainers these days also have studied to a degree some behaviour that might be able to help.


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## PennyH (Dec 30, 2008)

If Barney is insured, you might find that the insurance covers a behaviourist.
I can't send you a private message as you haven't posted enough, but I too have a cavapoo and would love to message you when I can!
(Actually, Dexter's mum was a cavapoo and his dad was a poodle so he is two thirds poodle)
We had some issues (even though we had him from 8 weeks), but he is 3 now and absolutely, totally adorable.


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## Bagrat (Jun 4, 2012)

Hope chocolate queen will have a moment to come back and review our efforts or we could all just chat amongst ourselves.


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## Rafa (Jun 18, 2012)

I was wondering how much exercise he gets in a day and what he's fed on?


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## Linda Weasel (Mar 5, 2014)

I'm thinking that saying you should rehome a dog you obviously love isn't really very constructive; you've put in a lot of effort so far to solve his problems, albeit that it was all a bit in the wrong direction.
Find a good local training class. It's not expensive, and the trainers should have a wealth of knowledge regarding behavioural issues as well as just basic obedience stuff. You sound as if you need a bit of back up with this, and though all ( no...most) of the advice on here is great, nothing beats a face to face chat.
I'm also sensing a hidden agenda here which nobody else has mentioned, so I'll just bite the bullet and say it. Forgive me if I'm wrong but I sense maybe relationships in your house are a bit strained. If your husband is hyper-critical of your dog, and looking to be proved right in that you shouldn't have got another dog, he is making things doubly difficult for you, and having all this going on is going to effect your dog's behaviour as dogs are very sensitive to atmosphere in the home. Could you maybe get your husband onside now? Surely he would rather help (or at least not hinder) so that you can keep something that obviously gives you so much pleasure in your life. Do you know why he was so adamant that you shouldn't have another dog?
Don't give up until you've tried good, positive, reward based training (maybe for both of them). Good luck.


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## Alexisb (Jun 7, 2012)

One word - Dr Sophia Yin (ok...so that's three words!) she has lots of free video tutorials on her website. Google her! The library might stock some of her books, which you can take out for free. 

"Positive association" and "counter conditioning" (4 more useful words for you to google)

If your on FB or another social networking site/forum; see if anyone in the area with a friendly dog/s would consider doing walkies with you. Often times, being around well-socialised canines can improve the behaviour of your own, and may alleviate boredom and loneliness (in both owner and dog!)

This is no doubt, why Barney was put up for adoption, but if you're willing to put in the work, you'll end up with a wonderful companion. It's going to take time and patience to help Barney - but being a 'poo cross, he'll no doubt be intelligent enough to re-train fairly quickly. Can the organisation you got him from help with advice, or funded/part-funded training? It'd be in everybody's interests if Barney was to stay with you, rather than move on again...

Might be worth taking him to the vet (if you haven't done so already) just to rule out any underlying health condition which may be making him feel poorly.

Best of luck, I hope to get a cavapoo soon myself, so I feel for you!


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