# How to stop my westie barking at the TV?



## cullamubba (Apr 2, 2010)

Our 6 year old westie is awful at barking at the TV. She barks at all sorts of things but mainly animals, especially other dogs. Also thing like whistling she hates and evil characters. Random I know! lol

We got in a trainer for a one to one session and he did some work with her but basically told us to get a bottle with some stones in it and shake it when she barked to startle her and make her stop. This did work for a while but a year on, she has stopped caring when we shake the bottle. She does notice and if you do manage to take her by suprise it does work, but if shes expecting it she ignore you. 

Are there any other things like this that we can try so we can sort of alternate so she doesnt get too wise to it? Either that or any other different approaches to tackling this problem.


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## lucysnewmum (Feb 25, 2010)

probably the only way to stop this behaviour is to give her something better to do. i suggest working on recalling her away from the tv with a high value treat like chicken, liver, or sausage. tinned hot dog sausages cut into small pieces with a little bit of garlic paste added are ideal and cheap. every time she barks entice her away from the tv with a WHATS THIS, show her the treat and when she comes get her to sit before giving it to her. tell her NICE QUIET. hopefully she will soon learn that sitting with you quietly while all the other dogs are barking means she gets a treat.

:thumbup:


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## cullamubba (Apr 2, 2010)

Good point. Thanks, I hadn't thought of tackling it from the other angle. I'll give that a go.


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## DebbieP (Jan 4, 2010)

There are loads of products out there to help train dogs to stop barking. I know these anti bark collars are supposed to be quite good. They send out an ultrasonic sound when the dogs barks which humans can't hear but dogs find unpleasant and they learn to associate the noise with their barking so they stop. Might be worth giving it a try! At any rate, I don't think they're very expensive. This site has quite a large range if you want to have a look:

Stop dog barking

Good luck!


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## hutch6 (May 9, 2008)

Does he react the same if the volume is off?

Does he react the same if you turn the brightness down but leave the sound on?

I suppose the only way to test this is to record the advert or any advert he reacts to and try it. Then you can work on conditioning him to the TV to try and erradicate the reaction.

If it is only certain channels that are broadcast over the Digital network and you have a flat screen TV then it could be down to the refresh rate of the screen which is allowing your dog to see the screen.

I think a dog can see what is happening on TV when the screen refresh rate is around 70Hz-80Hz (American TV signal refresh rates are around 60Hz so the dog can't see the picture or if they do it will most likely look like a very old flickering film) and if you TV is a modern LCD TV HD Ready flash thing the refresh rate coul dbe upto 200Hz which would give the dog a very clear view of what is going on.

Do you use surround sound? Was there a noise on the advert which would have startled the dog? Did the dog react direct towrds to the screen or a surround sound speaker?


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## leashedForLife (Nov 1, 2009)

as Inkdog already suggested - teach what U *want* as a behavior.

try adapting this one... 
HowStuffWorks Videos "Barking at the Door"


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## goody2shoes (Jan 31, 2011)

Hi, I have the same problem with my 2 year old westie and it's driving us nuts. We have tried all sorts of things, including the pebbles in the plastic bottle, which worked for about a week. Did you manage to find anything to solve the problem you had with your westie and, if so, have you got any advice to help me.


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## newfiesmum (Apr 21, 2010)

goody2shoes said:


> Hi, I have the same problem with my 2 year old westie and it's driving us nuts. We have tried all sorts of things, including the pebbles in the plastic bottle, which worked for about a week. Did you manage to find anything to solve the problem you had with your westie and, if so, have you got any advice to help me.


Victoria Stilwell had this exact problem on her show repeated last week. First she tried taking the dog out for a couple of mins, bringing him back when he was calm, repeating. That did not work. So, she then tried this: when he barks at the tv, take yourself and everybody else in the room out. After a few goes of this, the dog actually started to behave when he didn't have an audience.

It is worth a try.


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## silverbeetle (Jul 17, 2009)

This must be a common westie problem as my westie Freddie does this too. 

He will bark at most animals but also at random things - at the moment any bell noise seems to set him off. He barks with and without the sound off. He also watches some programs quietly.

There is an advert with giggling babies which makes him wag his tail and want to play - very cute.


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## newfiesmum (Apr 21, 2010)

One of my dogs thinks they are in the house when he sees a dog on the telly. He tries to get in there with them and knocks the tv flying!


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## Dogless (Feb 26, 2010)

newfiesmum said:


> One of my dogs thinks they are in the house when he sees a dog on the telly. He tries to get in there with them and knocks the tv flying!


:lol::lol::lol: The idea of a newfie flying at the TV  Hope you have insurance


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## kaisa624 (Mar 5, 2010)

Holly barks a lot at the tv, but we generally send her to her bed, and she'll shut up, but sometimes she doesn't


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## cullamubba (Apr 2, 2010)

I posted this nearly a year ago and she still does it!

I've taught her a new command, come away, so she comes away from the TV then I say in your bed and she gets in her bed. It does work each timebut it doesnt stop her doing it the next time. 

I don't know if any other westie owners find this, but shes a proper telly addict! She recognises the adverts and barks at them straight away even when the dog r the animal isn't until the very end of the advert. Or she automatically barks at the things on BBC 1 in between the adverts. She doesnt like the dogs, the hippos, or the woodland scene one, but she barks at them all! Although strangly enough she doesnt mind the pengiun one :confused1:

Or the mcdonalds adverts. She'll bark right from the beginning even though it's only the whistle at the end she doesnt like. 

I don't think by this stage that we'll ever get her out of it!


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## silverbeetle (Jul 17, 2009)

Freddie recognises the music on adverts and will start to bark and jump at the TV when he hears something he doesn't like. Luckily our TV is out of his reach!

He does sit and watch the TV too - he likes to watch the soaps! He does like the giggly babies advert and really wags his tail when they are on


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## Braighe (Jul 2, 2010)

My westie doesnt really bark at the tele, but if any sirens come on (especially American ones) he starts howling.

A real deep throated howl. I googled why he does it, and all I got was that it sounds like other dogs howling so he is just letting them know he is there.:


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## new westie owner (Apr 30, 2010)

Bobby does to animals on tv mostly horses other times he will watch without barking


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## Horse and Hound (May 12, 2010)

Rupert does it, then flies off the couch to pick his toy up, grumbling and moves it away from the tv...as if the lion on the tv is eyeing up his toy.

I tend to distract him when he starts, give him a toy and have a play until he forgets and stops watching.


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## goody2shoes (Jan 31, 2011)

It does sound like a common Westie thing - we did a lot of research before deciding upon which breed of dog to get but there was no mention of them being telly addicts! I have found that I can keep him distracted whilst the adverts are on with some cheese and this works well but it's when something comes on TV that we're not prepared for that causes the problem. The other day he actually managed to smash the glass shelf on the TV stand - a sheep appeared on a TV programme my son was watching and Wilson dived at the TV barking his head off and landed on the shelf - luckily he wasnt hurt but it still hasnt put him off!


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## leashedForLife (Nov 1, 2009)

all terrierrists are motion-sensitive and reactive to sound - 
Westies are just another of the Thin-Skinned Group in dogs. :lol: BCs, Shelties, ...


goody2shoes said:


> The other day he actually managed to smash the glass shelf on the TV stand -
> a sheep appeared on a TV programme my son was watching and Wilson dived at the TV barking his head off
> and landed on the shelf - luckily he wasnt hurt but it still hasnt put him off!


tether him to the couch-leg or UMBILICAL him to U, for his safety and the various objects.


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## powerpuffgirl79 (Apr 30, 2013)

Hello!

Our almost 3 year old westie does exactly the same; he jumps up, growls, yaps and generally attacks the tv whenever there are animals, a fast action sequence, a fight, an argument, something fast happening, adverts...we've all but give up on watching tv when he's in the room. I can't play on my xbox without him starting!

We've tried putting him on his lead when he starts and it sometimes stops him as he knows he can't get near the tv, but if we try to remove him from the room he becomes really aggressive. The only thing we can do if we want to watch something is put him in another room, though this isn't always practical.

We are extremely fed up! 

Help?!


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## Barbs (Apr 26, 2013)

Hi my westie loves tv she will sit watching animal program's loves it when chickens or ducks are on barks when they are gone, she goes mad looking behind tv ,they are so special :


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## reliable65 (May 5, 2013)

Wow exactly what my Westie does - He even recognises the tunes from the adverts and comes running in and barks like mad - putting nose prints on my tv

put it this way the neighbours know when coronation street is about to start

Im afraid i cannot help Cos 4 years later my dog still thinks that the cat and the pigeon are gonna come out of the tv at the start of corri


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## leashedForLife (Nov 1, 2009)

powerpuffgirl79 said:


> Our... 3-YO Westie does... the same; he jumps up, growls, yaps and generally attacks the tv
> whenever there are animals, a fast action sequence, a fight, an argument, something fast happening,
> adverts... we've all but give up on watching TV when he's in the room.
> I can't play on my x-box without him starting!
> ...


* Install a tether [or make a portable version] & CLIP him to it before turning on the TV.
Tethered to Success

* screw-eye into the baseboard [or 2-ft long 2 x 4], 
* 18-inches of free cable between 2 spring-clips, 
* at least 8-ft from the TV.
Randomly toss treats at the dog - he'll pay attn to the anticipated goody, vs hypervigilant focus 
on the TV, anticipating a target. 

* Or...
have a 10-ft long light drag-line on his buckle-collar [no choke-chains, no slip-collar, no slip-lead]
before the TV is on, so long as he's in the house; use the DRAG-line to move him out of the room 
the instant he reacts to the TV - *without!* scolding, acting pissed, threatening moves, etc.

As soon as he's far-enuf away to be calm, REWARD instantly - & as U give him a short series of treats, 
pea-sized or half-pea sized goodies, *warm, sincere praise* accompanies the jackpot.
Small-diced chicken-breast or lean beef, tuna / salmon / mackerel / sardines [pouch or can], turkey,
diced or grated low-fat Mozz, etc... Not kibble [*unless* U've jazzed it up by adding one or more of those 
& let it stand overnight in a zipped baggie in the frig. The smell of the nice additions permeates it, 
& then the kibble becomes really rewarding.  ].

jackpots: 
a string of small but high-value goodies, each given as quickly as the dog swallows the prior one.  ]


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## Supasilvfoxy (Apr 6, 2013)

If it was me, I would do something similar as above., but I wouldnt treat/reward in this instance. 

I would just remove the dog from the room, no talking to it at all. Leave the dogs collar on with a short lead attached, as SOON as the dog barks pick up the lead, go to the door, open the door and put the dog out of earshot of the TV. What you are teaching the dog is, there is only one consequence when it barks at the TV, it gets removed from the room. It may take a while - it all depends on the dog and the level of it's excitement but it will work as long as you are consistent. Barking means no TV, that is all you have to keep in mind.


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