# Border Terrier Barking Outside Since Starting Clicker Training



## thwestend (Nov 17, 2011)

Hi all

We've recently started clicker training our Border Terrier to stop her barking at other dogs.

Before we started this training, she would only bark at other dogs she saw on the street, and at cats and other small animals.

Now, however, she seems much more on edge when we leave the house, and she starts barking at every little distraction, including people and cyclists. Obviously, this is a backward step from her only barking at other dogs!

She is fine with people if she isn't "on edge" (usually when it's quiet) - for example, we took her for a walk this morning when it was quiet and she didn't bark once, even though she saw other people and a few cars. She also saw a dog, but we managed to get her attention and reward her with the clicker before she could bark.

However, it's now the middle of the day, and she started barking on the busy street as soon as we left the house. I don't think she really knows what she is barking at - if we change direction she'll just continue barking at something in the direction we're facing!

My main question is, is the increased barking a sign of change in routine? Previously I would stop her barking by grabbing her, and talking to her. Now, I'm just trying to ignore her, with the idea that I'll click and reward when she stops. But, she generally just carries on!

She does not bark inside the home at all.

Generally, I wait for positive behaviour, then click, and reward.


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## Rottsmum (Aug 26, 2011)

I think that we need a bit more information on exactly what you are doing when your are using the clicker for the barking but the immediate thing that leaps to mind is that you have inadvertently set up a chain of behaviour which is causing her to bark.

When you distract her from barking, you need to wait for 3-5 seconds of quiet before you click and treat so that she associates the click with the quiet. If the time is any less the behaviour that you are marking is the barking, not the quiet, so she will then bark to try and provoke the click/treat.

When clicker training it is important to mark the behaviour at exactly the right time. This is relatively easy when teaching a sit or down or shaping a behaviour like going to their bed but more difficult when trying to control barking because there are two different behaviours involved, barking and not barking so the click has to be timed with great precision.


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## thwestend (Nov 17, 2011)

Thanks for the reply!

You're right; it could be that I'm clicking too soon. Sometimes, I click, and then as soon as she has had the treat, she turns and barks again.

Getting her to be quiet for 3-5 seconds without the distraction of the click could be tough though! I'll give it a go.

Essentially, I'm calling her name to get her attention, then when she looks up, I click.

Thanks again.


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

thwestend said:


> Hi all
> 
> We've recently started clicker training our Border Terrier to stop her barking at other dogs.
> 
> ...


How old is she? Pups can go through a fear period, where even a previously confident pup can again react to sighs sounds and situations again with uncertainty and fear. So possibly it could be that.

Other thought if not, Im wondering if you have had your timing a bit wrong with the clicker/treat training and you have inadvertently been rewarding the wrong behaviour. So thats why she now barks at more things.


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## thwestend (Nov 17, 2011)

She is 5 years old. We "rescued" her in April from a breeder - she'd had one litter.

She's now been spayed (in May) and we've had to teach her all sorts of things as she didn't even know any commands. When we first got her, we couldn't get her attention once we were outside! Now, however, I can easily get her to sit and lie down outside as long as she's not too keyed up, and barking/ready to bark.

The barking seems like a backward step though - previously she'd only bark at other dogs if they were running around off the lead, and she was on hers.

She's great in the house - great with toddlers, doesn't bark, doesn't chew or jump up at people, and knows that she isn't allowed on the sofa or bed!

Anyway, it was nice to get that down - a reminder that we have actually made some progress with her!


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## Rottsmum (Aug 26, 2011)

It sounds like you've made great progress with her  

Instead of calling her name try using a "watch me" or " eyes" or similar command to focus her attention on you and then count the seconds as she's looking at you before clicking. That way, by teaching a different behaviour that is incompatible with barking you'll be rewarding the focus as opposed to the bark if that makes sense.

Start teaching her in the house then gradually "proof" in different situations. She sounds a clever little girl, it won't take long before you can use it to refocus her from barking


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

thwestend said:


> She is 5 years old. We "rescued" her in April from a breeder - she'd had one litter.
> 
> She's now been spayed (in May) and we've had to teach her all sorts of things as she didn't even know any commands. When we first got her, we couldn't get her attention once we were outside! Now, however, I can easily get her to sit and lie down outside as long as she's not too keyed up, and barking/ready to bark.
> 
> ...


If you havent already I would teach her the watch me command. You could even try it without a clicker and just treats, in case your timing is off. Personally I must admit Ive never used a clicker. You can teach her this first at home. High value treats are usually, cheese, chicken,hot dogs, sausage, anything liver based usually. You can even try the cheese spread in tubes that comes with bits of ham and things in it. They tend once you have squeezed a bit out to become qute obsessive trying to lick to get more out and it keeps them occupied for longer. Find out two or three things she is mad about (One of mines cheese) and then you can rotate them to keep her interest. Hold the treat up in a position so that she has to look up into your face, as soon as she makes eye contact with you say watch me and immediately treat, Just keep practicing watch me/treat, watch me treat, but no treat until eye contact then the command quicky then quickly the treat. You can extend the time she has to "watch you" by slowly delaying the time between the watch me and giving the treat, she should learn that she has to hold the eye contact until she gets the treat. If you build up the time slowly they ont even realise they are doing it for longer and longer. Once you have got it reliable take it outside.

Dont know if you have considered a head collar, It works like a horses halter basically it gives you control of the head, and where the head is gently led the body has to follow. They do need to be habtuated and fitted correctly though. This would give you better control to turn her 180 degrees and face her in the opposite direction from which the problems coming from, it means you can then once you have turned her also be infront or her blocking anything coming from the other way.

You need to start the training firstly outside, in a place/area that will give you a wide margin of space, that way you can initially keep her at a distance she is more comfortable with, and will not be reactive, a park of playing field is usually good, where there will be other dogs and people but lots of space too. The idea is you use the watch me, keep her attention for the duration the dog is around, and then when they pass, move on. She only gets treats though for the duration the dog is there and she ignores it, treats cease once the dog has passed.

Gradually you can then build up to getting nearer and nearer as she gets better. Working up to a time when you can take her to be introduced to calm non reactive dogs, with you making a controlled introduction. The idea also is that gradually if she does look at the dog inbetween keeping her focus on you, or if she looks to you first then looks at the dog anytime but stays calm she also gets praise and a treat for that too. The idea is that in any situation you can get her attention, keep her attention and control the situation in the beginning, later working up to getting her to be able to look at the dogs calmly. Then being able to calmly be introduced to them.


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## Rottiefan (Jun 20, 2010)

Have a look at the Look At That game:
Yoshi Plays Look At That (using a clicker) - YouTube
Chili Playing "look at that" - YouTube

I think you could be using the clicker a lot more effectively. From your post, it sounds as if your dog is barking out of frustration at all the things in the environment. Whilst before it may have been triggered by only one or two stimuli, the exercises you are doing may be heightening that stress and relaying the barking onto other stimuli too.

I personally find the Watch Me command, and the sit and wait for good behaviour exercises, not as good for reactive dogs like yours. Point being that they are working on training a dog to react to your commands, rather than change their emotional perception of the triggers in the environment, i.e. other dogs. Having a Watch command is great for management, but without it, the dog may still bark. What's more, the dog can get in the habit of becoming stressed as soon as you say 'Watch me!' as they know that this cue is always given in the presence of other dogs.

The beauty about the LAT game is that the dog gets used to looking at other dogs and being rewarded for it. The dog is associating other dogs with something good, i.e. a reward, and learns to make eye contact and walk around other dogs, without becoming overly stressed.

Have a go at these exercises. I always see quite immediate improvements in dogs as soon as starting them!


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