# Lemon juice to stop barking?



## Dimwit (Nov 10, 2011)

Not me, but I was a bit  at my last obedience training session to hear one of the instructors advising someone that the best way to stop her dog barking was to squirt lemon juice in his mouth.
Now, admittedly, this dog was a bit of a pain but was a young dog who just seemed to be a bit overexcited to be around so many dogs and was pulling towards them and barking.
I was very surprised given that this group generally uses positive, treat-based methods that such a strong aversive method was advised in the first instance.
Any thoughts on this? I have to say barking is one of the few things that isn't a problem with my dog so I don't have much experience of this but I do know that on the occasions he does bark, doing this would cause a whole load more problems...


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## Wiz201 (Jun 13, 2012)

I just do a sideways tap with my leg with Amber on her side, when she stops and looks at me, then I click and reward. That's what I had to do before when I first joined dog classes. Now she hardly ever does it, just a couple at the start when she comes in. She thinks I'm joining in with her if I try saying anything to her.


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## smokeybear (Oct 19, 2011)

Dimwit said:


> Not me, but I was a bit  at my last obedience training session to hear one of the instructors advising someone that the best way to stop her dog barking was to squirt lemon juice in his mouth.
> Now, admittedly, this dog was a bit of a pain but was a young dog who just seemed to be a bit overexcited to be around so many dogs and was pulling towards them and barking.
> I was very surprised given that this group generally uses positive, treat-based methods that such a strong aversive method was advised in the first instance.
> Any thoughts on this? I have to say barking is one of the few things that isn't a problem with my dog so I don't have much experience of this but I do know that on the occasions he does bark, doing this would cause a whole load more problems...


Totally unacceptable, what about if she missed and it went in his eyes.

Yet another instance of a _trainer _a) choosing to use positive punishment and b) demonstrating the lack of tools in their box.


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## Dimwit (Nov 10, 2011)

smokeybear said:


> Totally unacceptable, what about if she missed and it went in his eyes.


This is what I thought but didn't know if I was being over-sensitive. I just know how distressing it would be for my dog (who won't even come near me if I've been peeling an orange). Obviously I don't know if the instructor has been working with the dog and tried other options but it didn't sound like it to me


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## missnaomi (Jun 4, 2010)

Dimwit said:


> Not me, but I was a bit  at my last obedience training session to hear one of the instructors advising someone that the best way to stop her dog barking was to squirt lemon juice in his mouth.
> Now, admittedly, this dog was a bit of a pain but was a young dog who just seemed to be a bit overexcited to be around so many dogs and was pulling towards them and barking.
> I was very surprised given that this group generally uses positive, treat-based methods that such a strong aversive method was advised in the first instance.
> Any thoughts on this? I have to say barking is one of the few things that isn't a problem with my dog so I don't have much experience of this but I do know that on the occasions he does bark, doing this would cause a whole load more problems...


If I was you, I would not go back to this class/session/trainer. Ever.

I go to training with my dogs partly for them to work alongside other dogs but mostly because I pay money so that someone who knows more than me can help me to be better at training my dog and advise me on what I am doing and could be doing. I would not take advice from someone who suggested this.


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## alison11 (Jul 11, 2012)

Our dog trainer suggested this to our class and over the next few weeks everyone came in with lemon juice. I hated it, refused to do it and actually our dog liked it anyway - weirdo haha! When he suggested using a spray collar to stop him scent marking it just went too far for me. We carried on with the classes because we'd paid up front but ignored anything we didn't agree with and took on the positive things.

Our trainer is very popular (which is why we went to him in the first place) so there will be plenty of dogs around here being sprayed in the mouth with lemon juice!


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## BoredomBusters (Dec 8, 2011)

I haven't tried that one with my students, but we've got enough space for barking dogs to be moved to a distance they don't bark at.


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## ozrex (Aug 30, 2011)

That's just stupid, really stupid.

If Tess got over excited and barky at dog class Thomas just withdrew her until she looked at him rather than reacted to the other dogs and gave her some - well rewarded - down/stay and sit/stay exercises. Then he'd get closer to the dogs in class and repeat. When she was calm she joined the other dogs. If she got excited she withdrew. It's only an age-related problem for most dogs, like Tess. Took her a few weeks and she was over it.

Why make a painful drama of something so simple? It just took patience, space and treats for calm behaviour.


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