Going outside to bark, bark, bark

[bogolove]

Brady never does this. But lately since the weather has gotten colder, he wants to go outside ALL the time. I let him out 3 times in a 15 minute period after I got home from work, and he had already been outside all day. He usually loves when we get home and he runs and gets his spot on the couch and watches tv or waits to see if I am going to take him to play with Jenny.

So anyway I keep letting him BACK out again and again and he just goes out and starts to bark. He has been doing this for about a week now, ever since it has gotten colder. My question is why? He was never a barker before, and now if I try not to let him out because I know he is going to bark he gets very disgruntled and sits DIRECTLY in my vision of the tv and stares at me and makes these low moaning/growling/barking/whining noises. So then I let him out. He also has been stealing things such as pillows, socks, shirts, etc and making me chase him, and EVERY time he leads me right to the back door so that I will take it away from him and let him out.. I think he is training me! LOL!

My guess is that he really likes the cold weather b/c now every time I take him to Jenny's they play full force for 1 hour and a half and we even have to break it up so I can finally go home. When it was warmer they would run/wrestle for about 30 to 45 mintues and they were done and would lie around panting. Now they never get hot so they keep on going, and Brady LOVES this weather. but why the sudden barking spell? Liz said Jenny has been doing it too. I wondered if they were talking to each other since they are only 4 yards apart, but I don't think they are always out at the same time.

I don't know, any guesses appreciated.

 

[Denaluvscorgis]

Gosh...I don't know what to say...Chloe, my Corgi is a barker to, and it drives me crazy. Last night when my step-daughter and grandson were at my house, she barked almost all of the time they were there. It's like she gets jealous when someone else takes my attention away from her, especially when it's someone who shes not used to being around that often.. I wish I could be more help to you. This is also a topic that I need some help with.

Good luck!!
Dena

 

[Debi]

That's so funny cause my dogs have been barking lately, too. Since it's been so cold, they've been couped up in the house. Yesterday it warmed up some so I let them out....they barked and barked. I even mentioned it to Dave when he came home...saying 'I think they just wanted to go out and do some good old barking!' lol Addie will bark at animals, but Ham usually only barks at people...well, they're both just standing there barking. When I look all around...not a thing in site. Go figure! Brady probably is calling to Jenny. Like a little child, he just wants more play I bet! He is such a character..I love him!

 

[Denaluvscorgis]

Awww Debi...they sound so cute!!! Chloe will bark at anything...she makes me crazy sometimes!!! LOL Good thing she's so cute and I love her soooooooooo much!!

 

[avenlee]

Could be that its the changing of the seasons. There may be scents of critters in the area also getting ready for hibernation or stirring about. May even be the brisk air whistling. Heck, my dogs will bark at the wind blowing. I can't let Sadie out until the trashmen come by to pick up our trash because she'll sit there and bark at the trashcan. And Nora will bark at anything Sadie barks at not knowing what it is she's barking at. She'll just keep looking over to Sadie to see if she's still barking or not. What silly creatures they are !

 

[bogolove]

Avenlee - that is so funny how Nora checks to see if Sadie is barking so she can keep doing it too! How cute!

 

[becca_4321]

My Princess has started doing that also. As soon as she is let out she runs around the yard barking, nonstop. We go out, look around and there is nothing for her to be barking at, no reason for it. She will just look at us like we are stupid. 2 nights ago she was barking, refusing to come inside. My Husband went outside to see what was going on, she was playing with one of the kid's old basketballs, tossing it, throwing it, and looking at it barking!
She will also sit by the fence, bark non stop, until finally the neighbors let their dogs out to potty. They run straight to the otherside of the fence to visit. I often wonder if she isnt barking at the wind or her toys she has taken outside, if she is talking to her 'friends'. It appears that way.

 

[bogolove]

Well, to make it even more strange, I let Brady out this morning to go to the bathroom and it was raining. I went to let him in because he came back and was sitting on the step by the door. I opened the door and he looked towards the yard when I did and I noticed his ears perked up and he had his eye on something. He shot off into the yard running full force and barking and he ran around in a circle in one spot and looked like he was attacking something, but you see, I could see NOTHING. We have a privacy fence so it is not likely an animal could get into our yard anyway, but regardless he was not very far away from me so unless he was on the attack for a BUG or something, there was nothing there. There is always the possiblity it was a mouse, but I still think I could have seen it. Jenny kills mice too. Funny both Liz and I have cats, and yet our dogs kill mice, well at least Jenny does if that is not what Brady was after today. Though Liz's cat, Mr. Pants, did bring me a nice mouse and lie it right on my doorstep for a present. I thanked him for the disgusting gift next time I saw him.

But back to Brady - I really think he is trying to mess with my head and make me crazy. That dog has more personality than almost anyone I have ever met.

 

[Renee750il]

High spirits!

And any changes just make good watchdogs crazy. When Charley stacks hay where it wasn't, Shiva and Kharma just HAVE to go growl at it and check it out. Bimmer's not fooled. He just jumps up on the stack to see what he can see.

 

[bogolove]

That is true. Brady notices any little change and has to growl at it and check it out before he can ignore the fact that it is there.

 

[JRT_Rattie_Mom]

Barking... now I do know ALL about that... but not how to stop it!

Lucy has always been a barker if she thinks she isn't getting enough attention (and such a JRT thing to do!) She has gotten worse since going blind (but just think she is more sensitive to sounds now) but Holly is also barking more when she does go outside (and she is normally very quiet.)

I do think they are barking more just because of the bad weather, and not being able to go to the dog park everyday like they do in the spring/summer/fall (and I don't have a barking problem at all then.)

I think they are just BORED out of their minds... and fetching a tennis ball down a 25' hallway indoors over and over just doesn't do the trick for them! The barking is just SO much fun right now, for their pleasure & entertainment, LOL!

 

[Renee750il]

Have you tried getting Lucy and Holly a puzzle ball, Karen? I sent one to my sister's Jack Russell and they have to limit his play time with it because he will run it up and down the hallway until his tongue hangs out and he's foaming at the mouth - and that's before they put any treats in it!

 

[JRT_Rattie_Mom]

Have you tried getting Lucy and Holly a puzzle ball, Karen? I sent one to my sister's Jack Russell and they have to limit his play time with it because he will run it up and down the hallway until his tongue hangs out and he's foaming at the mouth - and that's before they put any treats in it!

Yes, I've bought several puzzle/treat balls. Holly has no interest in them, and Lucy doesn't have as much patience for them now that she is blind (and didn't have much when she could see!) They do love kongs filled w/peanut butter etc. But I try not to do this too much, since it is a lot of extra calories for Lucy. Many dogs that go blind from SARDS have a weight problem, but so far she is doing okay with her weight. I think another reason the puzzle/treat balls are not more exciting is, both dogs are "snack eaters" all day, instead of eating a meal all at once. The dry treats in the balls don't seem real exciting when they already have a bowl of kibble whenever they want it!