HELP!! At my wits end

[Jolie]

Our 6 year old springer spaniel has started howling and barking all the time we are out either at work and just out for the afternoon, he is wearing an anti bark collar, we leave the radio on he gets walked well and there is another dog in the house who is quite happy and sits quitely, our neightbours are getting quite fed up as we all would, what do I do? Please Help!!!!

[suzee]

Has anything changed which could of made him anxious? does he get on well with the other dog,and does he have the run of the house while you are out,also have you gone back to check what he is doing without him knowing?

[Jolie]

we moved a few months ago, but he has seemed to settle and now he is making th fuss, he is fine with the other dog, they have been togother since puppies. My husband bikes to work so when he comes homes the dogs cannot hear him and they are still barking.

[suzee]

Do the neighbours have dogs,or pets that your dogs have not encountered before?As he is a mature dog something must be upsetting him if he has been no trouble before.

[flair1]

I have this problem too, we have a cocker spaniel who also howls, screems and barks, when ever we go out of the house or come in. She also then sets off the other 2 that we have. I have spoken too the vets to ask for a mild sedative and they wont give and have told me to go to a dog behaviourist which we have done but no change i have ordered the dog nupafeed off the internet didnt work. Now it has got to the point where my husband has had to take her to work just to keep her quite and to not anoy the neighbours, luckily he is in the army and they dont mind staff taking dogs into work. I have considered asking the vets if there is an operation where they can remove a dogs voice box because when she starts screeming the noise is ear piercing, cause thats our only option left, cause they wont let us sedate her slightly so its that or for her to be put down. Which i dont wont to do as we all love her so much. The screeming is so bad that my children cry cause it frightens then. If you come up with a cure then please let me now i'm despirate too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Milliesmum]

www.petlibrary.co.uk/1/separation-anxiety-in-dogs-how-to-treat-it/

It sounds like separation anxiety triggered by your house move. There's lots of info on the net about it, the above is a link to one with a suggested treatment programme.

[Ziggy]

Wonder if it is a spaniel thing? Our neighbour has a springer spaniel which howls all day long. driving me crackers! Although I am tempted to ring RSPCA as thye leave dog on its own for up to 12 hours a day or sometimes more. I am sure that cannot be right?

[Jolie]

crikey if I was leaving him for 12hrs at a time I would expect him to bark, they never left for more than 5 -6 hrs at the most.

[BelmontShowTeam]

make your dog comforable in his own area in the house, meanwhile plant chewies around the room, then go out side for a few mins do this several times building up the time away, do not acknowledge your dog on your return, if hes barking when you come into the house and you pet him you are rewarding bad behaviour, take off the anti bark coller, thiis is an distressing punishment, for an all ready distressed dog.
hope this helps.

[nerja]

Hi post your thread on Preloved there are dog handlers/trainers on there ......good luck

[Jolie]

Ok, Have now tried all tricks and he is still howling like mad, the other dog is quitely trying to sleep yet the springer is doing his nut.

[m@m]

is it a semi detached place? i only say because mine is atm and i swear the next door neighbours slams doors on purpose, and everytime he does it starts all the dogs off

[dazycutter]

try a DAP collar.. you can get them off the internet.. you can also get DAP spray and a diffuser... they do work..

good luck

[B_31]

omg are you talking about my dog?! lol i had the exact same problem this week

a bark spray collar (citronella) worked...

[jenwalsh]

I take it giving him a big marrow bone out of the butchers wont shut him up? Sounds like sepration issues due to being unsettled with the move. What about a crate? They say that the smaller a space the dog has the more settled they are?

[Jolie]

he now seems abit better with a combination of things, he wears the anti bark collar, we have changed his food to a low protein diet he also has a calmer in his food. am thinking about putting in a 'dog door' so he can get out in the garden aswell.

[jenwalsh]

just beware about your dog door as someone (i.e theif) might be able to fit through it

[Jolie]

good point jenwalsh, if we get one will have to make sure it has a good lock on it, but if you are stupid enough to break in with dogs then you desevre to get bitten!