Ask the Trainer - Bored, Bad, Barking Frenchie Girl
gollygear May 17th, 2008
I have a behavioral question about my 10 month old female Frenchie named Zoe. She’s really hard to keep entertained. The second she gets bored she’s barking at the door to go out (even when she’s just taken care of business minutes ago). I try to get her interested in a game of fetch or tug of war, but that lasts about 5 minutes if I’m lucky. I’ve tried Kongs stuffed with cream cheese and kibble and frozen and balls that dispense treats, but those only last 10-20 minutes before she’s gotten all the food out and then she’s bored again. Basically unless she’s eating something or asleep she constantly wants to go outside. I don’t think it’s a medical problem because when I give in and take her out multiple times an hour she doesn’t actually do anything. She just sniffs around, digs holes, and eats things in the grass.
Is this a lack of exercise problem? I take her for 30 minute walks 5 days a week and the other 2 days she goes to doggie daycare where she gets to play with other dogs for 9-10 hours. She only spends about 3-4 hours during the day in the crate.
Or, is this just a puppy thing that she will eventually grow out of? Is there some way to get her more interested in her toys? She has balls, Nylabones, stuffed animals, squeaky toys. You name it she probably has it, and I rotate them every couple weeks.
In addition she barks a lot. She barks when she hears a dog on the television, when she sees another dog outside the window or back door, when the house creaks, when someone knocks on the door, when I’m running the vacuum, etc. Is this just normal or is there anything I can do about that?
Any advice you can give me would be much appreciated. Thank you so much for your time.
Hope writes -
Zoe only knows what she’s taught. In this case, I think she, quite literally, needs to learn to “chill.”
Dogs really don’t need constant entertainment. At this point Zoe doesn’t know what to do with herself, so we need to provide her with some skills to manage her behavior.
The first exercise I’d like you to try is “Sit and accept praise.” This is perfect for while you’re watching tv, just “chilling” youself! Sit on the floor with Zoe sitting on your left side. If she won’t sit still, put your arm around her with two fingers, facing up, in her collar. Tell her to “chill,” and hold her there, talking quietly to her and petting her. When/if she calms, you can ease up on your hold. If she shows signs of squirminess, hold her until she calms. You decide how long to continue - it may only be a moment at first. Try to lengthen the time every session, at least once every day, preferable two or three times per day. Eventually, Zoe will learn to relax and enjoy “chilling.”
When she starts fussing, if you’re sure she doesn’t ”have to” go out and it’s not time for a “chill” session - put her in her crate. When she’s quiet, if you’re ready for her company, let her out. The crate should never be used for punishment, but it does help emotional young dogs learn to control themselves. Zoe needs to learn to behave, relax, and, if necessary, entertain herself.
Zoe is your companion. You have chosen to spend your life with her and she should bring companionship and joy to your life, not stress. She needs to learn how best to fill her role in your life.
-Hope
- French Bulldog Training
- Comments(0)
