A guy at work gave me a female English Lab, and at night we keep it in the garage, but it continues to bark excessively, any suggestions on how to keep it from barking so much, I turned on the radio, but it don't help..

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2000 Ford 7.3 Powerstroke 4x4
2006 Mazda Tribute
1983 Black 300 D (donated to charity)
1993 Teal 300 D (160K) Sold
"I love the smell of burnt diesel fuel in the morning, it smells like ....VICTORY"

Semper Fidelis
USMC 1973-1976

How old is it?

I'm guessing that she would bark less is she were in the house rather than the garage...

she is 3 years old & had champion pups, she has been raised in a kennel, so I am going to try and break her old habits..seems like a good dog though

__________________
2000 Ford 7.3 Powerstroke 4x4
2006 Mazda Tribute
1983 Black 300 D (donated to charity)
1993 Teal 300 D (160K) Sold
"I love the smell of burnt diesel fuel in the morning, it smells like ....VICTORY"

Semper Fidelis
USMC 1973-1976

Howdy TN,
Buy a dog crate and let her sleep in the bedroom with you. She should be able to last the night. Is she just a pet or are you going to work her?¿

__________________
Frank X. Morris
17 Kia Niro
08 Jeep Wrangler 4 door unlimited

TN,
I think your dog is reacting to new environment and strange smell. You may want to try to keep her in the house like others said and see if that helps.

I probably will scream my lungs out if I were locked in a garage of a stranger as well.

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95 R129
04 Infiniti G35.5 BS
10 X204

Ditto. Go the dog crate route.

My little mini dachshund, Pee Wee, was kept in the downstairs bathroom (with the door open and a baby gate blocking the door), and she cried and cried and cried for two weeks straight. All night.

We finally relented and put her in a dog crate next to my side of the bed (I'm the alpha male ), and she has been as quiet as a mouse ever since.

She just wanted to be next to people. Dogs are very social animals, and since your dog was in a kennel, it was probably used to being with other dogs.

Pee Wee is now 7 years old, and she's the best companion I've ever had (don't tell my wife.

__________________
Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

I don’t know much about training, but I’d have to quickly give up and keep the dog in the house at night. Whatever you do, please don’t get one of those shock collars that bite them when they bark. When they yip from the shock it hits them again and they yip and it’s just torture.

__________________
89 300E
79 240D
72 Westy
63 Bug sunroof
85 Jeep CJ7
86 Chevy 6.2l diesel PU

"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane."
Marcus Aurelius

Have to agree, get a wire crate. Worked like a charm for our lab.

I will try the crate method, no I would never try the shock treatment, but a lady next door to us in Atlanta had one of those " Citronella spray collar" and it worked for her dog, but I will try the crate first..THANKS!!

__________________
2000 Ford 7.3 Powerstroke 4x4
2006 Mazda Tribute
1983 Black 300 D (donated to charity)
1993 Teal 300 D (160K) Sold
"I love the smell of burnt diesel fuel in the morning, it smells like ....VICTORY"

Semper Fidelis
USMC 1973-1976

I think most crates that you will find are the plastic ones with the metal grate door.

What's more, it is the recommended way to house-train a dog.

You see, dogs are very clean animals in regards to the place they sleep. They will never go to the bathroom in their bed, unless two things happen:

1. you leave them in there too long and they have no choice.

2. The crate is too big, and they will go in the furthest spot away from them.

__________________
Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

Howdy TN,
The 2 different style crates have there advantages. The wire crate is open and the dog can see all around and they can fold down for easy storege. The plastic crates give the dog a more secure feeling. What I have done with this type of crate is taken the top half off.
Now the subject of shock collars. I am not a real big fan of useing in normal training. I had one used on Chime. But this was at a Rattlesnake avoidance clinic. The guy used it once on her. I took her back for a refresher course a year later and he didn't have to use it. I will go back to the clinic for my other dog to go through it. There are good ways to use the shock collars and bad. For normal training don't. For what could be life and death, yes.

__________________
Frank X. Morris
17 Kia Niro
08 Jeep Wrangler 4 door unlimited

I subscribe to the crate theory as well, use the shock collar as an absolute last resort. If you start shocking a normally friendly 3 year old dog your likely to end up with disastrous results.

Saved dogs are much like puppies and the first week is critical to its bonding to you and its new home. To be honest I suggest letting it sleep with you and wean it to a crate instead of the lone banishment.

Labs are people oriented I'm sure it's going through allot of stress please keep that in mind.

Regarding championship breeding, the best lab I've ever had wasn't akc registered and the worst (hunting) lab I had was from the best of breed west minister and best lab in Canada so don't let championship bs fool you it's up to you to make the dog perform.

Gonzo my newest puppy is from that supreme breed and he's a terrible swimmer, won't go down stairs, tears the house apart, and chews on leather couches but is the best dog companion and watch dog I've ever encountered for my family and that works for me.

Good luck with your new pup!

I'm not against the shock collar but it should be used as an absolute last resort in your case with a new home the dog will likely become mean or run away or piss all over the place when you come near it.

My dad raised labs on the farm I grew up on in New Hampshire, so I learned a lot about them when I was younger. Kenneled labs get in the habit of barking because they are bored to tears, they are highly intelligent and are working dogs that always needs a job to do. Your garage my be giving him about the same amount of stimulation as the kennel did, so he is reacting to it the same way, barking away the night just to give himself something to do. In the kennel, he and the other labs barked to converse, as a means to relieve boredom. He's trying to find another lab to talk to.

A crate iis a good idea - dogs actually dig the crate while they are in a scary environment due to their denning instincts. But if you want to keep him as a household pet you are going to have to find something for him to do. If you have any kids, take him outside and give him guard duty - as long as he watches over the children by staying in one place quitely near them, praise him and use a term over an over - we used to use "guard dog" as his command to begin duty, "good guard dog" (with a treat once and a while) when he guards quitely and barks at appropriate times, and "guard dog" said in a disapproving tone while pointing your finger back to where he was supposed to be if he wandered. Sush him when he barks inapporiately, and praise him profusely when he does it at the right time - if somebody knocks, or the mailman comes.

You will have to work closely with him at first or he will play with the kids instead of guarding them, but if you have a smart lab you'll be amazed at how quick he catches on to the guard job and the fact you only wish for him to bark at certain times as part of that job. In short order he will consider this is his job and his place in your "pacK" Once he knows this is an important job for him to do, you can direct him to certain places and direct him to guard duty, and he will stay there quietly, perhaps even the garage again. There are other variations in this - the trick is to find him a job.

I hate kenneling. My dad said the theory behind it is that when you have a dog whose only job is to hunt, after being penned up to the point of going nuts, when you get him out to hunt he will do it fanatically. House training them if they stayed in a kennel for a long time is difficult, but they are the smartest dogs in the world*, so it is not impossible. They need a ton of affection compared to other dogs - if you give it to him he will die to save your life.


*Note: Pee Wee is actually the smartest dog in the world.

Waaaaayt a minute. I thought my little weeeeenie dog, Pee Wee, was the smartest dog in the world.

She understands me when I talk to her.

She even blinks at me as a form of communication.

__________________
Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".