[Buzby]

One of my dogs, a lovely border collie x briard, is driving me insane with her over-excited barking out on walks!
What makes this worse is that I walk her early in the morning before I go to work and I'm always painfully aware that most people are still in bed, and she's probably waking them up!

I have tried everything I can think of and everything that's so far been suggested to me - ignoring her, walking off in the other direction, noise aversion, teaching an incompatible behaviour, putting the behaviour on cue etc etc.
So far, nothing works. In every other way she is an extremely well behaved and very obedient dog, she just gets so excited on walks that its almost as if she can't help herself - sometimes I'm not sure she knows she's even doing it!

The amount of exercise she gets makes no difference either, I work at a farm and sometimes she comes with me, spending all day running around the fields, but will still do it if we then go for a walk!
It seems she knows the difference between 'work' and 'walks' since if I walk her round the fields at work before I actually begin my work, she barks. But walk her round those same fields when I am working and she's quiet!

Any ideas or suggestions gratefully received.

[blackgavotte]

Hello again Buzby. What I will say now may seem very simplistic, but since it seems you have tried a lot of things, and since I believe that a talky dog is a talky dog, period, can you eliminate the early morning walk?

Can she just be let out in your garden for pottying, then go to work with you where if you are working, she is able to move around etc, but you don't have to deal with that barking. It seems she is cued by the whole ritual or leads etc of the walk.

If you can change any of those things you may solve the problem too. Are you talking to her and getting her going and " up " for the walks? Perhaps you need a stronger voice and correction.. Perhaps you need to be quieter with your voice, hands and body language...You know what you have tried and what you haven't yet...Just some thoughts. Good luck with it.

[MomOf7]

She is a smart one and has figured out your going to work after her morning walk. Why not try taking her somewhere new or walking her well before you leave for work. Keep her guessing whether you are staying or going.

[puppy_paws3332]

i think that if she gets to run through the fields then mabey you dont need to her for a walk

[pinkpuppy360]

Originally Posted by Buzby

One of my dogs, a lovely border collie x briard, is driving me insane with her over-excited barking out on walks!
What makes this worse is that I walk her early in the morning before I go to work and I'm always painfully aware that most people are still in bed, and she's probably waking them up!

I have tried everything I can think of and everything that's so far been suggested to me - ignoring her, walking off in the other direction, noise aversion, teaching an incompatible behaviour, putting the behaviour on cue etc etc.
So far, nothing works. In every other way she is an extremely well behaved and very obedient dog, she just gets so excited on walks that its almost as if she can't help herself - sometimes I'm not sure she knows she's even doing it!

The amount of exercise she gets makes no difference either, I work at a farm and sometimes she comes with me, spending all day running around the fields, but will still do it if we then go for a walk!
It seems she knows the difference between 'work' and 'walks' since if I walk her round the fields at work before I actually begin my work, she barks. But walk her round those same fields when I am working and she's quiet!

Any ideas or suggestions gratefully received.

Barking can drive people nuts, Ive never experienced it with any of my pups. Watch the Dog Wisperer on the National Geographic, he handles barking dogs all of the time

[skelaki]

Herding dogs do tend to be barkers. When she starts up tell her quiet and issue a firm, motivational correction . If she keeps up the racket, it means the correction was not motivational for her. And don't forget to praise her, quietly so you don't retrigger the barking , when she's quiet.

[Beagle Lover]

barking does get on my nerves but i think their just happy or mad

[pinkpuppy360]

Originally Posted by Beagle Lover

barking does get on my nerves but i think their just happy or mad

Probly the dogs think when we talk that we are happy or mad, its sorta funny to put things into perspective

[Buzby]

Thanks to everyone who's replied.
Unfortunately I can't always take her to work with me since although she's 100% with all the farm animals, she isn't great with other dogs, and my supervisor has 2 dogs that come to work with her daily, so I can only take her on the days that she is off.
I have to walk her early since I start work early, and to be honest, walking her later may mean she isn't waking people up, but usually the fields are then crowded with other people walking dogs, and I feel I'm disrupting their walk with her noise!

From some replies it seems people think I have a problem with discipline, but in fact both my dogs, (and Widget in particular) are super obedient.
I CAN stop her barking if I call her to heel, put her in a down etc etc, but sooner or later she has to be allowed to RUN, and then it seems the barking just escapes her almost unintentionally.

She gets no reward from me (intentional or otherwise) for her barking, and since she's not barking at me or anything in particular, rather just for sheer joy of runnng (it seems anyway!) I don't think there's anything she wants!

Taking her somewhere new makes no difference at all - she's often more excitable at new places! The time of day I walk her, whether I go to work straight after, a few hours after or not at all is all irrelevant.

Sorry if it seems I'm putting peoples suggestions down - I'm not, it's just that I know what things I've already considered and tried!

Any other suggestions most welcome - beginning to think I've tried everything and just need to invest in ear plugs!

[skelaki]

Perhaps you just need to let her know by your actions that being permitted to run is a privilege that ends when she starts the barking. Since she's already well-trained, that might be your best bet other than buying earplugs for the neighborhood and yourself.