Back when most people worked a full day at the office, a young marketing professional who spent much of her free time outdoors decided to get a dog. Her dream pet would be a beloved companion, early morning jogging partner, and fellow explorer on weekend camping trips. Between the outdoor fun and games, the dog would be her full-time office mate. The pair would be inseparable.
But, first, the 9-week-old chocolate Lab she named Louie had to grow big enough to participate. What his new owner never anticipated was a bored puppy.
By his third day at the office, Louie was a furry engine of curiosity and ceaseless enthusiasm fueled by puppy treats. The owner scrambled to stay ahead of him but, by the third week, had to hire a dog walker to prevent further disruption during client meetings. Maybe Louie was too young to jog and too willful on a leash to go on a hike, but he did have hours of idle time to figure out how best to command his owner’s attention.
His human spent a good part of her day working the phone and during a particularly lengthy conversation, Louie got frustrated and barked. Instantly she swiveled in his direction, her hand covering the phone. Shh!! The owner did not look pleased, but a needy puppy cannot be choosy. Louie barked again. Exasperated, she grabbed dog biscuits and flung them across the room. Zowie!
Louie began barking for biscuits. Loudly. Relentlessly. During business calls his owner was so desperate for silence, biscuits were tossed by the handful in Louie’s direction. But they could not stop the noise complaints coming from the staff and neighbors. Louie was signed up for dog daycare.
Temporary reprieve
Then 8-month-old Louie loved daycare. He attended every other weekday, played well with others, and did not bark at dogs or the staff. The owner always picked him up close to 6p. The timing is important because on his third day, shortly before 6p, Louie walked to the entry gate and barked until his human arrived.
And so it went three days a week, every week. Before 6p, the dog that did not bark all day, would walk up to the gate and bark incessantly until his owner walked in the door.
Louie was convinced his owner showed up because he barked. Over several months he pushed back the start time, eventually ending his daycare day with a 90-minute interlude of intense barking. Meanwhile, at his home and at the office, noise complaints continued to pile up. The owner’s response was to close up shop and move with Louie to a Delaware suburb.
Did you know?
Poor Louie. His owner did an awesome job of training a barking habit she did not want.
If you would like to help your dog kick an unacceptable habit, focus on the trigger, the thing that turns the behavior on. In Louie’s case, the barking was triggered by his owner talking on the phone. If she had sought advice in the early days, like only tossing biscuits to reward Louie’s silence — to reinforce the pup’s calm, easygoing nature — dog and owner would have enjoyed a happy life together. Instead, Louie was regularly sidelined because he was too noisy.
If you and your dog should get caught in a behavioral trap, contact a professional dog trainer. No matter how big, bad, or loud the habit, all behavior is subject to change.
