Very noisy at agility!

Our Schnauzers love to be active. Have a look which activity will suit your dog. There is everything from Agility, flyball, Rally-O, Cani-X to Schutzhund.
Post Reply
Joosy
Member
Posts: 215
Joined: 27 Aug 2012, 16:13
First Name: Leah
Dog #1: Cookie
is a: B/S Mini Bitch
Born: 23 Apr 2013

Very noisy at agility!

Post by Joosy »

Agility schnauzers, I need some advice on curbing the barking if that's at all possible!

We're currently on week 6 of an 8week block. We've previously done obedience where she's pretty barky on arrival but she's occupied with practicing various tricks etc and only really starts getting noisy when the teacher stops us to tell us something.

Cookie goes absolutely mental at agility! Not when it's her turn on the course, but when we're waiting and watching the others. Her bark is so crazed and quite different from normal and it's really difficult to pull her attention away. She's driving me nuts!

Generally she's not too bad with barking (considering she's a schnauzer!). She barks at the front door and when people walk past the back fence, which is fine by us, but not much else indoors.

On lead, she often does a bit of a manic bark and pulls to get to see whoever it is she's excited about seeing but as soon as she gets to them she stops.

Off lead she doesn't really bark that much, it's generally just a little roo that she does when she sees something that takes her interest.

So my thinking is that she's barking at agility (and in general) because she can't get to what it is she's excited about ie another dog going round the course. But short of letting her join in I can't think what we could do about that!

Last week at agility I managed to distract her most of the time when we were waiting by playing tug of war with her but feel like I'd just replaced one form of excitement (watching the other dogs) with another.

The only other thing that works quite well is using treats; making her sit, wait, lay, rollover, find it, all that stuff. It's achievable for the most part to keep her attention with this, however she's still in quite a high state of alert and I'd quite like for her just to be chilled and relaxed! Plus with using the treats I end up feeding her a whole treat bag and then some during a one hour class. Kongs don't hold her attention for that long.

So, any success stories of reducing the excitability/ barkiness of your schnauzer? Is it something she might grow out of (she was only 1 in April)? Or do I just have to put up with it?!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Proud new owners of Cookie, the B/S mini!
"Silvatrix Twinkle"
User avatar
Bon-bon
Member
Posts: 531
Joined: 10 Sep 2013, 22:51
First Name: Elaine
Dog #1: Bonnie
is a: Black Std Bitch
Born: 18 Feb 2013
Location: Surrey

Re: Very noisy at agility!

Post by Bon-bon »

Bonnie is due to start agility at the beginning of September so I'm hoping she's going to behave - she always gets so excited when there are other dogs around. We're currently going to good citizens classes and she has a bit of a barking issue with one of the other dogs so trainer has advised me that if she starts barking to remove her from the room, let her quieten down then return. Perhaps you could try similar with Cookie.
User avatar
lj_thorne
Member
Posts: 2315
Joined: 21 Nov 2011, 14:56
First Name: Lisa
Dog #1: Barnaby
is a: P/S Mini Dog
Born: 16 Oct 2010
Dog #2: Albert
is a: B/S Mini Dog
Born: 24 Jul 2012
Dog #3: Sherman
Born: 21 Sep 2014
is a: B/S Mini Dog
Location: bedfordshire

Re: Very noisy at agility!

Post by lj_thorne »

We are starting sat with Albert at agility so I'll let you know how we 'manage' his woofiness!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Human slave to my three furry boys Albert, Sherman and Rupert the Bear

Barnaby 🌈

https://m.facebook.com/schnauzerlads/
User avatar
Dawnspell
Moderator
Posts: 4710
Joined: 05 Mar 2013, 18:27
First Name: Alison
Dog #1: Barney RIP 8/3/19
is a: White Mini Dog
Born: 06 Feb 2013
Dog #2: Jasper
is a: White Mini Dog
Born: 25 Apr 2019
Location: Guernsey

Re: Very noisy at agility!

Post by Dawnspell »

lj_thorne wrote:We are starting sat with Albert at agility so I'll let you know how we 'manage' his woofiness!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
We started last Sat. None this week there's an obedience competition going on, whatever that is =)) So we will be at week 2 the same time and can compare notes =))
Our first family dog
Barney - Pocketpark Biali Eyebright 6/2/13 - 8/3/19 Gone too soon
Motto for owners who groom their own Schnauzers -"Never mind it'll soon grow back"
User avatar
Al T
Member
Posts: 523
Joined: 13 Jul 2010, 19:45
Location: South Cumbria

Re: Very noisy at agility!

Post by Al T »

Don't know if it will work for you but it certainly has for us, not in agility classes I must admit, but general walking & coming across other dogs...the water pistol! I'm amazed how effective it's been...6 pack in the 'party paraphernalia' section in Asda for £2.00...I'm only 2 weeks in on this technique but now I only have to show it to Norman / Ruby & Harry & they stop before they've even started in most cases...I only wish I'd heard about it 6 years ago!!
Schnauzers turn you soft in the head!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/organize/ ... ab=new_set

Al.

"If a man speaks in the forest & there is no woman to hear him.....is he still wrong"..?? !!
User avatar
Wookie Woo
Member
Posts: 2773
Joined: 18 Apr 2011, 21:13
First Name: Helen
Dog #1: Wookie
is a: P/S Mini Bitch
Born: 01 Sep 2009
Location: Corfe Mullen

Re: Very noisy at agility!

Post by Wookie Woo »

A kong with treats in it, something like that or Nina Ottosson dog puzzle toys, Wookie's got Nina Ottosson Dog Cassino & Tornado.
Practising sits, waits, downs, rollovers etc
Helen & Gary - owners of "Wookie" (since 11.6.2011)  born 1.9.2009 (Mini Schnauzer)
Previously owned Lucy our lovely cocker spaniel.
http://www.happydogwalksandpetcare.co.uk/
User avatar
AlyW
Member
Posts: 58
Joined: 20 May 2014, 20:19
First Name: Aly
Dog #1: Bob
is a: P/S Mini Dog
Born: 25 Mar 2013

Re: Very noisy at agility!

Post by AlyW »

Eek, that's close to home!! Bob is starting agility on Monday (he's 15 months) and he likes to bark at other dogs when they are excited so I'm expecting a noisy few sessions. He always calmed down after a few weeks in our training classes as long as he was being distracted by other instructions (sit, down, touch etc) so I'm hoping he'll be the same at agility... Fingers crossed. I know from experience he will never be "chilled" in these situations. I don't mind as long as the distraction technique works...it means I get a mental work out as well as him!! :-s
Post Reply