Barking at Things

[Woody]

I didn't know where else to put this and I wasn't sure how to word it.

We rescued Georgia from people that didn't deserve to have her when she was just over 1 years old.

From the start and still today she gets really upset or goofy and barks uncontrollably at objects in my hand. The lawnmower, she barks at it and try s to bite the tires. The hose when spraying the lawn. The weed whacker, which we do not bring out while she is out. My guitar when I am making horrific noises that are supposed to sound like songs, she tries to bite the end of it. Golf clubs when I am chipping around the yard.


What does this mean? I asked her yesterday if she as beaten previously and asked her why she gets so upset because nobody has beaten her since she moved here. No response.

I am really curious about this behaviour and how to correct it.

Another note, most of these items make loud noises which I suspect might be something as much as having something actually in my hands. It could be a combo.

Yesterday she seemed almost more playful with the lawnmower as she was running around with the ball and then chasing the mower.

[Daisy and Miia]

She sounds like my Honey. When we adopted her (she was about 5 months old at the time) she was so fearful and bark at everything. Mostly it was stuff that made noise, like the vacuum or hairdryer. But she would also bark if we were using a rake, broom, shovel, etc. Little by little, she's learned to accept all these things, but she still is afraid of loud cars and trucks, thunder and vacuum cleaners. I think they must have been frightened by something at some point, but they also might be more sensitive to certain sounds, which would add to their anxiety.

[Snowshoe]

Well, Oban does most of those barking things too and with him it is definitely play. We are very careful he's not outside when we cut the grass or blow snow, he wants to play with the machines. Not so much now that he's six. Except shovelling off the deck, he has to go inside, apparently the big plastic scoop looks like the best toy ever. It's either humour him and go really slowly or risk jabbing him in the mouth with the edge of the scoop. Big, goofy, nut.

PopTop has threads about Archie and the flyswatter. Did you see them? I think anything remotely stick like can resemble a potential throw play toy (bark, play, excitement) or a threat (cringe, cower, growl, bark, slink away). Sort of sounds like the first from what you wrote.

It's play with us but I do not want to correct such barking so we just take lots of breaks, he stops, then we go again. My laughing trick doesn't work because Oban, and most dogs, can tell laughing "with" in fun from laughing "at" which embarasses them and acts like a chastisement.

[POPTOP]

Archie did very well with acclimating him to the fly swatter. If it only happens when you have something in your hand, see if you can get her to approach you holding the object, let her sniff, become accustomed to it. You might want to add some treats to the process. This is, of course, if you perceive that her reactions are out of fear and not play.

[Polly Pipkin]

From the start and still today she gets really upset or goofy and barks uncontrollably at objects in my hand.

It sounds as if Georgia reacts differently to the different things in your hand. I'd try to separate and identify the items which starts the playful and goofy barking from the uncontrollable, which sounds more like a fear response.

To get Georgia acclimated to the object, break down the task into small pieces. Perhaps have the golf clubs on the ground, and have her walk around them. Use a high value treat, like chicken and if she is calm and quiet, treat. Then walk closer to them, quiet Georgia = treat. Try putting your hand towards the club, then holding one, then actually in position and so on working your way up giving her treats all the time. You'll have to do it for each thing that bothers her. (Does she bark at the golf clubs inside or only outside? That could be a trigger too.)

For the guitar, she may be trying to join in the fun or offering to help the only way she knows how - playful barking!

[PATEX]

We've had Miah since 8 weeks, and she is so spoiled that we joke she doesn't know the word "no!" She barks at the vacuum when I use the hose attachment, and she chomps at it. It's something they don't understand that is big and makes a lot of noise. A lot of dogs bark at the vacuum or run from it. Joy is afraid of the coffee grinder, food processor, and garbage disposal. We are certain she was abused, but not in a way that she associates with humans. They abused her remotely, by shock collar. So, she is fearful, but not of us, and I think the equipment scares her because it is loud and she is a skittish dog anyway. I don't think it's a sign of abuse.

Our first foster, George, was afraid of anything raised over our heads. We discovered it when DH lifted his crate when Margaret brought him to the house. He flattened out in fear. Because of him, rescue started adding a new element to our temperament test. When we could find a large item at the shelter (like a plastic lawn chair in the play area where we tested them), we lifted it and waved it around to see if the dog reacted. I can't remember if we always did it, but I also stepped hard with my foot, raising a hand and looking rather menacing. A dog who has been beaten knows what that means. Most dogs I tested just looked at me with a happy dopey look -- no idea what that meant because they were mostly just unappreciated and/or left outside, not actively abused. My experience was that some adopters seemed to want to believe their dogs were abused. They looked for it. If Georgia reacts to the stomp and raised hand with a mean look or to you wielding a large object over your head, I would be suspicious. Otherwise, I'd chalk it up to just being loud noise from something she doesn't understand.

[smartrock]

Chase barks and bites at the vacuum cleaner, particularly the extension wand. We've had him since he was 8 weeks old, so no torture in his past. If I don't want to joust with him, I make him sit on his bed until I'm done or until I will let him play. If he wanted to sit there and bark, I don't think I'd care, as long as he stayed on his bed. He usually just sits there and sulks. He also barks and jumps at the blowdryer, so same deal, he needs to go sit down somewhere until I'm ready for him to get up. Lark doesn't particularly react to any of those things. They both try to bite at the hose when water is coming out- they love to go to battle with the water!

Have you tried instructing her to go to her bed or go to a specific place and stay while you do whatever you're doing? Even if she only does it for a minute or two at first, that could be progress. With Chase, it took many repeats to go to his bed and stay, while I'd pick up the vacuum wand. If he got up, I'd put it down, put him back on his bed, Stay, and try again. When I'd vacuumed a bit and he stayed on his bed, his reward was to get to fight with it for a minute or two. I also let him sniff things thoroughly when they weren't in use or let them be out where he could see it until it wasn't a novelty, and he usually became disinterested quickly if it wasn't doing anything.

[Lobo]

Its their reaction to things they don't understand. My Mastiff hides from the vacuum cleaner lol but so far Romeo doesn't seem to care. All of my other Labs braked at it and tried to bite it at times.

This time around I am spending a lot more time introducing these things to Romeo than past dogs. What happens is that we know and use these items as they are common or customary and go on without thought. But to the dog it is new, LOUD! and always being touched by you so something must be wrong.

Try spending more time with your dog by introducing these things to him. Rather than everybody going outside, grabbing a motorized lawn tool and cutting slow down and take the machine or tool and put it in the yard and walk away. See what he does. Then a little later go out there and try to get him to come up to it without starting it and tell him what it is.

You'll be surprised that after a while he'll find something else to drive you crazy.