our dog is barking mad!!!

[need help]

we have a lovely friendly 5 year old dog but sadly she is spoilt (totally our fault)
Problem is her barking.  When the postman comes on his bike, when people walk past our gate she runs down the path and barks furiously.
When people come to visit she wants to be the centre of attention.

We have a baby on the way soon and we are really worried she is not going to take well to the new addition so we want to act now to try and resolve the issue

Has anyone a good behaviourlist or can suggest some sonic collars? do they work?.  Would really appreciate some advice.

Getting rid of the dog is not an option!!!

many thanks

[Cesar Milan]

Watch his shows for some tips. The guy is amazing. Luckily, we have a beautifully behaved dog so would not require his services in that area but I'd love to know if some of the stuff would work on my kids:-)

[cheese head]

I can't understand why you left it 5 years before you think to train your dog... I know, this comment doesn't help you know, but I'm Dutch and just had to get that off my chest. That said, it's never too late to train a dog, but don't do it yourself with some TV show from a guy with disputable creds. There is a fab dog trainer in Singapore, I know quite a few people who've used his services. Google petz central singapore, his name is frankie. He's great with dogs and he will come to your house. Do say hello to him from the dutchie... he used to look after our parrot too!

[doggone]

Has anyone a good behaviourlist or can suggest some sonic collars? do they work?.  Would really appreciate some advice.

I don't really like the idea of those sonic collars but I do know someone who used them and he reckoned his dogs learned not to bark for trivial reasons in a matter of days - this is someone who is a very good person with his dogs - looks after them well etc.  I still don't like the idea of them but you never know, you have to be cruel to be kind sometimes I guess.

[Dr. Phil]

These collars do cause the dog to suffer and are cruel.
If you change your dogs behavior through cruel means you are surely banking future problems.
Teaching dogs to behave is requires intelligence and reliance on the advice of experts in this field and it can be fun. You will spend more time with your dogs and have a better relationship with your dog.
But sadly it appears to be too much like hard work for some.
OP, if you can teach your dog to behave, he will likely accept the addition to the family and you can trust him (measured trust) not to harm your baby.
It may also help you raise your child and help you be a better parent. Parenthood is something almost all parents are ill equipped for.
And say, in one year we will not have to read your post asking how to deal with a spoilt child and whacky dog. 

[Dense]

Don't get rid of the dog. Wait for it to attack and disfigure your baby when you least expect it. Then get rid of it retroactively amidst your utter amazement how you could have been so dumb not to move proactively on the countless signs.

This is what happened to my sister.

P.S. Getting rid of the dog is not an option!!!

[yes you need help]

Getting rid of the dog is not an option!!!

Why???!!!

Or, do you prefer getting rid of the baby???

[Easy...]

Have a handful of dog biscuits and be ready for when someone is walking by or when the postman is due -  stand by your gates and keep talking to your dog as soon as people appear all the while drip feeding the biscuits. When he doesn't bark, make lots of fuss and tell he's done well. You need to put in a time for this to work, but it's well worth the effort google puppy love, they are great and help train (you!!) and your dogs on a reward basis. Good luck!

[Moronic]

"Getting rid of the dog is not an option!!!"

It absolutely IS an option

An excitable, barking and untrained dog anywhere near a little baby?!?

You need your head examined

[Dog Training]

I feel terrible about the PP whose niece was attacked and disfigured by her family dog, nobody should ever have to suffer something like that, especially not a young child. The truth is there are some dogs that, if they have not been properly socialized, will act violently towards others.

I can second the recommendation for Frankie, and agree with Dr Phil that inflicting suffering is not the way to go if you want to teach non-violence.

I say spend some time working on the solution now. Work with a trainer, work with the dog and get a good feel for what you think this dog can handle. You can also work with the trainer to anticipate certain scenarios and how you might handle them if they happen. For example, if the dog barks and wakes up a sleeping baby, what is the most appropriate reaction to get desired behavior. If the dog is clamoring for your attention after the baby comes, etc.

If you ask me, and this is a big clarifier, because children are not dogs - however, I think the experience of working closely with the dog to read its signals and learn how to interact with it to get the desired behavioral outcomes may actually make your parenting more deliberate and thoughtful as well.

I do think that it's good for children to grow up in households with pets. My son, when he was a toddler, was taught how to observe animals, read their communication signals, and respect their rights to not have their tails pulled. I do remember one time he got careless with one of our cats and got a small scratch in return, more fright than pain really. He cried and cried and learned a very valuable lesson. The scratch is long healed but the lesson is still there.  

[barking mad?]

best applied to the OP, not the mutt

[not so easy]

Have a handful of dog biscuits and be ready for when someone is walking by or when the postman is due -  stand by your gates and keep talking to your dog as soon as people appear all the while drip feeding the biscuits. When he doesn't bark, make lots of fuss and tell he's done well. You need to put in a time for this to work, but it's well worth the effort google puppy love, they are great and help train (you!!) and your dogs on a reward basis. Good luck!

Not so fast. Are you suggesting that OP stands by her baby 24/7?

[Easy...]

Not so easy -

It is easy to retrain a barking dog - that was what my suggestion was about  

[not so easy]

Not so easy -

It is easy to retrain a barking dog - that was what my suggestion was about  

I am not worried about the barking. Do you want the dog to maul the baby before doing something about it? Clearly the dog is out of control. You can control the barking, can you control his other behaviour?

[where's the debate?]

A spoiled and jealous dog anywhere near a new baby?

A few weeks of training won't remove 5 years of pampering from the psyche of a dog, it'll always be there, somewhere., and one day the jealousy could easily come to the fore with an awful outcome

Where's the question here?  Ditch the dog.