Bruce's Journal

[Goat Whisperer]

I agree.

From what I gather from Bruce's posts, it's NOT the dog.
And it isn't. This is just one of those situations where things aren't meshing the way it was intended The reality is that ALL other "farm dogs" WILL bark- causing the same problem. Not trying to speak for anyone here, but I don't see how getting another dog would be any different. They hear something or see a threat- they bark.

I know this is hard for @Bruce, fortunately he is considered "lucky" that he has someone will to take the dog back. If he does get another dog and this dog barks (and it will) what happens? What if this breeder isn't willing to take the dog back? Does the dog end up in a shelter? Just things to consider.

 

[babsbag]

My LGDs bark some nights and some nights they don't. But if there is a threat they bark, that is their job and their only way of persuading the predator to leave. I had one that barked at the moon, the sun, the wind, the leaves, the stars...you get the picture. The ones I have now only bark when needed but that can be minutes or hours depending on the what is out there. My oldest female barks the least, and when she barks I really listen, but again, I have heard her bark for a good 30 minutes. My neighbors hated my dogs, but the dogs have been moved off of that fence line and the neighbors are selling their home. Hope the new neighbors like goats and dogs.

 

[Bruce]

I agree.

From what I gather from Bruce's posts, it's NOT the dog.
And it isn't. This is just one of those situations where things aren't meshing the way it was intended The reality is that ALL other "farm dogs" WILL bark- causing the same problem. Not trying to speak for anyone here, but I don't see how getting another dog would be any different. They hear something or see a threat- they bark.

I know this is hard for @Bruce, fortunately he is considered "lucky" that he has someone will to take the dog back. If he does get another dog and this dog barks (and it will) what happens? What if this breeder isn't willing to take the dog back? Does the dog end up in a shelter? Just things to consider.

I think you hit it exactly right @Goat Whisperer. ANY dog (OK, not my neighbor's Spaniel across the street but he is one in 100 million) will bark and in my experience most will bark at a lot more things than Merlin. Honestly I don't remember him EVER barking unless he was looking in a specific direction while barking. If he was barking at a dead run, he was headed to some part of the fence line, again looking in a specific direction. The people we got the alpacas from have a GP and a herding dog (neigher actual working dogs). They both go nuts and bark their heads off if someone walks down the road past their house. Any time of day and even if the owners are outside. I truly do believe that Merlin was the dog for the job here. Mind you, like @Latestarter's Mel, I don't think he would be even slightly unhappy hanging out on the couch during the day with his people.

I took Merlin for a walk into the woods this morning. Smart as he is, he didn't figure out the part where I can't walk through the woods as fast as he can, nor can I go under branches that are 3' off the ground. Lots of rabbit and deer tracks in the woods. Fox tracks there and in the field on the way to the woods. There was a track that looked canine but larger than a fox, don't know if it was a coyote or if someone's dog was out unattended. Just inside the treeline at the north end of the west field - raccoon tracks. I had hoped the one that did in 2 chickens this summer ("rehomed") was a drop off but now not only do I need to worry about foxes, I again have to worry about a coon.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

So very sorry that Merlin didn't work out for you.

 

[Mike CHS]

One racoon can be a pain but the chances are if there is one around there is more than one.

 

[Bruce]

And isn't that a comforting thought. Not sure what brought the one up behind the house last summer. I figured some jackass illegally "rehomed it" to the country since we had never seen one before. We found a hen that we thought was gone for good at 3 AM one day. Turns out she had gone broody (first time in 4 years) and chose to do it in the plants right next to the little barn instead of in a nest box like the rest of the broody girls. She screamed bloody murder when it came for her. When we got outside the coon was up the nearby pine tree.

 

[NH homesteader]

I've never seen a racoon around here. We had a fisher take out a chicken and multiple ducks last year. I saw it in the yard at 9am. There was definitely something wrong with it being out during the day.

 

[Bruce]

True, they are presumably out hunting mostly near dawn and dusk. I have never (knock on wood) seen one.

 

[Beekissed]

I must have been really blessed in my dog life, as most of my dogs have not been excessive barkers...most were extremely quiet. The only one I had here that did bark excessively I didn't have for very long...he was rehomed to the kind of place he was used to, an indoors home...no amount of training could help him adjust, he was already 4 yrs old and set in his ways. Big dog, afraid of the dark as he had never been outdoors at night in his whole life, so he barked at everything.

Ben has taken his cue from Jake and most of our nights are VERY silent, no barking at all. Even when there is barking, it's a short cycle and doesn't go on and on. Two times Ben has settled into a rhythmic bark that I considered excessive and stopped immediately when told to do so. Since then he's not repeated that kind of bark cycle. No barking in the day except, again, a few short woofs at a passing deer but nothing above a three woof, then ended. I just don't tolerate it, so it doesn't happen. Jake never barks in the day.

Jake has always been really silent. The older GP/Lab mix female I had had a tendency to WANT to bark frequently at times, but also would shut up when told to do so and finally, she learned what I considered barkable and became pretty quiet as well. the dog I had before those two was also silent most of the time.

I don't agree with the thought that farm dogs cannot do what LGDs can do...when all you need them to do is guard livestock of some kind on small acreage, they do it very well. The goal, I believe, is to ward off predators...if that is done, then they can do what a LGD can do in that kind of setting. In some settings, no, they won't live and work only with the flock, but Bruce's situation doesn't call for dogs working large acreage and guarding large herds.

From my experience, in regards to barking in a small acreage setting, you get what you will settle for. They CAN be trained to keep the barking to what is only necessary. If they cannot, there are dogs who can.

Large acreage and large flocks, I'd venture to say there are more predators wanting what is being guarded, a larger area to cover, so more need for barking.

 

[Goat Whisperer]

They CAN be trained to keep the barking to what is only necessary. If they cannot, there are dogs who can.

Based on the posts, I don't think Merlin is an incessant barker. It sounds like he barked when there was a need. If @Bruce 's wife cannot tolerate that, it doesn't matter how much training is put into the dog. The dog will still bark when there is a need.