Ask a Trainer - Barking

Top trainers answer your questions

Q: My small dog never barks-except at children. As neither I nor my friends have children, I don't really have an opportunity to socialize her with kids. What should I do when she barks at children? - Julie, Minneapolis, MN

A: Dear Julie, There are two choices. One is to avoid children. This flies in the face of 1970's-style training, where avoiding a problem implied irresponsible dog ownership. Nowadays, pet dog training is pragmatic. In fact, it shouldn't be called pet dog training. More pet dog management/behaviour tweaking/owner education. So, no shame in steering clear of kids.

If you can't avoid kids or if it bugs you to not do more, go the fancier route: Pavlovian conditioning. Acquire some smashing treats. Not cookies. Cubed pecorino romano or steak. Something she never gets. Load some into zip lock bags. When you walk her and there is any likelihood of encountering kids, pack one.

When she spots a kid, she'll bark as usual. Immediately giggle and retreat. Once you're a little farther away, spill goodies. Repeat this every encounter. "WHAT?" you say, "I should reward barking!?" Ah, but you're not-think Pavlov's dog. From your dog's point of view, the sequence of events is: 1) see child, 2) get tasty treat. For this reason, don't dispense before she sees the kid with the idea of "distracting" her; kid must come before romano. It's no "reward," because the likelihood is that the barking will gradually decrease. This would be a paradox if the strongest connection were between barking and cheese. The strongest connection is, in fact, between kids and cheese. This deflates the motivation to bark.

Told you it was fancy. ■

Jean Donaldson is the founder of the San Francisco SPCA Academy for Dog Trainers and author of several books on dog training and behaviour, including Dogs are from Neptune and The Culture Clash.