Dog won't stop barking at Guitar

[varmonter]

Originally Posted by lt20dbl

hmmm. Maybe it's best that you don't own one. If you don't, I'll give you credit for that.

there are dog owners and there are dog parents.
people that hunt with dogs are generally in the "owner"
category. folks that sneak their dogs into theatres in their purses are dog parents. There is nothing wrong with either as long as there
is no abuse. just different.
Years ago i had a great basset hound. i would
take the guitar out and close the case and she
would curl up on top of the case. i showed my boss
the picture and he said. "Maybe she thinks the guitar
is still in the case". i said ha ha very funny.

[JAMKC]

Originally Posted by TBman

Dog treats. When you take the guitar out of the case, give him a treat. Every time you go there to play and you take the guitar out of the case, give him a dog treat.

This... ought to correct it pretty quick. I'm lucky, our 3 y.o. labradoodle comes up and lays on my feet while I play.

[varmonter]

https://imgur.com/gallery/Tr1bc

my dog amos loves me playing

[Steadfastly]

Originally Posted by TBman

Dog treats. When you take the guitar out of the case, give him a treat. Every time you go there to play and you take the guitar out of the case, give him a dog treat.

That is not a good way to train a dog. The best way is praising them when they do something right and a negative tone when they don't. Dogs love to be praised and what happens if you forget the treats or run out of them?

Also, if he is barking and you give him a treat you are training him that he gets a treat when he barks. He will always bark if that is done.

[lt20dbl]

Originally Posted by varmonter

there are dog owners and there are dog parents.
people that hunt with dogs are generally in the "owner"
category. folks that sneak their dogs into theatres in their purses are dog parents. There is nothing wrong with either as long as there
is no abuse. just different.
Years ago i had a great basset hound. i would
take the guitar out and close the case and she
would curl up on top of the case. i showed my boss
the picture and he said. "Maybe she thinks the guitar
is still in the case". i said ha ha very funny.

I must be weird, as many of my friends are as well. I have kept and hunted over English Setters for 40 years. Each and every one has been family to me and most of my bird hunting friends feel the same. I admit that houndsmen are a different breed.

[Hasbro]

I bet you he reads Taylor on the headstock and thinks "the harsh trebles will hurt my sensitive ears".

But in all seriousness I used to always be able to get my Mastiff to howl while I play the November Rain solo on my electric guitar

[BluesKing777]

The dog is saying: “Tusq, Tusq, Tusq, you have Tusq saddle and nut, you have Tusq saddle and nut, Tusq, Tusq, Tusq.....TUSQ.....your guitar will sound much, much, much better with Bone, Bone, Bone nut and saddle.....” “And.....what IS that awful guitar polish you are using?”

I also attest to the water squirt technique - I used the squirter bottles that you buy to mist plants or cleaning stuff. I only have to show my dog the squirter now and I can see the mind click over to ‘oh, oh, I’m off!’ My dog was charging the fence where the dog next door was barking, all the time and in my car it would keep jumping over the seat to be in the front and to bark! No more! But there is a bottle on the outside table and another in the car......

It is fairly easy to train a dog to DO something, but it can be really hard to make them stop bad or strange habits. Water squirter rules! ( squirter bottles might work with training drummers! )








BluesKing777.

[Orfeas]

Just wait till you'll have to give a dog for adoption because of barking. Life sucks. I am devastated. I saw that post and I am crying because of my dog's separation anxiety, and that I have to find her a good home. Stuff is for real folks. Real tragic. I just can't handle this anymore cause this baby girl Chihuahua is my child.

You hit a VERY soft of spot of mine that I am currently suffering with this OP. Rant is over- love all of you AGFers.

[jessupe]

I can't help but wonder if a super cheap prop guitar could not be had that could be used for "over acclimation"

I think where there is a will there is a way, but it would take some work.

My suggestion is to "wear" a guitar like you would a shirt.

Start by taking the dog outside in an ok to bark area like a park and with a straped guirat you just walk with the dog, let it bark away, then start to play with the dog as you might normally do so, hopefully with a ball or toy. Throw the ball, let him chase it,play a chord, and over and over and on and on thru the day, when you get home, leave the guitar strapped on.

If he barks inside, put it away,try again later outside. also go somewhere outside where you can practice and let your dog bark, somewhere where you are not needing to correct his behavior, to try to let him bark it out...

Also, dogs are highly suseptable to things be either thrown or set on the ground....while outside, with your beater, set the guitar on the ground, let the dog sniff, bark at, attack, whatever.

basically the dog now sees this thing, the guitar as this "thing" that gets him attention, they read your vibes about it, not so much that they don't know you don;t want him to bark,but that it turns into an "episode"... to him there is something special about he guitar, he does not know what, but he knows when it comes out, he wants to bark at it, and by going thru the routine that you do you end up turning the guitar coming out into and "event" one that he probably perceives as special.

so my suggestion is to have the guitar become as common place and unspecial as the shirt you are wearing...

right now it is this thing that only comes out when dad wants to play, again, its like an event for him....the only way to make it not an event is if he sees and hears it ALL the time and just eventually becomes bored with it, or no longer sees it as some special thing that has anything to do with him.

Its lots of work, and does not work right away,and does not work with every dog, but most dogs can be acclimated to things that they have "issues"with as long as it can be "normalized" ....right now its become too much of an event, it needs to be turned into common place object and sound that is nothing special. Again time and work are the key

[pegleghowell]

Teach him to bark in tune!.

[Quickstep192]

I’m assuming you’re going to your friend’s house to play together. Does the dog bark at your friend’s guitar too, or just yours?

[rokdog49]

Originally Posted by arwhite

Stop taking your guitar to your buddy's house.

Put the dog in another room from where you guys are playing.

Put the dog outside while you guys are playing.

Find somebody else to jam with.

There really aren't many options given the other things you have tried haven't worked.

First reply and best answer IMHO.
I am not an animal hater, but this is rude behavior on your buddy's part.
Try saying this in a nice way:
"Hey guy,
I didn't come to visit the dog I came to play guitar, uninterrupted. Can we move the dog elsewhere for now?"

[JimmerO]

Maybe he's looking at the soundhole and thinks it's the opening to a well. Maybe he thinks little Johnny fell down in there. Show him that little Johnny's not in the well.

Or maybe he's telling you that you need to buy more guitars? That's what I'd say to my wife. Then you go and buy a few to "test" the theory. Can't hurt?

OK seriously, I agree with bringing in a pro dog trainer. You'll probably learn a bunch from them other than just fixing this problem and it will be well worth it.

[Steadfastly]

Originally Posted by JimmerO

Maybe he's telling you that you need to buy more guitars? That's what I'd say to my wife. Then you go and buy a few to "test" the theory. Can't hurt?

I am going to train my dog to bark at my guitars.

[Mycroft]

Originally Posted by rmsstrider

Not sure where to post on forum. Understand if moved.
My friends 6 month old West Highland Terrier will just not stop barking and making a fuss whenever I take my guitar out of its case. And that's without me even playing it. I could understand if he was a critic or just trying to sing along, but this is starting to be annoying. As soon as he sees it, he starts barking and won't stop. I, tried letting him sniff it, put in the case with it open to let him get used to it, tried to let him know it is not a threat, have held him and given a treat if he stops, have tried to distract him, nothing is working. Stern words don't work either. I tried for 20 long minutes and he would just not let up. Any suggestions? Be kind

What has your friend done about this? This is their job, not yours.