How Much Bark An Australian Shepherd Produces

Expert’s answer:

Based on the search results, Australian Shepherds are known to bark a lot. They have a high tendency to bark due to their herding background and the need to vocalize with livestock to keep them safe and in check. Additionally, Australian Shepherds have a loud bark, which can be problematic with neighbors if not kept under control. Like many herding dogs, Australian Shepherds can bark excessively when they are bored, lonely, or not given enough attention or exercise. It is important to provide them with mental stimulation, physical exercise, and companionship to help manage their barking habits.

Literature on the topic

The Complete Guide to Miniature Australian Shepherds: ... - Kearsten WilliamsThe Complete Guide to Miniature Australian Shepherds: …
Author: Kearsten Williams
Year: 2019
Description:Written by Miniature Australian Shepherd owner and enthusiast Kearsten Williams, this book will give you actionable advice and unique insights into this lovable breed.
Australian Shepherds - Caroline Coile Ph.D.Australian Shepherds
Author: Caroline Coile Ph.D.
Year: 2009
Description:gives you a good excuse to stop and enjoy the scenery up close, and maybe even get some exercise along the way. With … bark at once he discovers you’re trying to keep him quiet!). Several books are available listing establishments that …
Australian Shepherds: A Practical Guide To Understanding & ... - Bowe PackerAustralian Shepherds: A Practical Guide To Understanding & …
Author: Bowe Packer
Year: 2014
Description:A Practical Guide To Understanding & Caring For Your Australian Shepherd Bowe Packer. does not bark and does not appear … causes separation anxiety in your puppy. Mix up yourroutine based on different days or different methods. You want …
How much bark an australian shepherd produces per day
How much bark an australian shepherd produces per day – (Image Source: Pixabay.com)

Do Aussie dogs typically bark a lot?

Remember that the typical Australian Shepherd tends to bark a lot, making it a little harder to get him to stop unless you give him the “speak” command or there is a situation where he needs to bark to alert you.

The four fundamental commands of “come,” “sit,” “stay,” and “down” should be mastered by your dog before you begin working on more advanced training. You can establish your authority as the pack leader by teaching your puppy these first. Keep in mind that your dog views his family of humans as his pack, and he needs to know where he fits in the pack right away. You only need a sizable bag of your dog’s preferred treats, plenty of time, and a lot of patience.

How much bark an australian shepherd produces a day
How much bark an australian shepherd produces a day – (Image Source: Pixabay.com)

Are Australian Shepherds good with children?

The Australian shepherd is a playful but easygoing dog who enjoys playing with kids and gets along well with other animals. Australian shepherds make wonderful pets for families, herding dogs, police dogs, and participants in obedience competitions.

Medium-sized Australian shepherds have a strong frame and a low center of gravity.

They range in height from about 18 to 23 inches and weigh between about 40 and 60 pounds (18 to 27 kilograms). Males tend to be taller and heavier than females. Australians average 10 to 12 years of life.

The coat of an Aussie is thick, medium-length, and straight or slightly wavy. Their legs’ backs are feathered, and their necks are covered in a thick mane. Variable coat colors with white and/or tan markings, such as blue or red merle or red or black tricolor, are all acceptable. The tails of most Australians are naturally short, but if they are longer than four inches, they may occasionally be docked.

Do Australian Shepherds require special handling?

However, they can be difficult, especially for inexperienced owners, despite the fact that they are attractive, intelligent, playful, and a lot of fun. They have a lot of energy and can be stubborn and mischievous. They can be a real handful when their intelligence is added in.

Australian shepherd price
Australian shepherd price – (Image Source: Pixabay.com)

Can you teach an Aussie not to bark?

Teach Your Australian Shepherd the “Quiet” Command: Prepare your Australian Shepherd to comprehend and comply with the “quiet” command. Say “quiet” firmly when your dog begins barking in response to a trigger and wait for them to stop. As soon as they stop talking, compliment and reward them.

Australian Shepherds make excellent companions for active owners because they are intelligent, spirited dogs. Reactive barking is a behavioral issue that this breed’s owners frequently deal with. The dog may bark excessively at people, other dogs, or even inanimate objects when threatened or under stress. This behavior may not only annoy owners, but it may also make it challenging to socialize the dog and maintain calm conditions at home. We’ll look at ten practical methods in this article to help an Australian Shepherd stop reacting to things by barking and start acting in more constructive ways.

The advice provided below should help you get started, but it’s important to understand that your Australian Shepherd’s excessive barking is a sign of reactivity. Take a look at an online training program that focuses on reactivity, such as SpiritDog’s “Tackling Reactivity” or K9 Institute’s Dog Masterclass.

Finding the precise triggers that make your Australian Shepherd bark is the first step in dealing with reactive barking
. Assess the circumstances or stimuli that cause your dog to bark, such as meeting other dogs, oncoming strangers, or loud noises. You can create a focused strategy to solve the problem once you are aware of the triggers.

Australian shepherd size
Australian shepherd size – (Image Source: Pixabay.com)

How can I stop my Australian Shepherd from barking?

Teach Your Australian Shepherd to Comply with the “Quiet” Command: Make sure your Australian Shepherd is trained to comprehend and comply with the “quiet” command. Say “quiet” firmly to your dog when they begin barking in response to a trigger and wait for them to stop. Praise and reward them as soon as they stop talking.

Australian Shepherds are intelligent, active dogs that make great companions for people who lead active lifestyles. Reactive barking is a common behavioral problem that this breed’s owners must deal with. The dog may bark excessively at people, other dogs, or even inanimate objects when threatened or under stress. In addition to frustrating owners, this behavior may also make it challenging to socialize the dog and maintain a tranquil living space. This article will examine ten practical methods for training an Australian Shepherd to stop reactive barking and instead exhibit more desirable behaviors.

The advice provided below should help you get started, but it’s important to understand that your Australian Shepherd’s excessive barking is a sign of reactivity. Take a look at an online training program that focuses on reactivity, such as SpiritDog’s “Tackling Reactivity” or K9 Institute’s Dog Masterclass.

The first step in dealing with reactive barking is to pinpoint the precise triggers that make your Australian Shepherd bark. Determine which circumstances or stimuli—such as meeting other dogs, oncoming strangers, or loud noises—cause your dog to bark by carefully monitoring their behavior. You can create a focused strategy to solve the problem once you are aware of the triggers.

Mini australian shepherd size
Mini australian shepherd size – (Image Source: Pixabay.com)

Are Australian Shepherds noisy canines?

Australian Shepherds were bred to work alongside people. This breed won’t like being left home alone for long periods of time. Your Aussie Shepherd may become mischievous out of boredom if you don’t give them something to do for three hours. Aussies are frequently referred to as “Velcro-dogs” as well.

This breed may not be the best choice for you if you’re looking for a quiet dog. The majority of the time, Aussie Shepherds bark a lot. They may bark for a variety of causes, including simple attention-seeking or excitement. They get excited very easily because they have high energy. Most of their life stock was taller than them because they were medium-sized dogs. Barking thus aided in establishing dominance and gaining movement among the life stock. Although it’s not a guarantee, the breed can be vocal, so your Aussie might be as well.

The Australian Shepherd has a humorous personality, is constantly eager to participate in activities, and has a propensity to form close relationships with their family. This dog will be devoted to you. With their charm and astute minds, they will win your heart. You must lead this dog with consistency and calmness if you want to keep him under control. They will respect you more and obey your commands without question if you do this.

Now let’s look at some frequently asked questions about Australian Shepherd dogs.

Australian shepherd for sale
Australian shepherd for sale – (Image Source: Pixabay.com)

Are Australian Shepherds solitary animals?

Australian shepherds are people-oriented dogs that frequently follow their family around the house just to be near them. A lot of attention must be paid to them. The intelligent, vivacious Australian Shepherd may decide to make her own entertainment if left alone for an extended period of time, frequently by acting destructively or barking.

Inquiries about Australian Shepherds are frequently asked about, as listed below.

While the Australian Cattle Dog, also known as the Blue Heeler, and the Australian Shepherd are both admirable herding dogs, they are two separate breeds that originated in various parts of the world. While the Blue Heeler has Australian roots, the Australian Shepherd is an American-bred dog with herding ancestors from the regions around Spain. The Dingo, Dalmatian, and Bull Terrier are among the breeds that the Australian Cattle Dog descended from.

Uncertain origins aside, Australia was not the birthplace of the Australian Shepherd. The breed as it is recognized today was entirely developed in North America, and it is believed to have some ancestry with herding dogs from Spain’s Basque region. Some people believe that the breed’s use in herding imported Australian sheep is where the name came from, but even this theory has not been proven.

Australian shepherd weight
Australian shepherd weight – (Image Source: Pixabay.com)

Do Australian Shepherds enjoy cuddling?

To have a loving companion, a lot of people decide to bring a dog into their family. The general consensus among people is that dogs are joyful, cuddly, sweet, and calming to pet. Certain breeds are more affectionate by nature than others. The Australian will typically only cuddle with one person or a small group of people he trusts, but on occasion he won’t feel like it. Check out a few potential explanations for why this might be the case.

Before he feels secure enough to cuddle with you, your Aussie might need some time to get used to his new surroundings and gain your trust. Being vulnerable while cuddling means that your dog might just need some time and patience to learn that his vulnerability won’t put him in danger.

Dogs, like people, display affection in different ways, and some dogs enjoy cuddling more than others, so just because your Aussie isn’t particularly cuddly doesn’t mean he doesn’t love you. If you’re unsure of how your Australian shepherd is expressing his love for you, whether he is a cuddler or not, here are some warning signs.

Australian shepherd lifespan
Australian shepherd lifespan – (Image Source: Pixabay.com)

Do Australian Shepherds tend to have high anxiety levels?

Aussies are extremely sociable canines. They are prone to separation anxiety and may experience loneliness when frequently left alone. The overwhelming anxiety that dogs experience when they are separated from their owners is at this time.

Though it frequently occurs during the puppyhood stage, it can also result from boredom, loneliness, or coming from a background of abuse or neglect. Aside from excessive barking and indoor pottying, it can also cause destr
uctive behaviors like chewing on or tearing apart household furniture. For Australian Shepherd owners who reside in apartments, this can be particularly challenging.

No matter how angry you are at these destructive behaviors, try to keep your temper in check because they are a sign of a bigger problem that you, as the owner, need to address. Additionally, the attention may even inspire them. Show them that this type of behavior will not be tolerated and try to confine them to a secure area of the house until the problem is resolved.

Are Aussies possessive dogs?
(Image Source: Pixabay.com)

Are Aussies possessive dogs?

Aussies are notoriously clingy. They yearn for human company and adore being included in pretty much all of your activities, including family activities. They must lead an active lifestyle, so they will want to participate in everything that is going on around them.

Aussies need to live indoors and to be in contact with people constantly, or as often as possible, despite the fact that they do love the outdoors. Of course, there are times when work and family obligations keep you away for extended periods of time, but you should try to spend as much time as you can with your Australian shepherd to prevent him from experiencing separation anxiety.

Long periods of separation from your Aussie can cause him to develop a loud barking habit. In turn, this might bother you and your neighbors. These issues can also be avoided in your dog by early training, lots of exercise, and mental stimulation.

Do Aussie Shepherds ever become more relaxed?
(Image Source: Pixabay.com)

Do Aussie Shepherds ever become more relaxed?

All young dogs and puppies go through a period of intense activity. Around 2-3 years old in Australians, it ought to come to an end. However, Mini Aussies are quick learners, so don’t worry; it gradually winds down and becomes less “naughty” as they grow and learn. Let’s look more closely at this time in their lives and what they did with all of that energy.

After about a year, a miniature Australian shepherd will be fully grown. They are intelligent, but they take a little longer to emotionally develop.

Mini Aussies will be better able to control their energy levels and are thought to be mentally mature by the time they are 2 to 3 years old. That said, Aussies are naturally active dogs and will remain so into old age, so they will start to calm down.

Do Australian shepherds enjoy cuddling?
(Image Source: Pixabay.com)

Do Australian shepherds enjoy cuddling?

Because they want a devoted friend, many people decide to bring a dog into their family. In general, people love to pet dogs because they are cheerful, cuddly, sweet, and calming. Certain breeds are more affectionate by nature than others. The Aussie typically only wants to cuddle with one person or a small group of people he trusts, but on occasion he won’t want to. Let’s look at some potential explanations for why this might be the case.

Before he feels secure enough to cuddle with you, your Aussie might need some time to get used to his new surroundings and gain your trust. Your dog might just need some time and patience to realize that being vulnerable while cuddling won’t put him in danger.

Dogs, like people, display affection in different ways, and some dogs enjoy cuddling more than others, so just because your Aussie isn’t particularly cuddly doesn’t mean he doesn’t love you. Here are some warning signs to look out for if you’re wondering how your Australian shepherd is expressing his love for you, cuddler or not.

Video:


DO AUSTRALIAN SHEPHERD BARK ALOT?

DO AUSTRALIAN SHEPHERD BARK ALOT? If your Australian Shepherd is barking all the time and you aren’t sure if they should …



Relentless Non-Stop Barking – Improving Reactivity in an unsocialized Australian Shepherd.


How Much Bark an Australian Shepherd Produces.
(Image Source: Pixabay.com)

Chelsea Vaughn

Chelsea is a former marine biologist who switched gears in her twenties to build a small house and start a business. She enjoys traveling and going on hiking adventures with her husband, their two Australian Shepherds and their African Grey Parrot.

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48 comments

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  • I train aggressive and anxious dogs. I use the laying on side method with most dogs. I move from using it as a restraint to the command “sleeping” where i teach the dogs to hold the position for a length of time, like “wait” or “stay”. There is something about that position that messes with dog’s adrenaline. All dogs eyes begin to close and they actually fall sleep after a few minutes. It’s very bizzare and hugely helpful to socialize older aggressive and fearful dogs. Very cool stuff!

  • I’m really glad you made this article and said all that you did. It confirmed some of my thoughts in dealing with my reactive 18 month/2 years Irish Terrier rescue pup and added some new info I can use, too. Mine’s not as severe as this one (he has gotten over his nerves at daycare and gets on okay with the other dogs now, albeit still wary of bigger dogs but not aggressive to them, just avoidance.) Barking at dogs from the car has just about stopped now – just interest and occasional whine. I’ve just got to up my game on street walks and encountering dogs. We live in the country and meetings with other dogs are rare and therefore reactive – people barking, too. Not aggressive to people – just fearful and too vocal. He likes the mailman now but still barks until he’s at his feet and being petted. Got to find some other folk with dogs who won’t mind working with us. You’ve said that before, I know. Maybe see if any of the owners of the dogs he gets along with will help. Thanks again for this one. 👍🏻

  • “The dog training industry is a joke” That’s an understatement of … a long time. The positive-only people are causing thousands and thousands of dogs getting killed every year just because they don’t understand how the world actually works. Pos-only is a dream that these people live in, but it is not the reality we live in. Please keep doing what you’re doing, maybe one day the world at large will come to it’s senses with the help of people like you. Love your articles 🙂

  • It is refreshing to watch the way in which you train. I feel like you are a realist and that you can assess the unique behaviors and personalities with respect and honesty. Purely positive training seems to be missing the ability to perceive the hard truths, provide the tough love and real world honesty that is required to deal with things realistically and practically. Well done!

  • The way you explained, the socialization problem was right on. We got an Ozzy doodle puppy told not to bring him to a groomer or take him out much or see other dogs or other people until he had all of his shots by then he was afraid of everything he’s gotten much better, but has never been perfect. He was also bred like this dog. Lots of good advice appreciate the articles

  • Thanks for this article. My aussie was 7yo when I got her and she had lived an isolated life with only her sire, owner, and intermittent home Healthcare worker to learn about life. She didn’t even have the chance to go outdoors except on a leash to an unsecured backyard. It has taken me 2 years for her to be calm around other dogs, off leash in an open area. She’s still reactive to cars driving slow, other dogs walking toward us when on leash, and people coming into the house. She’s made huge progress in the last few months, but I wish I’d seen a article like this earlier. Thanks again for posting this to show that out of control dogs just might need other training methods.

  • I really wish ya’ll lived in Florida. These sessions you have with all these families are absolute GOLD. Following your methods have helped my two corgis improve by leaps and bounds! But there’s still a couple of issues with them that make me wanna bang my head against a wall. Trying to find a trainer who uses similar methods to yours has proved difficult.

  • There’s already a huge transformation around 7:00. Before the dog would bark non-stop, freaking out at everything, and not even check in with the owners. Now the dog actually tries to stay near the owners, for safety/comfort, and barks intermittently. Still overstimulated, but you can see that the meeting with Prince has already toned it down. And 30 seconds later it’s completely over. Re: putting the dog on its side: Do you think it should never be used as a punishment?

  • I wonder how many of Joel’s clients stick with the constant reinforcement of the training methods he gives them. It would be great to see some before and after clips of clients that followed through, so we can see the long term testimonies of how beneficial his training has been for them. I would imagine that there may be a good number of clients that may not have scheduled the time that it takes to make permanent corrections.

  • I have a rescue who is sort of like that. My force free trainer had a freak out when my dog reacted. She said that he was over threshold and that he is going to be experiencing an adrenaline reaction for the next two days. My dog usually has at least one freak out per walk so I told her that he is always over the threshold. I feel my force free dog trainer is not really helpful at times, and her force free methods are putting my dog and myself in danger at times. She insists on loose leash walking with one hand. This dog is strong. I am using my other hand on the leash now. At the end of the day, I will take what she has to offer and watch your articles. I am doing corrections now with the leash to get better loose leash walking. I learn a lot from your articles. Thank you. My dogs problem seems to be prey drive. He is a coonhound. He is normal in daycare but horrible on a leash. I am using a gentle leader. I added a martingale today and have much more control.

  • I’ve had to put my dog on her side. Not easy, but I did it. She was so suddenly barking and biting my arms on a walk. She was 2 1/2years and 72 lbs. the last time this happened. She is 4 now, what a workout.! It was instinctual on my part. I just needed to get control so she could calm down. I got her just before COVID. Didn’t socialize her much, there just weren’t the opportunities. I regret that. But she is doing much better on walks. Thanks for the article. Helps me feel okay about what I did.

  • Your articles helped me fix my agresive malinois Crazy Daisy. I watched other trainers such as Cabral and Davis whom share your methods in many ways. But just found out Cabral is against all dog parks all the time. I get so much joy and a sense of community at the dog park. I’m sorry for cheating on you with other trainers. I promise to be faithful from now on. I love how you say you will glance into a park, read the crowd and drive home if it looks bad.

  • I have a 40 lb female border collie who we got from the rescue. She is 6 years old. She is perfect with people and cats, but when she sees another dog, she goes crazy af. She has one buddy she plays with and is fine around, but she goes insane when she sees other dogs. She will wine and start pulling and sometimes get aggressive and try to go after the other dog. We have had her since mid August and it is so hard. Every walk she scouts for other dogs. She has even started to whine and pull when she anticipates another dog will be there even when there isn’t! I really wish we had someone like you in our state because I think she has lacked positive experiences with other dogs and could use a safe environment to meet multiple dogs and not think they “are out to kill her.” We have enrolled her in a “reactive rover” 7 week, one hour classes, that is capped at 4 dogs max. We are hoping it is going to help her.

  • Thank you for giving some advice for dogs like this. Our dog is very similar to this dog, we adopted him 3 months ago at 1 year n a half. We could rarely find any training articles that match this type of temperament. You are so right when u say it’s something wrong with their brain. Our dog is a lovely sweet, very smart dog, but with random triggers he becomes completely irrationally crazy like this dog (luckily not as constant as with this dog). His body language is the exact same. It’s anxiety and overstimulation which makes them unhinged. We will incorporate your advice into his training. One thing we found work well for our dog is safe spaces, one being in a crate away from owner (when triggered inside house) if he gets trigged by someone passing the window or a knock, we tell him to go to his crate and he goes in and lets his barks out in there and can come out and get treats when he calms down which usually is about 10 minutes for him. We wait for him to fully lay down in his crate and be quiet. When he’s in there, u can see how irrational their emotion is. They bark at the air when nothing is happening. Beginning with this training, he would get triggered about 7 times a day just in our house with people walking by the window (we live in the city) and some people coming in and out the house. After a while, he starts becoming more cognitively present and he also fights the urge to bark bc he doesn’t want to have to wait in the crate by himself, he wants to come out and have fun.

  • I have this with a 4 pound 2 year old toy poodle. Thanks to Covid lock downs, absolutely 0 socialization. He barks incessantly at everyone else. He loves the family and he’s wonderful. He’s smart, sweet, loving, loves my grandson, everyone in the immediate family, but when it comes to any stranger, workers, anyone else, he wants to kill them, but yet he thinks everyone wants to kill him. It is horrible because I want everyone to see how wonderful he really is when he’s not like that.

  • The best option for this little guy is to be placed in an Australian Shepherd rescue, California or Arizona. Adoption by a family with a small pack and land, not apartment or condo, would be a life saver for him. Genetic issues can’t be trained away. A very reactive dog just has to find a different environment. Best for the dog

  • WOW! What a timely article. You mentioned something our vet told us as well. They told us not to socialize our dog, wait till after he’s had all of his shots, not to take him to dog parks, etc. Turns out he is fearful of other dogs and has some posession agression, resource guarding and has turned and bit us several times. He’s a rescue, male, neutered lab mix about 14 mo. I was getting him ready for a walk tonight and tried attaching his leash to his collar. When I couldn’t get it clamped on quick enough he lunged at me and bit me in the bicep. Out of reflex, I had to kick him off me, but I agree, he’s established some dominance and I think a side takedown is probably necessary. If I didn’t live in NJ, I woyld come down and book a session. Do you know or recommend anyone in the NJ area?

  • hey guys, first of all thank you very much joel for the articles, so much material to learn from! second of all,sorry for my bad english im from germany. with that being said, before i start, i have a question to the owners (maybe they will read this) is your dog an autonomous dog or is he nothing like that at all? because im pretty sure u got a central type of dog. central dogs handling the inner “problems/affairs” of the pack. which means for example he heard something dangerous, he would send you to watch and handle the situation. or he is pretty sensitive to your mood, trying to calm you down if ur mad or overexcited. he is handling the well being of the pack. he is a desicion maker. its hard to make them do thing they dont want to do or think its unnessacary. its hard to handle a dog like that by forcing them to do things. they are highly autonomous dogs. so you need to communicate with him. if not these dogs will get more and more unsure about everything and get hysterical if nobody listens to what they are saying (like u see in the article) its great to see what the dog is trying to say. he is trying to bite joels foot, because he dont want him to move, because he is unsure and he thinks the situation is a threat. first it was the human holding the camera. then its joel when he handshake the woman. and then the foot biting. this jumping forward seems “more aggressive”. its cause joel is moving. on 3:10 u can see he is moving in front of the people. in the dog world it means stop!

  • I like your methods, the loose leash one especially. It works on 2/3 of my dogs. Not on my “reactive to all unknown animals” one. That one, I need to keep really close to my leg to subtly correct any potential build up. Sometimes I think it’s a sort of PTSD. Adopted from the Portugese streets at 1 years of age. Aparently the street cats attack the street dogs there … Why I say PTSD (not to use the name in vain) because he can lash out in the dark just smelling a cat. He then sometimes accidently redirects on my other dog. He’ll launch himself to the end of the leash at sight of unknown animal. In that way he Joel’s himself, yet will do it again and again and again. So keeping him close to my leg, seems to work the best for now. I’m European unfortunately, otherwise I’d drive the country to your facility. I think it’s a worthy case to demonstrate with. It’s “offense is the best defense” yet he’d never fight. It’s intimidation only. “Freeze until I identified you”. His behavior rubs off badly on whoever he pairs with. I always walk two at a time, quite inconvenient. Keeping them close while walking the streets, seems my best strategy so far.

  • What a powerful vid!! What made you call Prince away at 7:00? Also, when you were trying to desensitize that dog to being near you, why did you choose to not use your “Chicken/Scary Stimulus” method (I don’t know what you call it😂) Would that have worked? These vids have helped so much!!! I think my 2-yr-old Street-Rescue(at 6 mos) Rednose is turning into a helper dog just cuz perusal ur vids is so helpful! Darren (pupper) corrects my other Pibble if he barks at my Golden too much and also if they are playing and it gets kinda rough, Darren introduces a toy. 🐾❤️ Thanks for sharing your wisdom! I look forward to followups on this pupper🐾❤️🙏🏽

  • Its been 10 years since I’ve visited the states. I first saw Joel performing at SeaWorld and found this website about a year ago! Brings back memories of perusal you guys do some amazing work at SeaWorld. To see you guys do these incredible things with these dogs is amazing. I have an un-neutered 4 year old female Rottweiler, and while she’s been almost perfect, your articles have helped me to further my understanding, especially of dog behavior and things to watch out for in dog behavior. Keep up the good work Joel. <3

  • I listened to the first min or two before I commented thank God. I’ve ran into several mini Aussies etc and I thought the same as Joel said. Genetics! Bred for the size and looks and nobody cares to do it right. Neurotic behaviors probably cost from over breeding to get the look. I have seen little Aussies and dogs of the sort that people have and they will turn an attack, their owners and the other dog that the owner has when I walk by. Just because I’m walking by. I’m not saying the people work with them to correct these issues but I think a lot of it has to do with the breeding. They go from normal to a damn cartoon in a split second and they are totally uncontrollable with the ones that I’ve encountered. Good job Joel as always.

  • I have a very VERY similar dog and I’ve done this with him. I’m not so sure what to do because he has had many experiences where he realizes he doesn’t die after being around someone new. He’ll even approach people that ignore him long enough and sit on their laps, but when they get up from where they’re sitting or new people come in, he barks out of his mind still. If it’s just about desensitizing through realizing he’s okay after a while, what about in this case? What can be done ?

  • We have an anxious/reactive heeler/border collie somewhat similar to this guy, NOT even close to as bad with the barking, but she definitely has her moments of over-excitement. The part that you said that really struck me was about the bad advice we all got from our vets to isolate them for the first few months. She’s 4 now and I so wish I could go back and do it differently. Plus, the two dogs that she was allowed to be around (friends’ dogs) when she was a couple months old were sh*ts to her 🙁 That didn’t help things. Good news, though, I have started implementing some of your training advice and it has helped so much in the few areas we need help with. We ❤ her no matter what!!

  • As someone who has experienced intense, traumatic stress: there is a BIG difference between applying stress and forcing TRAUMATIC stress. This dog is out of its comfort zone, where most trainers want to keep dogs. I truly love that Joel has the strength of conviction to push past the dog’s comfort zone to widen the frame of his world. THAT is how you make improvements to the dog’s life. It cannot be done slowly. If you need to fix someone’s nose, you need to break it in a very controlled and precise way; you will cause much more damage if you try to slowly increase pressure until a bone breaks. This is psychological surgery. THIS takes actual skill and expertise. That’s why you won’t see most dog trainers doing this, bc they have no idea what they’re doing and they’re not really here to do what’s best for the dog. Most dog trainers are doing everything in their power to never expose the OWNERS to uncomfortable emotions. Joel is one of the few trainers who is real with people, he doesn’t push the dog too far bc he knows what he’s doing, and that’s how he gets results.

  • I have a Great Pyrenees mix (25kg) sort of like this and I couldn’t agree more. He was locked in a cage for the first 6 months of his life, which made him very VERY anxious. I tried what I learned from dog trainers and it was basically a money grab. I went to a dog training club and it was just another idiot telling me how to train a healthy dog.Well no shit Sherlock, if I had a dog with a healthy brain, I’d have him do moon walks around yours by now. So I did it myself, getting a feel for my dog, perusal him closely, doing clicker training and lots of firsts. While that was good, I hit a brick wall after a while. So I went to see a dog psychiatrist, which sounds ridiculous, but my dog has been on antidepressants for 2 years now and we’re training every day. He’s 5 now, we had him 4.5 years and wasted 1 year on idiot trainers. We’ve been training about 3 years now and he’s finally able to go to new places without panic attacks. Walking with me in his “territory” he’s basically a normal dog now, because we worked together, my dog worked very hard, we had some very gracious dog friends teaching him how to be a good dog and probably a fair share of luck. I wish every damn dog trainer had to sit in a chair and watch this article.

  • A kinda sad situation, nothing is the dog’s fault and that little dog is clearly not enjoying life. Easy as an owner to react to our own sadness and empathy and try to compensate by being permissive in our stance towards our dog, that doesn’t work but I’ve felt that temptation in myself with our rescue GSD. Changes could be SEEN in this dog in real time. Owning a dog is not a fairy story – often it is like the rest of our lives – partly great, partly unsuccessful, partly ‘just good enough’…but we tend to buy dogs as if they are a fantasy toy figure or something – with unreal expectations of what the work/pleasure ratio will be. Any owners who are taking their dogs to a trainer, like these two, are clearly doing their best to help their dog. More than most folk ever do. I found the ‘on the side’ strategy interesting – it is usually presented as an ‘alpha dominance’ strategy and I am not on board with THAT idea but if there is a physiological/evolutionary reason why that position helps a dog shift it’s mental state – then it could be a legitimate strategy in some situations.

  • These dogs are not pretty pets that just need love and an occasional walk- they are an intense lifestyle and not usually for a first time owner. They are usually high drive so they need lots of mental stimulation as well as exercise- we have 3 standard size in our family. My new puppy worked himself in a state like that the first 2 weeks we had him. I walked him around the yard on a loose line just casually talking and feeding him treats until he calmed down a bit- then I would spend a few minutes doing some fun focus training and luring him into the basics. Then I brought him back in and gave him a snuffle mat filled with kibble to give his brain a chance to calm. After that he comes and lays down beside me and goes to sleep. I am teaching him lots of fun tricks, a little bit of scent work, tug, fetch and rolling the frisbee on the ground. Anything that makes him feel like he has a job. I also started socializing him at 9 weeks when we brought him home. We started in the neighborhood until he was comfortable and then the dog park 2 weeks later. I have a dog group i walk with everyday with all my dogs. Once we started at the dog park the only time he gets like that is if we miss a day. He is 13 weeks now and we are starting puppy agility and rally obedience on the advice of my vet. She has a golden retriever puppy the same age and suggested I join the club she belongs to. My daughter runs her 2 adult Aussies 15km before work and a walk at lunch and after work. Weekends are biking and hiking and in the winter they add in back country skiing.

  • Hi, I love your articles and been trying to hard with my dog. I have an 11 month old husky that I showed a lot of love for within the first few months of having her which has completely backfired and now she doesn’t respond to corrections/discipline. I’ve can’t even take her on walks anymore because she reacts to anyone and everything and I’m stuck at what to do. She’s now full of energy in the house because I can’t walk with her scared of making the pulling worse. It’s affecting my job, my partner and my other dog. I’ve watched your articles and tried to put it into practice but as soon as there’s a distraction she doesn’t care. She doesn’t respond to treats either. I’m at a loss and can’t walk my own dog because she pulls and reacts to anything that moves. It’s now affecting her very well behaved brother and I feel it’s unfair on him. Please if you have any advice or guidance I would appreciate it so much.

  • My puppy Boarder Collie has been barking at the cat. Sometimes she is bothered & other times she just lies on her side & licks her paws. When she is annoyed & the puppy has gone to far she will hiss and raise a paw at him. Never has she actually scratched him. I tried to stop this behaviour myself but I agree, sometimes you have to let pets work it out. If the cat wanted to hurt the puppy she would if by now. They need to learn how to coexists together.

  • I have a question. My dominant rottweiler female of 2 years sometimes plays rough with larger female dogs and sometimes even dominates them by getting them on the ground and growling. Whenever I correct my dog she doesnt care, as if the correction is not harsh enough. Normally she listens really well. Am I correcting in the wrong way?

  • Really highlights the importance of ethical breeding and researching breeders and their dogs before getting a puppy. A dog’s temperament is just as much genetic as it is environmental. Shitty breeding practices such as removing pups too early from the mothers can also result in a poorly adjusted, unstable animal. People would save themselves a lot of time, money, and sanity if they understood this concept.

  • I wonder if these people even tire him, give him a job or go at least 3 to 4 times a day on long walks with him. At least 1 hour in the morning walk, 1 hour in the afternoon walk, 1 hour in the evening walk. Best would be 4 times a hour and also let him run. That’s a high energy dog who also needs a job.

  • I feel like ive seen (heard) dogs like this, little dogs kicked into the yard and ignored by their owners that then bark all day. The same dogs who have to be held back from attacking a visitor at the door. Maybe the dogs im talking about arent as bad as this one but I imagine I could ramp that up in a dog that I mostly ignored and didnt interact with. I am curious about how possible it is for a dog to just be a massive jerk and to just continuously refuse to change their behaviour. People do it. Seems like perusal articles from various trainers with reactive dogs, that dogs are a lot more inclined to homogenously accept their place in a heirarchy thats laid out to them and enforced than people are.

  • We used to give sedatives to hyperactive and aggresive children because we thought they were overstimulated and they were acting uncontrollably. But we now know they are actually understimulated and their brains have lower baseline dopamine levels. The best way to treat mild cases is physically exhausting them not because we need to lower their energy but because the physical movement drastically increase their dopamine levels. They are essentially trying to escape a low dopamine swamp erratically trying to increase their dopamine by bullying, fighting, moving, playing games excessively. In extreme cases however we give them stimulant drugs so they can act rationally and learn to act rationally by increasing their baseline dopamine levels. After a few years of use they become more dominant, less aggressive, calm and goal oriented people than their piers. They just lacked the software to use their hardware and we help them develop it. This is the case for hyperactive human children but the thing is all dogs are hyperactive children and they have their hyperactive children if that makes sense 😀 (Less dopamine makes you seek dopamine constantly like drug addict, no dopamine makes you a vegetable, high dopamine makes you horny :D) You probably know all this from experience but the dog was understimulated and didn’t know how to have stimulation from it’s environment, your puppers made him focus and hightened it’s dopamine levels.

  • Hey Joel – you mentioned vets say the wrong information in regards to not socializing dogs until they have their vaccines. Can you talk more on that? (around 1:09) “… They tell you all this bad information” I was one of those owners, with my dog, who wouldn’t bring him anywhere or let him in any places without completing his parvo vaccine… I was especially anxious of it because our family dog got it some years ago (he survived, and is fine now). I was still able to properly socialize him afterwards, but your comment in the first few minutes got me thinking. Would love to hear back! Been a fan for years.

  • How did you get that crazy dog to keep the gentle leader on without pawing at it and trying to get it off his nose? I’ve been trying to get my 16 month old chihuahua pit bull terrier mix to accept the gentle leader while working with her in the house with food on can you do a article showing how to get a dog to accept the gentle leader ?

  • Yeah, no, not every dog problem is the owners fault. It’s usually our fault, as human beings, but we have to understand, as human beings, there is only so much we can do. This isn’t a problem that can be solved by saying anyone deserves this. Blaming and shaming solves nothing here. That even the most capable trainers look at a dog like this and say “yeah, no, this dog has problems”. I’ve seen the behavior of abused animals, energetic animals. This is definitely more the latter. Like Joel says, it’s genetics. Obedience doesn’t come easy to some dogs, or most dogs really. Obedience comes with understanding and compromising with the dog emotionally, psychologically, and yeah, physically, as a dog would be. Not a human or a baby, but a dog. You have to be capable of that. And y’know, I woke up to a fire alarm in my house last week, because my roommate burnt his breakfast, and he apologized, but for the life of me, every alarm in the house went off, and it was so damn loud! I couldn’t concentrate. I was lacking sleep. I had all this adrenaline… I just wanted the noise to stop!! Like, I GET IT!! I’M NOT MAD AT YOU. I JUST WANT THE DAMN NOISE TO STOP!! I WANT TO GRAB THAT ALARM OFF THE CEILING AND SMASH IT TO PIECES. JUST MAKE THIS STUPID PIECE OF CRAP SHUT UP ALREADY!! Now take that feeling and imagine trying to train a dog like this one. Would you resort to a shock collar? Would you use a muzzle, or tranquilizers? And the sad thing is, I know people with as little empathy for dogs as I show for fire alarms.

  • I’m not at all shaming them for buying a dog, my own shepherd was bought, but I think it’s important to reiterate to people that when buying a dog you need to buy from a responsible owner, you need to research the breed, and you need to meet the parents and understand what genetics you’re getting. So many of these articles are people who didn’t know to do this and they’re surprised to have this breed that they don’t know how to socialize or handle. Maybe you can do a article about responsible buying. Steer people away from puppy mills and backyard breeders. Just an idea!

  • Spot on recipe for this esp in Aussies.. that stranger danger hits HARD in Aussies in that 4 month to 6 month age.. even worse when the parents act like this.. however as someone who does have extensive experience (decades) with Aussies I saw a lot of behaviors that very very promising.. I prob do some things a tad different..but yeh this dog can become fantastic “if the owners have reasonable expectations and teach the dog and not expect this dogs personality to be a golden in different colors. Glad they are working on it ..

  • The way you KEEP describing ecollars {at 100%) for counter surfing! What about level 3 or 4 (out of 100) THEN you practically give a small dog physical neck injury on a halti!!! (gentle leader), which DID give my dog a neck injury, and damaged my wrist, lunging at a cat. You dont (can’t use) an ecollar. OK, let it go. My working bred GSD is genetically a “make me” kind of dog, she and Prince would be well matched, except, would Prince “defer! to a bitch? Male dogs generally do.

  • i need advice. My dog german spitz male 1 years old. Custerized. He got basic train from trainer. And he is very good about other areas. When a visitor comes home, he is always barking like crisis and never stops. This can be continue 1-2 hours. And its like not barking, like screaming. At outside, when a stranger talks to me or talks to him, he does the same thing. When a stranger gets eye contact with him, same thing again. Collar correction with pull, not works, ecollar not works, correction with voice not works. We tried so many methods and trainers but there is no solution. (Im not tried gentle leader collar yet). He is never bite any human or dog, just barking and screaming. He is good with other dogs, the stranger humans is problem. Im really need a advice. Thanks

  • A total mental AND physical mess due to miss breeding, unfiltered animal cruelty from the “farm” that it came from, it truly disgusts me. Hopefully it’s still mentally sound enough to be able to live a proper life, if it does, then people like these owners that are willing to even give it a try to begin with is the only possibility.

  • You’re good at sellin it, like saying or explaining so little with very many words while repeating enticing phrases like “big answers” while providing none. Like what’s the precise answer u provide here? I guess you kinda generally provide examples but there’s no background or technical reason to why. Or barely. And how sure are you of the rolling him over thing? Idk just odd I see this trend in your articles and I take away very little I just get reminded of like someone selling me a car or somethin.

  • Joel sorry ive got to say it again, I posted a long comment on an old article im sure you wont read. Id like to inform you that I am now Princes agent and we need to discuss his salary cause its in serious need of review. (I think hes one of, if not the, happiest dogs on the planet and I also think he likes his job. Hes also good at it).

  • 0:47 this is a people s problem. These owners have failed this dog miserably. They bought him from a poor breeder, then didnt make any effort to train him. Maybe they had no clue how to train him but then they should have got a cat. You want a dog,you do your research and make sure you are prepared and are willing to put in the work. Really sad to see this dog so messed up.

  • Well you could take more time. Why do you think you need 30% etc. You do on dogs time. I’m not saying a year I agree with what needs to be done. I’ve been balance behaviorist and trainer for decades++++ and sick of the bullshit of positive reinforcement trainers. They don’t know what they are doing. They are not behaviorist to rehab

  • You keep responding to what other people have said…. Do you think I’m aware of what other people have said? I am not and it’s weird that you do that. Why don’t you just make the article and educate me as if I haven’t read all your comments like you did. I’m not here to listen to you respond to people that I have not heard speak and have no respect for what they may have said.