Barking contagious or just in the breeding?

[Springfield Pointers]

Some dogs can be noisy on the lead or when waiting for action. This is everything to do with drive. Drive is bred so yes, I suppose by conclusion it's related to genetics. However to not take your dog to a shoot in an effort to stop it being noisy is pointless - why have the dog? My opinion is that increasing it's exposure to what it is bred for will dilute its propensity to be noisy. Exposing it in smaller amounts to its pleasure in an effort to curb its barking will only amplify your problem.

You missed my point.
Taking a dog to a shoot is asking and ramping up exposure 10 fold to quickly. Exposure on a gradual scale via pens is the way forward on a regular basis with 6 or so birds, not 600 at the end of a drive with a dog on lead.....

Exposure is what you need. Assuming the dog is trained of cousre. If it isn't then this whole thread is a little pointless.

[chrisjd2]

Sorry the noise I am referring to is a little squeek before casting the dog sometimes and when she was looking for a dead pigeon we shot she mad a very pathetic attempted at a bark 'woof'. It not all the time but it is in her breeding which is annoying, and I would never breed unless I have 2 dogs that don't have such faults and has style and temperaments that I like.

As with taking the trial pup on commercial days, I am part of a small shoot (20-30 bird day, 1 day we had 50 and that was rare) which I was planning on taking her on the lead with my current dog.

I do beating for a bigger shoot which is like 100+ birds a day but I would be very wary about taking a dog their if wanting to trial. I will seek advice from a trainer for the do's and dont's

The smaller shoot would be good I think because there isn't a flush every 5 seconds for the dog and there are certain place I know that would be good to hunt the dog.

[Andrew]

My gut feeling is it's not inherent but caused through natural exuberance and over excitement, it makes me squeak as well.
I'm not going to suggest how you will cure it but I suspect you could once you identify where and when it happens, my biggest concern would be it spreading to the other dogs.

[Springfield Pointers]

Sorry the noise I am referring to is a little squeek before casting the dog sometimes and when she was looking for a dead pigeon we shot she mad a very pathetic attempted at a bark 'woof'. It not all the time but it is in her breeding which is annoying, and I would never breed unless I have 2 dogs that don't have such faults and has style and temperaments that I like.

As with taking the trial pup on commercial days, I am part of a small shoot (20-30 bird day, 1 day we had 50 and that was rare) which I was planning on taking her on the lead with my current dog.

I do beating for a bigger shoot which is like 100+ birds a day but I would be very wary about taking a dog their if wanting to trial. I will seek advice from a trainer for the do's and dont's

The smaller shoot would be good I think because there isn't a flush every 5 seconds for the dog and there are certain place I know that would be good to hunt the dog.

Can't see that this is a problem. I wouldn't be concerned.

[Judy]

I'm with Stihl, taking a young Spaniel to a commercial shoot and keeping it on lead could be a recipe for disaster. Too many birds, too much going on, dogs hunting in front of it, your dog unable to release its adrenalin by hunting so it whines. Build the association gradually if you don't want a whinger. Although I think if a dog is going to whine it will regardless.

I have had a Flatcoat that I took to a mini shoot, sat her up in the gun line, she started whining almost at once even though they only shot one bird that drive. Conversely I took an eight month old Cocker to a busier shoot and she was fine, she was an especially calm biddable dog though and I knew there would be no problem. I have had one who was exceptionally quiet except just after her season when she would whimper from time to time. Every dog is different and you have to decide at each stage whether the dog is ready to move on or not, that's what training is all about.

If you can I would take the young dog on her own, to the smallest shoot you can find, then you can concentrate on her, if her kennel mate yips with excitement then she might wind up a bit.

[Andrew]

Nicely put Judy

[Stihl 090]

Going out on a limb, someone once had a very good dog, which squeaked or made noise.
From what ive been told it was " sent away" for a little "operation".it never made a noise again........
And went on to b a highly sucessful "stud dog"

Of course ive only heard that, not first hand. B4 any legal proceedings

[Alice]

A LOT of dogs have the potential to make a noise in them, even some who have been successful in trials. It can be 'managed' by changing the way you do things sometimes, by casting the dog off in a different way for example, but the potential is always there.

you must resist the temptation to take pup out with Molly if you want to have a fighting chance of her remaining silent. I presume she's not squeaky in the kennel?

[Contender]

A LOT of dogs have the potential to make a noise in them, even some who have been successful in trials. It can be 'managed' by changing the way you do things sometimes, by casting the dog off in a different way for example, but the potential is always there.

you must resist the temptation to take pup out with Molly if you want to have a fighting chance of her remaining silent. I presume she's not squeaky in the kennel?

Agree! It's NOT inherited/in the breeding BUT temperament is! Certain dogs of certain temperaments are more prone to make a slight noise/bark/whine so it's up to the owner/handler to curb this or rather preventing this from happening. It's not always easy as it would require the handler to change routines. Yes, you can buy in a new pup from a different line BUT you'll end up with the same problem if this puppy has a similar temperament to your other dogs and you're not changing your routines - only if you get a dog/puppy in with a different temperament will it (perhaps) work.

Adjust your routines and training accordingly to your dog's temperament - don't expect it to be the other way around

Natasha

[Springfield Pointers]

Agree! It's NOT inherited/in the breeding BUT temperament is! Certain dogs of certain temperaments are more prone to make a slight noise/bark/whine so it's up to the owner/handler to curb this or rather preventing this from happening. It's not always easy as it would require the handler to change routines. Yes, you can buy in a new pup from a different line BUT you'll end up with the same problem if this puppy has a similar temperament to your other dogs and you're not changing your routines - only if you get a dog/puppy in with a different temperament will it (perhaps) work.

Adjust your routines and training accordingly to your dog's temperament - don't expect it to be the other way around

Natasha

Is temperament not genetic?