I’m unsure how to handle my dog’s barking issue in my apartment. I have a 9-month-old GSD mix who tends to bark and whine for attention. When I leave the living room and spend time in another room, he knows I’m there and wants me to play with him. This behavior is bothersome for both me and my neighbors. I’ve tried ignoring it, but it persists. Previously, he used to bark at me during dinner on the couch. I attempted to address this by consistently leaving the room whenever he barked, but it didn’t work after a week of trying. It became impractical to eat warm food this way. What did help was making a loud noise with two pan lids clashing together, which eventually stopped the barking during meals. He learned the expected behavior and the consequence of barking excessively.
At night, he sleeps in his crate, but sometimes he barks for about 10 minutes before settling down. He’s accustomed to his crate and follows a regular schedule during the week. Recently, however, the barking seems to be happening more frequently, and I’m concerned about disturbing my neighbors. I can’t afford to wait for this behavior to potentially resolve itself or worsen into a habit without taking action. I’ve ordered a citrus spray anti-bark collar, which I intend to use during specific times. It’s not my preferred solution, but I feel it may be the only effective option at this point.
Does anyone have positive or negative experiences using this type of collar? I’m open to hearing alternatives, but ignoring the barking doesn’t seem feasible for me. Normally, I would identify the underlying cause of a behavior and make adjustments, but in this case, barking has become his default reaction when he wants something he can’t have. For instance, it happens during walks when he anticipates reaching a favorite spot or when we pause for traffic, causing impatience and whining.