Barking while running course?

[cinnamon]

I've seen some dogs bark while running the agility course. I might be dumb, being new to this, but I thought the dog was just having a good time.

I was reading some other post on agility and the posters were saying barking was wrong---the handler was making a mistake cueing the dog or something along those lines. So some posters trained their dogs that barking was not allowed while running the course.

Is it a big deal for you if your dog likes to bark during agility?

[Zoom]

My dog barks his fool head off before he runs the course, but during he's silent. Some dogs just get into it and bark for the sheer heck of it.

Of course, you could always say that if your dog has the energy to bark during a run, you're not going fast enough or he's not paying enough attention.

[corgipower]

barking on the course could be because the dog is frustrated which could be because the handler is sending mixed signals or the handler is too slow. the dog is kinda saying, "hey, get on with it already."

or it could be because the dog is having fun, "hey!! look at me!!"

barking on the course can get the dogs that are waiting around outside the course stirred up also.

it's been a while since i read the rules, but i don't think it's penalized in any way.

[adojrts]

There are a few reasons why some dogs bark on course. Some of them have been already mentioned. Shelties are very well known for barking on course lol, along with a couple of other breeds.
Barking can be a control issue as well, meaning the dog should learn to have more self control.

I think you have to determine whether the barking interfers with the success of the run. If the dog is barking AND spinning, that probably is late info from the handler, as the dog doesn't know where it is suppose to go and is letting the handler know it (in short telling them to smarten up lol).
If the dog is barking to the point it can't run without not looking at the handler and is missing directionals, dropping bars etc, then running courses should be stopped and retraining begins, imo.
It can also be a relationship issue between the dog and his/her handler. I know of one team, that the dog barks non stop and it even blocks the handler, getting in close, barking and not responding to directionals. When someone else runs the dog, no barking, no blocking and it runs nicely.

Barking at the handler is not faulted, but if the barking progresses until the dog is nipping and/or bitting the handler......that is faulted.

Last year at a small local agility trial, we watched as a woman came on course with her dog (looked to be an aussie mix). She puts the dog on the start line and leads out to the first jump, it starts barking at her, she releases it, it runs to her attacks her feet, she gets it to stop, gets it over the jump, dog continues to bark, then it attacks her feet again, she manages to get to the next obstacle, dog barking and attacking feet............the ENTIRE run was like that. This person trains with someone that I know, that trainer is well known for having novice dogs and handlers running full courses quickly, with little or no foundation skills etc. I have also seen many dogs from that trainer, have self control issues that appear as spinning, barking excessively and bitting the handler........go figure.
I saw that same handler this fall at the same trial, sitting in the stands watching others run.........she had given up.
Another one bits the dust, what a shame...............

Lynn

[Dekka]

Dekka will bark at me, when I am unclear in my cues. Its like she is swearing at me :D She hates to slow down for any reason. So if she has to slow down to figure out what I want she barks at me. Its totally my fault, and its not her having a good time, its her telling me off. It is a good thing, in a way. If I was unclear or late she used to go play on her own, at least now she realizes this is a *team* sport.

[cinnamon]

I have a sheltie and we are very new to agility so we don't "run" a complete course, maybe a tunnel and a couple of jumps. So far she is quiet.

The one time she hada barking fit, we were learning "get out" where you cue the dog to go out further from you. Well, my dog was standing and barking--I guess waiting for me to cue, or telling me to hurry up ( she's not one for patience.) So I put her in a sit/wait while I listened to the instructor.

I'll watch for the barking as we go along. SHe's a faster learner than I am :)

[adojrts]

Actually that is one of the very common times that dogs will bark at their handlers..........when being sent 'out'. Most of the time, the dog is unclear as where the handler wants them to go........
I think barking is one of those things that if not dealt with correctly (in many cases), it can progress.

Good luck
Lynn

[Jynx]

barking on course is a pet peeve of mine,,I just can't stand it .

I don't mind barking before/after,,but while running a course I don't want to have to shout over a barking dog :)) I often wonder how handlers can hear themselves think, let alone their dogs hear a cue if they are barking their heads off :))

Anyhow, having said that, I think alot of dogs DO bark out of frustration/stress. Most times I see it, it's because the handler is messing up and the dog is getting frustrated by lack of clear signals. You see it to, when a handler just "stops",,and the dog is fending for itself :))

This was a big concern of mine when I started with my aussie, (they can be real loud mouths!) but lucky me, she is a silent runner, BUT will let me know if I'm confusing her by barking "at" me, which is fine by me, as she's letting me know I"M MESSING HER UP! :))

Thank goodness my gsd's and aussies have always been silent runners...
done rambling!
diane

[adojrts]

lol of my own dogs, I have only had one bark at me while running or in this case when he was asked to down on the table. He started to bark, I never said a word to him, just picked him up and left the ring and crated him. He never did it again:lol-sign:

[AgilityPup]

Zoey gets upset and barks while doing offside weaves, if Im not going "WEAVE" rather than "weave..." I have to be very very firm on what I want her to do, and even then she sometimes still barks... I take it as having fun... ..... But it can be bad for some herding type breeds, such as a border collie, as I have herd they may nip.