My reactive Border Collie barks non-stop. How do I train him?

You need to consult with a professional, in-home dog trainer. This is not a quick fix and if you don't curb this behavior now he may seriously injure someone. This is not something that you are likely to fix on your own. You must realize at some point you need to consult a professional. I personally like Bark Busters but I am not endorsing them in any way. I believe they give you a free in home consultation and their training in guaranteed. ( https://www.barkbusters.com/dog-training-sacramento-roseville-folsom ) Here are some others I found. ( https://daugherty-dog-training.business.site/ ) ( http://dalerobertstrainingcenter.com/ ) Best wishes.

HI there! Since you have such a long question, I highly recommend scheduling a consultation with one of our experts so that all of it can be addressed (and since there is a word/character limit in our answers!) A consultation is a lot more in-depth and may be able to help you better. That said, it sounds like Pharah is reactive barking to things, which may mean she is feeling stressed or overstimulated. In these cases, training such as BAT (Behavioral Adjustment Training) is usually the preferred method as it utilizes positive reinforcement training to gradually desensitize your dog to the stimulus until they no longer react to it (in this case, barking). This is usually done with a trainer that can monitor the situation in person, provide advice right there, and help you learn what your dog's triggers and acceptable range to start training at is. That said, finding a trainer in person to do this is best as it can be involved and expert eyes are needed.

This is really tricky. Many training groups offer classes for Reactive Dogs that can help. Make sure they use positive only training, no force or punishments. The basic steps to working on this are minimizing chances for an encounter, teaching him a behavior that is incompatible with going nuts (such as watching you and eating a treat), and then SLOWLY SLOWLY SLOWLY introducing him to other dogs (you really need a good trainer to help with this portion, you have to go so slow it's painful). I would recommend not allowing him to be outside by himself so that you can remove him if he starts to bark - you may even need to keep a leash on him so you can easily get him and calmly go inside. In short, this is a common and real, but very hard to resolve issue, so I'd encourage you to find an amazing trainer or even have a consultation with a veterinary behaviorist.

I am sorry to hear about your dog. I would recommend asking your veterinarian if there is a veterinary behaviorist near you, or consulting https://www.dacvb.org/search/custom.asp?id=4709 to find a veterinary behaviorist who may be able to help you. These vets are specially trained in behavior issues of this type and may use a combination of specialized training/behavior modification as well as medications if deemed necessary.

Your best option is to have a professional trainer come to your home and evaluate her during these situations. They will be able to give you the best advice. Behavior issues are not quick fixes and if you don't know what you are doing you could make the dog worse instead of better. These types of behaviors should be handled by a professional. I don't know where you are located so just do a google search for in-home professional dog trainers (like Bark Busters or Sit Means Sit) or you can probably get a reference from your veterinarian. ( https://sitmeanssit.com/ )

Poor Rascal! It sounds like he's very fearful of many things outside, which is why he barks at them. This problem is usually very treatable, but you really need to work with a professional who can give you some hands-on guidance in how to help him with his fear - it sounds like he may also be a good candidate for anti-anxiety medication, at least in the short-term. Your best option would be to make an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist who can evaluate Rascal in person and help you put together a detailed plan to help him. This plan would normally include recommendations on how to help manage him so that he isn't put in situations that are scary and overwhelming for him, training techniques to help with his fear by teaching him to associate good things with the things he's currently afraid of, and possibly medication as discussed above. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here: www.dacvb.org

If this is a temporary situation I would suggest you get a citronella bark collar. I think that may work to curb the barking in the short term. Of course, if this dog is going to be a long term resident I would suggest you work with a professional dog trainer. The trainer could help you determine the dog's triggers and work with you on how to resolve them. Hope this helps. Best wishes.