Okay I have an unique problem with Gryffin that I need help with.

Gryffin, my tan and white, has started to 'freak out' now every time I go to take out the garage. As soon as I take the lid off this triggers him to go into these 'barking fits'. I've tried to use the "Don't look at him, Don't react to him" technique but that has been far from successful. Anyone got any ideas

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I agree with Kelly. Sparty is prone to doing weird stuff like this. My "a-ha" moment came after reading the "Other End Of The Leash" and the author has Border Collies and mentioned she found that saying No and then telling the dog what she wanted worked better. She felt they would hear the command (ex. Come) and think "Ok I will do it after I am done". I realized that she was right. Sparty will also get it in his head to do something and have trouble focusing on what I want until he is done. Some where along the line your pup decided a good job for him is to announce that you are taking out the garbage! Lol
Hmmmm our "Griffyn" (funny, similar names and triggers!) used to freak like that at the shower and the vacuum cleaner. Doing all the passive things didn't work. We finally had to get a professional trainer in. After a hundred bucks and 10 minutes later we learned that a stern NO along with the startling noise of a throw down chain got his attention and he stopped immediately! And now if he starts up (which he almost never does) the stern NO is enough to break his freak.

We trained both Soffie and Griffyn using positive reinforcement but when it came to this we were at our wits end. I wasn't much in favor of this method when he first showed me but I'm a firm believer in it now as a last resort for behaviors that can't be fixed any other way.

Good luck with your Gryffin! (love the name by the way)
Lol, I use a thrown magazine! When we first got Izzy, she would go over to my husband if I started reading a magazine. Now she is used to it and will lay on my lap while I read. A No and a magazine tossed in the air shuts everybody up pretty good. Sparty is my loudmouth but Misty will always join in.
If he's afraid of it (barking while backing up), I would use positive methods like leashing him and walking him by the garbage and tossing him treats to desensitize him.

If he does not seem afraid, I would first try just telling him to "sit" or "leave it" and see if that gets the idea into his head to ignore it. If not, then I'd use a stern "no" on him too. You then want to reward him with praise and/or treats as soon as he's calm and quiet.

Ignoring behavior rarely works when the behavior is self-rewarding. Barking, running after things, not coming when called, sniffing the ground are some examples of self-rewarding behaviors. Ignoring works when the dog is trying to elicit a reaction from you (say, by barking at you to get your attention, or jumping up on you). It works then because the dog gets exactly the opposite of what he wants and therefore stops offering the behavior. But barking is generally something that certain dogs (and many Corgis love to bark) find so rewarding that they will just keep it up until asked to stop.

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