If you are a dog trainer thank you for answering
Well I have two german shepherds that run the yard all day then we tried to put then in a large dog fenced in area at night covering the fence side with a tarp and that worked for about a month and now we try covering the whole area and they still bark every hour for like 30 min
even if there is nothing to bark about.
I get up and tell them NO and they stop till I get back in my bed then there they go again and they are loud to. If you have any suggestions please help I would like to sleep all night for once. That is their only problem they are actually good dogs otherwise. Thanks

I'm not a trainer, but there was an overly vociferous german shephard in my puppy's kindergarten class earlier this year, and I saw how our trainer handled him. She suggested a simple behavior modification technique. Try a squirt of lemon juice in the dog's mouth each time he barks. You could use tobasco, too, but some dogs actually like the taste of it. If you are consistent, soon he will associate barking with the bad taste of lemons and stop. Of course, being that your dog barks only at night while you are trying to sleep, this could get tiring. Perhaps you could devote an entire weekend to breaking them down.

You also could try those electronic anti-bark collars. I'm not sure how humane they are, and I would never do that to my dog, but it's an idea.

Of course, you should start by trying to figure out why your dogs bark in the first place.

Hi! The technique I've found most useful with my own dogs, one of which is a German Shepherd, is to teach them to "speak" on command and also to be "quiet" on command. This requires some training, but being able to turn your dogs' barking on and off at will can be worth it. You can find instructions on how to teach this by clicking here.

If you're considering using bark collars, the good news is that not all of them shock the dog; quite a few on the market today, like this one, for example, use smells or sounds instead to discourage a dog from barking.

Here are a few more sites on getting your dogs to stop barking that may be helpful to you:

www.metrokc.gov
www.canines.com
www.canismajor.com

I would not recommend any type of anti bark collars and if you do squirt the liquid then dont use anything spicy. Provide your dog with stuffed kongs. Always ignore your dog when they bark and go and praise them when they are quite.

I disagree about the use of shock collars. I have used one successfully with an uncontrollable terrier pup. I have put it on my arm myself to see what the animal feels. It really isn't that bad. I would definitely suggest a "No Bark" shock collar for the dogs. They don't have to be used very long at all to solve the problem. It works pretty quickly and the collar is removed for good. It is a training tool that is very good when other measures have failed.

You have to get this situation under control. Neighbors don't feel like hearing barking dogs. Many times they call the police and you end up paying for tickets over it. If you feel a shock collar is cruel, I think that you are going to have to put the dogs indoors at evening hours until morning to avoid problems with your neighbors.

Shadows and Dust had the best suggestion for stopping “nuisance barking”. I was hoping Karrow would have answered your question sherry since she is more familiar with shepherds.

You and other family members are considered in your dog’s eyes to be “pack members”. The excessive barking is an attempt on their part to reunite pack members who are away. The sleeping with the entire pack is an instinctive ritual that every breed needs and enjoys. It begins in puppy hood and goes on for the life of the dog. Sleeping alone does not bother some dogs, and others absolutely can’t take it.

A big part of your problem sherry is that you keep them outside. This breed is a very social breed and needs to be with you even though there are two of them. You may find that just bringing them into the house at night will solve the problem.

Dogs that or kept outside feel isolated and lonely. Even though there are two dogs together to keep each other company, it doesn’t replace the need to be with the pack leader and you are considered in their eyes as pack leader. Isolation from pack members (owners) often leads to other undesirable behaviors in an attempt to deal with the frustration of being alone. The reason the tarp didn’t work is that it isolated them further.

German Shepherds are by nature a “working” breed and were bred for the ability to think instinctively on their own. You have chosen a highly intelligent breed. You might also look into entering them in obedience classes or agility classes where they will get the mental and physical stimulation they need. Plus the benefit of being around you and will help them bond with you. There is a saying “A good dog is a tired dog”.

Sherry if you need further help or have more questions please feel free to ask. It wouldn’t hurt to ask your vet to refer you to a certified “animal behaviorist” in your area.

Well I had my last german shepherd at the german shepherd boot camp and paid them 1,000 and they had her for 3 weeks and when she came back she was the same and they told me to train her, so I dont know about sending them to training just for barking. Like I said they are good dogs besides that fact. Well I had one in the house for a while but she is just a dirty dog and couldn't handle it. I have tile floors all through the house and every time she would go outside she would want to stay and get muddy and filthy and I cant bathe her every day especially not two of them. one is 2 and the other is almost 1 and they
love to play in the pool I bought them they love to get dirty. They like it outside, it is just the barking.

I don't know why people have dogs and keep them outside! They should be part of the family, they need company.In the wild dogs stay with their pack leader at night, domestic dogs are no different. This is probably the reason they bark at night. If you keep them outside because they mess inside why dont you train them.

I think some dogs are perfectly happy and content outside all the time. I do prefer to have my dog with me all the time and she is a shepherd too. I never have had problems with her barking but, then she is with me. I do have problems with her chasing animals such as skunks, and sometime bikes and motorcycles. I do not usually let her run. We live in the country and when I go horse back riding she comes with me. She always comes back when I yell at her and she is doing better. They are a good, and smart breed and love being with people. Tho, I think there should be a way to train them to be outside without barking at night. I would ask your vet.