Resolving Constant Barking in Ragnar, a German Shepherd

Ragnar was a German Shepherd I recently worked with near Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire. His owners had contacted me because of his constant barking. Dogs barking is not uncommon, but in Ragnar’s case things had escalated significantly leading to the involvement of the police, housing association, and local council.

Establishing whether or not a dog is genuinely causing a nuisance or is just barking as dogs do, can be tricky for me, particularly when third parties have also labelled the dog as aggressive and out of control. I take on board everything I am told prior to meeting a dog, and then I let the dog fill in the gaps.

Arriving at the family home, the first thing that was immediately apparent was that Ragnar was not dangerous or out of control. Was he barking? Yes, but that can be worked on. The main issue was that as a powerful breed, Ragnar had claimed full ownership of the garden, and in particular the garden fence that backs onto a public footpath. Whenever people walked past, Ragnar would run up and down the fence barking and jumping.

Whilst this is not technically a problematic behaviour, it had become an obsessive behaviour for Ragnar and was no longer controllable for his owners. Isolating other triggers within the home is important for me as I need to address the bigger picture, not simply the fence. Other parts of Ragnar’s day to day was based around too much excitement, he was excited on walks, leaving the house to jump into the car, and extremely overexcited within the car. These were all areas that had to be switched so that he instead associated them with being calm.

Territorial behaviour in dogs is extremely common, it can be displayed at the front door, in a window, at a fence. It often serves as a trigger for too much excitement and owners are often told to either remove a dog from the trigger point or frost out their windows, neither of which will address the issue. The area of the garden that Ragnar had claimed, had to be claimed back. Dogs communicate through body language and eye contact, whereas humans use words, often shouting out of frustration.

With Ragnar, I simply claimed back the part of the fence that was triggering him and changed his association with it. My intention is not to stop a dog barking all together, as that is both unfair, and unrealistic. Instead I wanted him understand that he can listen, and bark if he has to. In conjunction with a number of other changes in his day to day routine, Ragnar picked things up very quickly and his owners were able to replicate what I was doing. The result is a much calmer dog, and in the attached video you can see security cam footage of his behaviour prior to the session, part of me claiming back the space during my visit, and then the result, filmed by his owners following the session.

Any exercise involving physical touch or eye contact with any dog should not be attempted without the guidance of a qualified professional, as done incorrectly can be detrimental for the animal, and may potentially trigger adverse responses that can be dangerous for owners. To book a session, please fill out the contact form on the website.

Feedback From Ragnar’s Owners

"When we reached out to Aaron for assistance with our German Shepherd’s excessive barking, we had no idea just how transformative the experience would be. From the very first moment, Aaron impressed us deeply with his profound knowledge and vast expertise in canine behaviour. His approach was not just about quick fixes; he immediately focused on uncovering the root cause of the problem with remarkable insight and patience.

What truly set Aaron apart was his unwavering dedication—he spent over five hours with us, fully engaged and committed, never once glancing at the clock or hinting at the passage of time. His genuine passion for helping dogs and their owners shone through every moment of his visit.

The results were nothing short of extraordinary. After Aaron’s departure, we witnessed a remarkable transformation in our dog—not only a dramatic reduction in barking but also a newfound calmness and relaxation that lasted throughout the entire day. We had never seen our beloved German Shepherd so peaceful and content, and it was clear that Aaron’s guidance had made a profound impact.

We are immensely grateful to Aaron for his invaluable advice, his compassionate approach, and his unwavering commitment to improving our dog’s well-being. His expertise has truly changed our lives, and we cannot recommend him highly enough to anyone seeking expert help with their canine companions.

Thank you, Aaron, for your dedication, your wisdom, and your incredible support. You have our deepest appreciation and heartfelt gratitude."

- Doris Goga