Barking at garbage collectors

I was hoping someone might have some tips on how to stop my border collie
from barking every time the garbage collectors arrive. On other occasions
she will listen to my commands but when it's the garbage collectors she
feels she needs to protect her property.

Kathleen...

My BCs aren't crazy about the trash collectors, either. After all, they
pull up right in front of our house and *THEY SHAMELESSLY STEAL OUR
STUFF!!!* right off the curb.

Being that they're there less than 90 seconds twice a week, I mostly
don't worry about it.

Kino...

Well, thought i was the only one whose dog had that problem.. Iv tried
most things said in most dog manuals..But NOTHING seems to work.. My
dog will bark at the trash guys no matter wat u do.. I tried ignoring
her, praising her, bribing her with her favourite treats.. Failed
miserably everytime..

flick...

It's rewarding for the dog to bark at the trash guys. The trash guys come,

The_Insanely_Freakin_Simply_Amazing_Grand_Puppy_Wizard_...

That's SHEER IDIOCY. It's FRIGHTENING. THAT'S
HOWE COME your dogs are DYIN from STRESS
INDUCED AUTO-IMMUNE DIS-EASE aka The
Puppy Wizard's Syndrome <{}; ~ ) >

the dog barks to alert you - and you're alerted - and then the trash guys

The_Insanely_Freakin_Simply_Amazing_Grand_Puppy_Wizard_...

So then you SHOWET at the dog an lock IT in a box.

The_Insanely_Freakin_Simply_Amazing_Grand_Puppy_Wizard_...

Yeah.

leave. The "invading strangers" leave when your dog barks, and he thinks,

The_Insanely_Freakin_Simply_Amazing_Grand_Puppy_Wizard_...

No, they LEAVE when the dog's ABUSER scolds IT for barkin.

"yippee! I scared 'em off!"

The_Insanely_Freakin_Simply_Amazing_Grand_Puppy_Wizard_...

You got ANY scientific EVIDENCE to support that THEORY?

No. The dog becomes MOORE AFRAID on accHOWENT
of everytime the garbageman comes he gets SHOWETED AT.

Rocky...

Why does Friday bark at the mailman? After all, this guy

The_Insanely_Freakin_Simply_Amazing_Grand_Puppy_Wizard_...

For the same reason he barks at dogs, he's AFRAID,
JUST LIKE HOWE YOU SEZ YOURSELF, matty:

From: Rocky <2...@rocky-dog.com>
Date: 24 Mar 2005 17:16:47
Subject: Re: help with identifing a dog breed

A mature dog comfortable in its surroundings often
won't need to physically assert its dominance.

*gives* us stuff. That was a rhetorical question, BTW.

Opinicus...

I remember reading somewhere that it had something to do with the uniform.
Dogs are confused by different-smelling people dressed up in similar-looking
outfits.

Or something like that.

We've had the same mailman for years - including the two years
I've been working from home. He always waves and smiles at the
dogs through the window. Gad, you'd think Friday would have
gotten used to him by now; Rocky has, but barks because Friday
does.

flick...

We've got a dog that acts very watchy/protective. Somebody pulls into the
driveway, he acts like he's gonna kill 'em. Growls, barks, tries to stick
his head through the fence. Puts on quite a show. Name's Rocky, too. He's
about a 50 lb mixed breed, Plain Brown Dog.

The other dogs run out there and bark along with him, although they don't
act Deadly Serious like Rocky does. The few times he hasn't been able to
sound the alarm (like, crated in anticipation of guests), the other dogs run
outside and wag their tails.

flick 100785

Unless the trash guys are there for hours, what's the problem? Two minutes
of barking?

flick 100785

ceb...

I like to explain things to my dogs in a happy, cheerful tone: "They're
taking our trash -- we LIKE it when they take our trash. They're HELPING
us. How NICE of them!" Also, naming everybody seems to help "it's the
garbage men!" "it's the bloodhound!" "it's the girls on bikes!" "it's
that lady that walks every single day!" I act like I am very happy to see
all these people. Then if this doesn't work, the heedless barker gets a
(brief) time out. I can't have 3 dogs (well, 2 really, Zoe doesn't bark
much) barking their heads off, especially early in the morning. Not that
it doesn't happen.