Baxter's mailman barking is almost gone after my clicker experiment, but a pro trainer friend doubts it.

My Beagle Baxter would lose his mind barking at the mail carrier every single day, and I was at my wit's end! I got a clicker and started rewarding him the moment he stopped barking, even for a breath. After a few weeks, he barely makes a peep when the mail arrives, which thrills me! However, my professional dog trainer friend says this approach might just mask the problem and not help Baxter feel calm, worrying he could become anxious from holding back. Now I'm second-guessing my whole method. I'd love to hear what you all have to say. Is it better to stop the barking fast or focus on the root cause?

3 comments

3 Comments

avery42414h ago

Tried clicker training with my shepherd for the same issue and it totally changed his vibe. He's way more relaxed now, not just holding back barks. @vera474 mentioned bandaids, but sometimes stopping the noise is the first step to fixing the stress.

emeryh761d ago

Man, this is so much bigger than dog training. Feels like our whole culture right now is about fixing the symptom fast instead of the real problem. We use noise-canceling headphones to block out a stressful world instead of making it less loud. We make tense small talk at work instead of admitting what's actually wrong. Your trainer friend has a point about masking, but if Baxter isn't showing other signs of stress, you gave him a clear rule that made his world less crazy. Sometimes the quiet peace is the solution, you know?

vera47417h ago

That bit about tense small talk at work hits hard. My friend's office had this broken printer for months. Everyone just made jokes about it while secretly seething about wasted time. Finally a new guy snapped and sent a blunt email to the boss. Got the printer fixed in two days. We're so trained to just put a Band-Aid on stuff and avoid real talk that we end up with way bigger messes.