Border Terrier.

Problems in the afternoon with my border terrier.

Question.
MY two-year-old Border Terriers, Basil and Cybil, are not littermates. Basil is calm and affectionate and Cybil is very excitable but affectionate. They get on with each other very well. The dogs are left in the house during the day and my husband lets them out at lunchtimes but doesn't have time to walk them. They sleep all morning, but cause havoc in the afternoon.

My neighbour told me that the border terrier were barking, so we moved them into the kitchen, which is at the back of the house and much quieter. We've stuffed Kongs with food, left the radio on, left terrier proof toys and cardboard boxes. They now howl in unison.

A dog walker takes them out twice weekly and has never heard them making a noise. I could separate them, but our house is small and they would probably bark even more. I have also looked into anti-barking collars and anti-barking devices but am worried about the underlying problems. My next thought is a dog sitter in the afternoons. I took one to my parents for a few days and my neighbour never heard the other one. They are fine when we are in. My neighbour is very nice and not complaining. Please help!

Answer.
Having tried the obvious options, I think you should now verify the extent of the problem, which may not be as bad as you think. Try leaving a tape recorder on to discover when they start to bark/howl. Is it always at the same time? Are there days when they do not start at all? Are they disturbed by an outside influence? Have you actually heard the howling or is it just reported by your neighbour?

The dog walker does not hear the noise when she arrives. Do they howl on the days she comes or is it only when they are left all afternoon? If there is a specific trigger is it possible to eliminate this? You could also try a DAP diffuser. The pheromones emitted may have a calming effect on the dogs.

You should be able to order one from your veterinary surgeon. If all else fails and the dogs only settle when the dog walker comes, perhaps you need to employ her on the other days as well.

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