Dear Baying: This scent hound has a great ability for tracking game and then “treeing” his quarry. I’m not surprised that he loves to “bark up” or “give voice” once those little critters head up into the tree tops. As for controlling his genetic behavior, it might be wise to try and prevent him from seeing his game in the first place.

Obstruction of View

You didn’t mention what type of fencing his dog pen was made of, but if it is chain link you are in luck. Fence companies do sell “slats” that can be inserted into the chain link to form a solid barrier. This would cut down on the number of squirrels he might see running across the yard next towards his pen.

However, once the squirrels are in the trees, then what? You can also purchase some mesh material to cover the pen with. This material is used as a sun block and provides shade. It might just provide enough cover to diffuse the visual activity of the squirrels above.

You might want to watch your dog for a few hours one day and see where the heavy squirrel activity is located and just squirrel-proof that corner of the pen. You don’t want to create a bunker where he gets no sunlight or fresh air. Another option might be to set up a squirrel feeder away from the pen so the little furry rodents spend the majority of their day away from his hangout. You might also limit his outdoor time to when you know the neighbors aren’t home if that is at all possible.

Caught in the Act

If you are interested in trying to stop the baying without physical obstructions the key is to catch him in the act of barking and change his behavior. This is very difficult since you would have to sit there and watch for incoming squirrels and then institute a new behavior for him. Then you would have to repeat this enough times – and according to some training literature I just read that would take 200 repetitions for the dog to ‘get it’ – that’s a lot of squirrel watching on your part.

Instead, why don’t you rely on a device that immediately stops the behavior? My dogs, Norwegian Elkhounds, are also scent hounds like your dog and are loud, voracious barkers. I have found that a citronella anti-barking collar works like a dream. It is a little box on a collar with a microphone against the throat. It is activated when dog barks and gently sends a spray of the citrus-smelling mist up at the dog’s face. This blast from the box not only confuses the dog (“Hey, where the heck did that come from?”) but stops the barking as they try to figure it out. You can purchase one of these from www.drsfosterandsmith.com. This might be your best bet to keeping peace in the neighborhood and baying to a minimum.

Lisa’s Pick of the Litter

Talk about websites catering to dog lovers, check out this press release that came across my desk recently:

Animal Attraction: Online Dating and Special Events for Pet Lovers. The new company is the “pet” project of Dan Cohen, a former executive with the NFL’s Washington Redskins, the NBA’s Washington Wizards and the NHL’s Washington Capitals.

“I found that most pet owners consider their pets to be members of their family,” said Cohen. “They want their friends or romantic interests to feel the same way – so I set out to create a place where people who love pets can find and interact with others who share the same values and positive traits that seem to define pet lovers.

“Animal Attraction will become the meeting place for pet lovers,” continued Cohen. “Animal Attraction members can easily communicate through email, instant messaging, chat rooms and message boards.”

Learn more at http://www.AnimalAttraction.com.

Lisa Peterson, a breeder and exhibitor of Norwegian Elkhounds, is a Delegate to the American Kennel Club. Send questions to ask@lisa-peterson.com or Dogma Publishing, P.O. Box 307, Newtown, CT 06470.