Silence a Howling Dog

Get a Kong for him and stuff it with treats and peanut butter or wet food. I used to keep mine in the freezer so it would be even harder/take even longer for them to get the goodies out. I HIGHLY reccomend chew toys that come out ONLY when she leaves AND crating/confining. I also gave the dog with the worst seperation anxiety melatonin.

There is a product called a thundershirt (thundershirt.com) which is pretty affordable. It is for fear, separation anxiety, etc. It stopped my son's dog from going insane when it was scared. It might be worth trying. It's for more than thunder, for any dog experiencing fear or anxiousness.

Before you try the shock collar, have your mom put the dog in a smaller confined area of the home. When we all leave the house, our dog howls and barks if we just leave him in the house but if we put her in the bathroom and close the door (or the bedroom on colder days), she stays quiet. I'm not really sure why this is but something about being in a smaller confined space mellows her out more than realizing she's now in this big empty house by herself (by big, I mean a 2 bdrm apartment but to her it must seem huge) :)

I don't really have a solution, but I just wanted to say kudos to your mom (and you) for actually addressing the issue so she can be a good neighbor. :))

I just wanted to put in my 2 cents about the "shock" collars. I am not against them per say, and have actually used one as a training aide for a different behavior I was trying to break in my dog and it worked. My only concern is with barking, those type of collars, as well as other collars which spray different types of scents that the dog will not like, can be triggered by other noises in the area or movements on the dogs body, (for example if the dog stretches the neck muscles) and they can misfire or go off for no reason. This would not really help the situation to teach the dog not to bark. I would reccomend trying a crate for security, (dog's have a natural "den instinct", as well as make sure the dog has been walked before leaving it alone. Also she could start with very short alone times in the crate, by putting the dog in the crate and going in another room. If the dog barks, she could come in and correct the dog, but do NOT open the crate or pet the dog. Then repeat. Make each time a little longer if the dog is not making noise. Eventually, the dog will not know when it is being left for a little while in the other room, or if your Mom is actually going out. Sometimes a noisemaker can work to stop the barking too, but it has to be immediate and not too long of a correction. You basically just want to get the dogs attention to redirect their thought process and mind. It could be a can with a few coins in it. That way she doesn't have to open the crate or use her voice to stop the barking. If the dog doesn't bark in the crate while she is in her apartment, I would try walking out the door and waiting just outside it to see what happens. The dog is adjusting to a new home, so that may be the problem. Also, the dog may have always been a barker when she wasn't home and she didn't know since she wasn't in an apartment. Good luck! I really would try a different route than the shock collar for this one though. :)

Dogs have separation anxiety for a reason. Because, they are insecure. They JUST moved. He doesn't know what's what right now. He is insecure, anxious, and unsure of his surrounds. This will be magnified many, many times...if it's an older dog. So...slap a shock color on it, and make the dog more afraid and insecure. Awesome. I won't even get into my feelings on shock collars. It's HER responsibility to take care of the dog, not an unethical collar. She needs to start making the dog feel secure. If she can get out of the house so long, then she is well enough to take the dog out every day. He needs to smell and explore his surroundings. She should do this every day, regardless. If she can't, someone needs to, or she shouldn't have a dog. Leave a Kong toy down for him, with peanut butter, as she leaves. Really, he needs to know his surroundings. He is sniffing and hearing a billion things he can't see right now. That is pretty terrifying for a dog. Wesities NEED companionship. She should know this about the breed she brought home. Without it, they don't thrive. They bark. A LOT. They also need exercise every day. They may be smaller, but they are terriers. HIGH energy, and need to get out. Again, SHE should know this about her breed. Please, don't use a shock collar. If she can't take care of her dog, she shouldn't have it. Her dogs has NEEDS, and the breed has NEEDS. If the dog is sitting inside all day and not getting it's heart rate up (at least an hour a day) she needs another breed. This breed will not work for her.

P.S.
Shock collars should NEVER be used unsupervised. They should ONLy be used when an owner is home.

My brother used a shock collar to stop the constant barking. His dogs learned to bark in between the shocks. lol It did mean that there was only one loud bark every few seconds instead of the constant barking. But really not much help.

After he removed the collar the dog still barked intermittently as he had with the collar.

I don't have a solution. I would suggest that it might help if the dog is kenneled/crated. I've done some reading and learned that dogs are often more secure and actually prefer being in a kennel once they're used to it.

We put one of our dogs in a crate and it did help him to remain calm. A cousin tried putting hers in a crate and she barked and whined anyway. She wasn't consistent and that might be the difference.

Later: I'm remembering reading about a way to teach the dog to stop barking by gradually getting the dog accustomed to your leaving. It goes something like leave for a few minutes and come back, gradually lengthening the time before returned. In this way you teach the dog that you are coming back. It increases his feeling of security.

The dog is responding to its new environment. It is having anxieties just like a child would due to the move. A shock collar is a horrible way to address the situation. Try using a kong or even just a good ol rawhide, that is something the dog ONLY gets when your mother leaves. Special toys that are only given when your mother is gone and put back up when your mother returns home. This give the dog something to do to keep his anxieties at bay. It may not work immediately, but I have used this for dogs that tore up my house when I left & it helped tremendously. Also, if at all possible, maybe she could start out by only leaving the dog for 15 min, then slowly increase the amount of time she is gone. Also, leave a radio or television on for the dog, if she doesn't already. Can she take the dog for a walk to "wear it out" before she leaves, so it is more apt to rest & chew on its "new found" toys/rawhide? If you call any animal rescue group, they would be happy to give you suggestions. I talk to them about my animal behavior issues when I see them in Petsmatrt & they seem happy to give suggetions. Also, call a local vet/pet training place and just ask for a suggestion. If they don't want to give any over the phone, then they are not worth talking to.

The dog has separation anxiety and the shock collar could make it even worse. She needs to consult a vet and/or trainer to work on the underlying issue. Sometimes training can help, DAP collars and diffusers (a calming scent) or in difficult cases, medication. The medications themselves are actually fairly inexpensive although the appointment to have them prescribed may not be.

I think shock collars are okay for dogs outdoors but wouldn't use one for a small indoor dog. They will quit barking even when you are home for fear of being shocked and you wouldn't hear the doorbell or someone knocking if your relative had a hearing problem. Maybe she could leave her with a neighbor in the building so she wouldn't be alone.

There is nothing wrong with a shock collar if used properly. I'd be ticked to hear a neighbor's howling dog for hours on end and probably would go mad. I am glad she is looking at addressing this issue.

has she tried turning on the TV or radio to keep the dog company when she's gone.
This is what I did when mine were puppies at night I turned on a radio on a low volume for them to listen to.

they make collars that when they bark it sprays cintranella. (sp) dogs dont like it and it is natural. wont hurt em. go online.

This might be something you can try different things for. Some people have success with giving the dog one of those toys that has to be played with and rolled around to get treats out of it. Making sure the dog is worn out before hand, (walks and playing), crating, leaving the radio on, getting another dog. Try googling Seperation anxiety in dogs to get some ideas. From experience and what I've heard bark collars seem to rarely work for various reasons. If you decide to use it you should try it on yourself first so you know the level it shocks at. Seriously, they seem to be different as far as intensity. They also should not be left on while the dog is alone.

Shock collars are cruel. Have her ask her vet. Maybe a dog trainer could
help.

I would try some behavior modification. Leave yummy treats like kongs, possibly crate the dog in a covered crate while gone. Also give the cues to leaving, but don't go. Or go and come right back so leaving is not a big deal. A tight shirt ot thundershirt can sometimes help too. Her dog is nervous and shocking the dog may just make it worse. If she must use a collar she may also want to look into citronella collars, many dogs don't like the smell.

My sister as one for her dog and it doesn't seem to bother the dog. We had 40+ people in the house for turkey day and the it was off part of the time and on part of the time - the dog was very well behaved the entire time.

Im guessing the dog is not fixed?? That should do it.