amazincc wrote:TheRedQueen wrote:. Barking can be a self-rewarding behavior, because it's fun to bark for many dogs. It's one behavior that I almost never tell people to ignore completely. Sure, ignoring can be part of the training...but it's not going to be the entire training plan.
Hmmm... so, what do you suggest instead? I think in Sepps case... he really does enjoy barking. I've seen him run around in circles in the yard, just barking his head off... at nothing.
A multi-pronged effort.
I have a barker...Inara LOVES to bark. Loves it. Gets attention when she barks, makes scary people go away when she barks, makes other dogs bend to her will when she barks...and so on. She also likes to bark when she's playing...being a herding dog, well, that just happens.
So...when she's playing, she has to carry a toy (a pacifier) to muffle her barking. If she won't pick up a toy on cue...she gets a time-out. I taught the toy carry as an alternate behavior...thinking she couldn't bark when carrying the toy, but she actually still barks, just softer. Which is fine with me.
For the attention, she only gets a time-out if she demand barks at me...or if we're out somewhere, she has to down and get ignored by me. I give her a cue of "you're done"...so she knows that the time out is coming...and I say it rather neutrally...so it's not a positive punishment.
And of course "look at that" game for dealing with scary things, people, mail lady, etc.
On top of all of that...there are times where I let her go crazy and bark...flyball is a great outlet for her, because she gets to run around and release energy AND bark.