Lucy used to bark whenever she wanted something - infinitely more annoying than whining! We taught her to 'talk' to us instead (and some of her 'words' are quite whiney), but it's pretty much cut out the barking. She has developed a whole range of different noises - whines, whimpers, grumbles, huffs, murmurs - and we're beginning to understand what she means each time, and be able to respond appropriately. Most of her 'chat' seems to be about wanting to play or cuddle - ANY kind of attention, in fact (she uses the same 'vocabulary' now when talking to the cat, although he definitely doesn't speak her language!)
Life is quieter now, as she only barks properly if we have an 'intruder' - like the postman or a caller at the door - so I'm really glad that she 'talks' now. |