This is a wonderful thread - I have been having the same problem with Wendell. He is a rescue, and I was assuming his previous owners had just spoiled him rotten, so didn't think there was anything I could do about the constant demands to play fetch. He starts out by dropping his favorite ring toy in front of me. If I don't pick it up right away, he stamps his feet. If I still don't throw it, he starts barking. I finally got him to stop the barking by ignoring it. It took about 35 minutes the first time, but when he finally stopped barking, I counted to 10 and then threw the toy. After a few sessions like this he finally "got it" that barking doesn't get results. Once in awhile he forgets, I just say "no barking" and ignore him. And he remembers, so just sits quietly and waits.
So now I'm going to take it a step further and start on the "Enough" command. I'll time our sessions, and after 15 minutes I'll tell him Enough, give him a bully stick and put the toy away. Thanks for the great ideas! I'll let you know how long it takes to work. |