I second the suggestion of soothing background music/nature sounds when appropriate. With regard to your barking issue, the following: I cannot explain why this has been almost 100% effective for us but it is. When Liberty starts to notice and respond to a neighborhood animal's sound or any sound that frequently triggers the alert response, I first give the quiet command as a reminder. If it looks like he's going to into bark mode, I say, It's ok" in soothing manner and pull him closer to me. It often stops there. Occasionally, he needs to hear, "mommy's (daddy's) got it" and give calming pats. Now sometimes when he hears a noise, he initiates seeking out a hug/pat when he is alerted. So much easier to indulge than dealing with barking!!! |