[alaskayorkie]

I've come full circle on this idea. I started out thinking of appropriate "punishments" when they did something that was unacceptable, including the coins in can trick for barking and loud yelling for other things. But I've come to the conclusion that what I consider "naughty" is just the dog reacting naturally to its environment. So instead of getting angry and seeking out an appropriate punishment, I try to teach them how I want them to act and I reward for success. Here are some examples:

Barking -- reward success, remove the threat
My dogs bark out of fear or a desire to protect their space. They're the smallest things in their universe, so it's natural that they would have some defense mechanisms. And not all barking is bad. When they bark in the middle of the night, I get up and investigate -- they've run off intruders before!

But a few barks is enough. Beyond that is an annoyance. So when they bark, I investigate what they're barking about. Usually it's someone outside. I tell them that's OK and say "No bark." If they stop barking for a nanosecond, I stick a treat in their mouth and say "good dog!" If the barking persists, I take away the threat, which might be closing the drapes or just moving farther from the perceived threat. When the barking stops, they get treats. Distracting them with a toy or other activity works too.

Potty training -- Limit their freedom, reward for success
Nothing gets an owner angrier than a dog peeing and pooping in the house, but dogs have to be taught that skill just like they have to be taught any trick. I started with my dogs in a 10-foot X-pen at all times when I couldn't directly supervise them on leash. On one side of the pen was a pee pad or litter box. On the other side was an open crate with their bedding. When they used the pee pad, I rewarded and praised.

I brought them out of the pen regularly -- potty breaks outside (or to a pee pad inside) immediately after feeding. If they didn't go where and when I wanted them to, they went back to the X-pen for 1 hour. After that, they went outside again. When they finally did what I wanted, they were rewarded with treats and praise. Once they figured out what I wanted, they got more freedom around the house.

Aggression -- Increase exercise, limit their freedom
I have a toy hoarder, Eddie, who was the sweetest dog in the world until another dog looked at his toys or, heaven help them, took his toys. I learned that a big part of his problem was he had excess energy and didn't know what to do with it. So when he attacked other dogs in the house, I upped his exercise. A tired dog is a good dog.

To train him that serious fighting was unacceptable, I took away all the toys in the house when I wasn't directly supervising. At toy time, I would leash the dogs and play with them individually and together. The reward for good behavior was the toy or a treat. The "punishment" for setbacks was no toy.

After several months of leashed toy time, I was able to unleash them. I still put the toys away when I wasn't supervising, but the fighting abated.

Eventually, I was able to leave the toys out. Every now and then we'll have a setback, and I go back to the beginning. Toys go away. I've also taken to "timeouts" and quiet time if the energy level gets too high. But so he doesn't feel it's a "punishment," I always go in there afterward and talk to him and massage him and help him relax. If the aggression happens when we're outside on a walk or at a meetup, I isolate him from the situation until I see him relax.

Sorry so long-winded. I'm not a trainer and surely make my share of mistakes, but I've learned from trainers and smart people here on YT and I honestly think I'm on the right track.

Good luck!