Neither of my dogs bark much at all --- especially my Yorkie. I just lucked out and got a Yorkie and a Bichon that aren't barkers.
My Bichon barks only a little bit more, but not often.
However, if either of them does decide to bark (of course, the other one joins in). And, even though this is very occasionally, I still don't like it - at all!
I have found that ignoring my dogs when they decide to bark - has absolutely no effect. This only means that they will bark until they decide to quit on their own. And, I have also felt that if I just let them do it - they will do more of it and also think it is okay.
So, if they start barking, I get up and tell them to quit - and move them away from the window (which is where they usually bark), and they quit immediately. After all, then they can't see whatever it was that they were barking at.....why bark?
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When my dogs were puppies, if they ever started barking, I went quickly and picked them up and told them, "no-no-no" and quickly got them doing something else. I discourged and distracted them from barking everytime they even thought about doing it....even, if it meant I had to get down on the floor and play with them for a while.
I think consistently interrupting a bad behavior helps keep a puppy from developing a habit of doing it....but, I may have just been lucky. Perhaps my dogs wouldn't have been barkers anyway.
Night barking - I always got up and interrupted that barking also. But, since they don't bark a lot - I'm sure this was much easier for me than it would be for those of you whose dogs want to bark all night.
Good luck! Carol Jean |