This is about the third time in his life of 22 months that my boy has started to talk back to a no command. Younger, I struggled through the first bout of it, not really knowing what to do. Second one I would verbally put him in a down and hold him there for amoment, then up and engage in some kind of exercise. Let's go, sit, stand, down, anything to get him back into minding me.

Now he is back to it again, and putting him down in a submissive posture is not working. He still barks at me from the down. Walking toward him and moving him out of my way does not work. He just jumps around and thinks it's a game. keep in mind that he thinks we are playing. But it is unacceptable play. When I tell him no, I don't want to hear anything back from him.

I have been slowing teaching him the bark command, and then that's enough. The other day I just decided to give it a try when he started barking at me, and I told him to bark. He did it, and then I told him enough and he did that and then we engaged in something else. it worked, but it really didn't seem to be the right way to make it work, if you know what I mean. I told him to do more of what I don't want him to do.

Now listening to Ed's dvd's, I don't really think I have a real dominance issue at this age, but I also don't want ot fall into the trap of "he's so good 90% of the time, that the one time I tell him no, and he talks back, I think it's not a big deal ,because he is SOOO good most of the time." Just because I get good behavior out of him most of the time does not give him the right to talk back and not want to behave when he DOES do something I want to stop. ANd he is going to test me one day that is going to roll around soon enough, and I want to have a handle on it before then, not after.

There are times in the house when it works perfectly. He likes to play with his leerburg sherpa mat bed. I started with it in the living room so I could correct the playing. Now he only plays with it if it is in the bedroom. Sometimes he will bring it out to the living room to play with it. But if I catch him paying with it and take it, he will look at me and not really bark, but I can't really even explain it, but humf at me, which would turn into barking if I push him into it. But in those situations I just pop out the door and shut him in the room. If the light is off it works extra well. I wait a moment or two then let him out, and it is over. Is it getting through, I don't think so yet, but it does give him a correction in the house that stops the behavior.

SO what do I do. I am listening. And I am willing to do.

Sound like one of mine, frustrated energy.
I will look forward to what other will say.

Can you redirect him? Like ask him to sit, etc. and it will stop the barking.

My boy will bark at me if he wants to go outside...not always to use the bathroom, but sometimes because he LIKES to be out there. I can usually tell what's up. If I think he has to go to the bathroom, I give him a command (usually "touch"). If I suspect he is just up to no good, I ignore him. I never just pop up and go let him out.

 Quote: Ariane Gauthier

Sound like one of mine, frustrated energy.
I will look forward to what other will say.

Mine, too.

Exercise always remedies the problem...

When he barks at me for some kind of attention, I ignore him. This is a "I say No and he back talks"

I can see that he may have excess energy at that moment, but that is life at times. He can't always be tired out. He still needs to not talk back if he is not allowed to do something. We do the best we can in the heat, which he hates, and he does have more energy than usual. But we treadmill, and early morning walk, and play indoors.

I know he is playing, or he thinks we are playing. That is part of it, everything is a game to him.

Sorry Melissa, I forgot to address yours. That was part of my original post. That worked before, now it is not working as well.

 Quote: julie sloan

When he barks at me for some kind of attention, I ignore him. This is a "I say No and he back talks"

I can see that he may have excess energy at that moment, but that is life at times. He can't always be tired out. He still needs to not talk back if he is not allowed to do something. We do the best we can in the heat, which he hates, and he does have more energy than usual. But we treadmill, and early morning walk, and play indoors.

I know he is playing, or he thinks we are playing. That is part of it, everything is a game to him.

When the dog is fully exercised and tired out, does the problem still present itself?

I will have to watch and think on that, and really see just how he is feeling when it does happen.

When it has really been a problem lately is very first thing in the morning when I was bringing stuff in from the garden and he wanted it.(clothes to keep the deer away). Believe me, I completely understand that a tired dog is a good dog, and a lot of issues resolve themselves with enough exercise. BUT, when it does happen, I am having difficulty with getting a workable correction for it. And say first thing in the morning, like it was an issue here, even if we had a whole day of exercise planned, he would be full of energy. I don't think he should be allowed to misbehave because he is not tired. Or not corrected anyway.