<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII" http-equiv=Content-Type>
<META name=GENERATOR content="MSHTML 8.00.6001.19154"></HEAD>
<BODY style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: 12pt" id=role_body
bottomMargin=7 leftMargin=7 rightMargin=7 topMargin=7><FONT id=role_document
color=#000000 size=3 face=Arial>
<DIV>I'm babysitting a friend's two cocker spaniels, mother and baby boy.
(To make this basset-related, Duchess never woofed. She moo-ed, and not
often, because it took up energy she could have been using eating or
sleeping.)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>These two dogs are darling. Sweet, happy, playful, cuddly,
well-behaved, pretty laid-back. Except the seven-month-old puppy loves to
bark. Woof, woof, woof. Alert! Squirrel out the window!
Alert! Alien dog walking by on the street! Alert! Mom (the
other cocker) has a toy/treat I want, or is sleeping when I want to play!
Woof woof woof woof woof!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>It's a happy, playful woof, with the tail wagging all the time. He
wants to play with the squirrel/dog on the street/Mom, it's not an aggressive or
defensive or high-strung or fearful bark. But it's still a bark.
High-pitched, endless woofwoofwoofwoofwoof.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I take him on walks and set up play dates with other dogs to tire him
out. Nope, he comes back and woofs for more. As soon as he starts
woofing, I stop him with a firm command. Nope, he runs to me full of joy,
grins, and woofs at me. I throw him balls, buy him toys. Nope, he
plays, naps contentedly, then starts in again. I hold his little mouth
shut and say firmly, "no." Nope, he wags his tail and kisses my
hand. (Have I mentioned I adore these dogs?) I just don't seem to be
able to get him to make the connection between the barking behavior and
"no." (He was very late to be house-broken, too.)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I don't think he's bored, he gets lots of exercise and play; he also loves
his naps and sleeps a lot. I think he's just a very interested little boy
who likes to comment on everything in his world (I've known three-year-old
two-leggers like that). But I can't leave the porch door open because he
runs out there and yells at the world and I don't want to bother the
neighbors. And just when I get going on work (or a business phone call, I
work at home), he spots something out the window worth commenting on,
woofwoofwoofwoofwoof.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>He's been "tutored," and that hasn't made any difference. His human
Mom loves them, but isn't that great on training, so isn't doing much at
home. Any suggestions, to break this habit before he's grown
up? (His doggie Mom never woofs. They play together all day long, so
he has companionship and fun.)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Thanks!</DIV>
<DIV>Ears-ringing Beth</DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>