[msminnamouse]

We're pet sitting a two year old dog. The problem is that she will stand there, look at you, and whine and bark. She's not in need of anything. She gets food, she goes potty a lot, we play with her and she gets everything she needs. She does this when she wants something. Like when she wants us to throw the ball for her, when she wants to go into a room that has the door closed, etc. She also wakes up at the crack of dawn and does it then too and also does it when it's time to go to bed. We don't make her sleep in a crate, she gets to sleep on the bed with us.

I've never had noise issues with any of my own dogs and when I have noise issues with dogs that I work with, I just ignore them until they quiet down. But she's not quieting down and she's in our home and people are trying to sleep.

So, if ignoring her until she stops isn't working... what am I supposed to do? Her owner supplied us with an anti-barking collar but I don't like those. I believe in positive reinforcement. But my normal methods aren't working... So any ideas?

 

[TooneyDogs]

Work on catching her when she's quiet. Calmly praise and treat....reward the quiet behavior.

She does this for attention. Show her what will earn your attention, a polite sit, a down, a trick...make her earn your attention/work for it.

 

[msminnamouse]

I already do that. I praise her when she stops. Praising her for doing tricks isn't going to correlate with noise issues in her mind and I don't really see how it does in my mind either.