How to get your puppy or dog stop barking when she wants to play

They are so CUTE! But when they bark constantly because they want to play...? Not so cute...!

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It starts out pretty innocently, actually. A puppy or dog is playing with their new owner, there is a lot of barking, a lot of ball/toy throwing... Before you know it, your furry one has a bad habit. If you don't throw that slobbery thing NOW, you'll get barked to death! Teaching your furry friend to ask to play in a non-barking way takes less time and energy than you may think. And it's worth every effort you put into it.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Consistency
Family buy-in, or agreement
Either a tolerance for barking or earplugs
Your furry one's favorite fetch toy

Step1

Have a family meeting explaining that throwing the tow when the dog barks is now a strict no-no. If the dog is barking, the kids or non-"trainers" are to simply put the toy down on the floor at their feet and walk out of the room. (This tells the dog that the kiddos aren't going to participate.)

Step2

The head "trainer" stands up and starts to play with the dog, acting as if s/he is about to throw the toy. (Knowing that the dog will likely bark.)

Step3

When the dog barks, the trainer silently sits down with the toy. The dog will be very confused and will probably sit down and stop barking after a few minutes.

Step4

After a very brief pause after the dog stops barking, the trainer jumps up, says "Good dog!" and throws the toy. When the dog returns the toy, steps 2-4 are repeated.

Step5

If, in the future, the dog backslides to barking, simply pull back the toy until the dog is silent momentarily. When a person is done playing with a dog who doesn't seem to want to stop, that person sits in a chair, and puts the toy at his/her feet. Each time the toy is brought to their lap, it is ignored or placed on the floor without much attention. The dog will give up trying to get you to play.

Tips & Warnings

It is important that all members of the family agree that they will not throw the toy when the dog is barking, and understand why.
When the dog is doing something you don't like, in this situation it is more effective to ignore the behavior, than to try to correct it with shouting or correcting with "No barking!"
Inconsistency will cause the dog to slip into old habits, but they can be corrected by following the steps again.
Don't offer food or treats for not barking. The reward is getting to play.