I have a german shepherd who barks at the slightest little thing when he is in the house, usually there is nothing there and he is barking at thin air! He is a rescue dog and although i have tried to train him and go to obedience classes this has not worked he still does not listen to anything i say. HELP!! How do i stop him and teach him how to bark when it is necessary.

We had a similar problem with our part GSD rescue dog. What worked for us was to part fill a drinks can with some gravel/stones and shake it when he barked. This stopped him barking instantly. We used to say "Where's that tin" and within a short time he would stop at just the mention of the word "tin". He still barks, but we can stop him quickly now. Doesn't work on every dog - but it is worth a try :)

Daisy