I have a 4 month old pup and he has become VERY vocal about..well...everything, he definitely loves the sound of his own voice and yaps (that ear piercing puppy yap) almost constantly now when he is playing with our older dog. He also barks out of fustration when we have food (as in he doesnt bark AT us, he kind of throws himself down in a strop and kind of yaps and whines to himself because he knows he isnt allowed any) and barks constantly at the hoover,(which is a bit of a necessity when you have a moulting GR!) and also when he hears an unusual noise outside...this is in comparison to our almost silent GR that pushes herself to one bark a day, if that, so I guess we have just got used to a nice quiet house and Im not really sure how to deal with it! At the moment I tell him 'NO' in a very firm voice when he barks...as I know he has some grasp of what 'no' means, but sometimes I dont think he realises what I am saying 'no' to..as in, if he is playing nicely with our older dog but barking constantly...I dont want him to think that I am telling him off for actually playing with her...Im guessing he will relate the 'no' to the action he is doing at the time and not the noise he is making! Is this something that is likely to get worse if I dont work on it now...or as he seems to mainly bark out of excitement do you think he will just grow out of it as he matures and calms down a little??

any thoughts? (please!!)

my 15 week old bm pups does the same when playing with our older bm and we just let him get on with it as long as it does not get out of hand if it does he gets removed to the kitchen playtime stops and he stop straight away anyother time he dont make a sound where as lucy out older bm if she hears a noise outside she will bark at it we just tell her its ok now and that usually stops her sorry i can offer any advice but im sure someone will be along with some helpfull advice

It sounds as though he is the equivilent of the squealing child. We've all met them, the children who just can't play quietly. It does seem to be excitement when playing and attention seeking when you are eating.
On no account raise your voice to him. He will think that you are barking back at him. I find the best command is to make a cutting off motion with both my hands,crossing them in front of me horizontally then slowly taking each arm out to the side.Use a command that you would only use in this situation. I say 'quiet' in a very slow, low pitched voice. When the dog responds I give it praise, but in a very calm manner. I don't know if this will work with your dog. I have a non-yappy breed. Good Luck!

I've got a very gobby representative of a notoriously gobby breed and, if permitted, he'd always have to have the last word. He's got a range of barks that he uses for different circumstances but I've found that the best way to try and stop the yap for yapping's sake is to get his full attention, slowly raise one finger to my lips in a "shhhh" gesture and quietly but firmly say "enough". 

Hi Shannon,

I know how you feel, I too have a yappy dog and I have tried calmly telling her to be quiet but so far no luck, I am considering buying a Viatek-Bark-Stop it's not a collar it's a device that you fit to a wall outside and whenever the dog baks it gives off a short burst of ultrasonic sound.  I have to be seen to be trying to solve the problem otherwise the neighbours will complain to the council.

The only way to curb unnecessary barking is to stop it being rewarded.  so if he is having a good game barking then you stop the game.

I would restrain him for just a moment, and as soon as he stops barking say 'good boy Quiet'.  If you are consistent with removing him from what makes him bark and rewarding the instant he is quiet (use voice and /or tidbit) the penny will son drop that barking = end of fun, and not barking means a treat and a cuddle.

Also at this age they get overexcited just like primary age school children (ever lived near a school at break times ?), and being noisy while playing seems to be common for both species, and the only thing you can do is get them to have time out to calm down.

for dogs that just like the sound of their own voices and even though they know what quiet means will bark because they can (that's my lot) I use a water squirter.  Any spray bottle whose nozzle can be set to a jet instead of a mist.  If mine don't stop barking when told them out comes the #squirter' usually enough to just say right where's that bottle, or to just pick it up.

echo that

I have three Beardies, noted for their barking, and two TT's the reward and gentle command is the only way to go.  Works for me.

Thankyou for your replies, I will try the stopping the fun when barking and praising when he is quiet, he is a collie x so Im not sure if collies are a notoriously noisy breed? I guess they are very alert so maybe the barking is part of that? He is always on the go, even when you think he is fast asleep he will still get up and follow you if you leave the room. I actually cant wait for his 'voice to break' so that his yaps wont be quite so ear piercing!!

thanks again!

I hate to tell you this but all the border Collies that I know when excited their barks are ear splittingly shrill.

I agree - all the collies (and crosses) that I know are very vocal. The racket from the agility and flyball rings at Crufts, for example, where there are mainly collies, is horrendous!

oh...I see...ah well...good job this boy is cute!

He does remind me of a hyperactive child sometimes...I've never quite seen a dog throw a tantrum before!

My Border Collie isn't vocal.  My Dalmatian is more noisy. ;)

I think the flyball and agility winds up dogs whatever the breed.  The obedience is mainly collies and very quiet, the show benches are not very noisy either.

I was referring to the pitch/tone, it is an individual thing if the particular dog is vocal, though most of the ones I know are.

Firstly it's an age thing, unfortunately you have the noisy one from the litter. :-D  I actually use the same command as roz, a finger to the lips followed by a Sssshhhhhhh.............. I've always used it and it does work, with pups always give some sort of treat or big fuss when they give the correct reaction. But Ssshhhhh.... works wonders the sound catches their attention and is very distinctable. As they age Ssshh followd by the command quiet works with older dogs. :-)

My 3yr Boxer girl , when playing with her older brother, has the most screeching high pitched puppy bark , the more he ignores her the more she screams at him, even he gets fed up of it, he will lay down with his paws over his ears, and looks at me as to say" tell her to shut up  mum".   The water spray works here to,  if they dont listen to "enough"  then I say "right where is that water spray"  they soon stop what they are doing and both will run for cover.

My Cavalier has the most horrible squeaky bark/growl which she uses to demand attention - spoiled little girl! I do try not to give in, I hasten to add!

Nips produces the most ear-splitting strangled yip when he's attention seeking. The effect on listeners being perfectly described by someone who had the misfortune to hear it in a pub garden as "going right through yer head!"