Eyja

Hey !

So Eyja is now 9 months old, she likes dogs, cats, birds, kids and people. BUT only those she knows : cats of my parents, dogs from the dog park, my family and people she saw me with. In the street, in or without the leash, she barks at dogs, kids who run around her, and people. This happens especially when I'm at my parents'house ( empty streets, lack of noises, lot of nature etc... so when a poor neighbor go outside it's like she was thinking : "Oh my god ! Someone here ! It can't be real ! That's pretty suspect !" ). When we are in my town ( big big town ) with noises, people, cars, she only barks at dogs she can't go "smell".
I've only encourage this at the beginning when she barks at weird guys running close to us. But I think she extended this to everyone u__u
So I put myself in anger when she doesn't listen to me after saying 3 "stop it" in a calm manner.
But I think I'm wrong, I don't calm her. But it's pisses me of sometimes, especially when it's calm kids ( who don't run or scream ), and calm dogs.
So, now, I take some pieces of cheese and when we saw something, or someone, we keep walking and when she turn her head from the person or the dog, to turn her head to me, I give her a piece of cheese.
It works well, and when I heard a debut of growling, I say "stop" and she is more receptive because when she turns her head to me, she wins something very tasty.
But is there anything else I can do to improve it ?
And how do you guys learn it to stop and bark at command ?

WorkingDobie

You are on the right track. Your goal is to take your dogs attention away from whatever the distraction may be.
We train the watch command with our dogs.
When she looks at you treat and praise as you have been doing, the next step is putting a word or command to her action, in our case it is watch. Practice this a lot with as many distractions as you can and make it fun.
Eventually she will know that watch means to look at you no matter what else is happening around her.
Another step to this being successful is you need watch her and get that command in before she has the chance to lock onto something and react. It's pretty easy to spot them about to react if you watch their head and body.

Beaumont67

If giving a dog a command, like when your a wee bit angry or pissed off...the outcome will lack effectivness.

My puppy was just barking at the end of the driveway, at 6:00 this morning.
To me, I couldn't see what the fuss was all about.

So I camly said ENOUGH (1 word better than 2), and I walked up to her off leash, said the command again with some power in my voice.
Next reached down and pet her...sort of like changing the subject & said Kelly is a good girl...positive...than I walked her into the back yard, for more potty time - sometimes its not the exact words you say, but rather the voice tone and body language with expectations and clearer consistency.

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------------Kelly & (Amy - RIP @ 11.7 y/o)