Barking

So this isn't for me, it's for my sister. Her new puppy, Fox (previously Phoenix), apparently has a barking issue and she wanted me to ask you guys for suggestions.

So Fox is a 10-12week (not sure exact age was, but it's young) smooth Collie. She basically barks for everything. She barks when she plays, though I think Bear (her other dog) has a big influence on that as Bear barks as a means of excited play. Fox barks at her toys when she is playing with them, or at other things she now consider toys because they are in her reach lol. She barks when she's happy or excited, and apparently she even barks in her sleep sometimes. LOL ^_^

I figured rewarding calm quiet behavior when playing, or teaching a quiet cue, but I have no other suggestions. Any suggestions?

My sister said the barking really doesn't bother her, the problem will be when she is in an appartment and she just wants to minimize barking as much as possible so the neighbors are not annoyed.

Thanks!

Trade her in for a not-collie

Lol, no, there are things she can do. But IMO, barking like that is one of the hardest behaviors to stop, and collies ARE known as an extremely vocal breed.

I would advise ending the game when she barks. She'll need to pretty much treat it like boot camp and it won't be fun or easy for a week or so...

If the dog barks for attention, get up, walk away, leave the room. Don't return til she's quiet, and then ask her to sit or something, and start playing. If she barks again, leave the room.

If your sister is feeding her, and she barks in anticipation, set the bowl on the counter and leave the room. Walk away until she's quiet. Come back, start preparing the food...if she barks, leave.

If she barks at her toys...I want to say remove them...but I'd be slightly worried about it causing resource guarding. Does she bark when she's playing on her own, or only when your sister or Bear is interacting with her?