Barking

[Chris]

I am grateful to be living in the country where they can bark their fool heads off.

[Tagg]

First, I must say, be grateful if your sheltie shows no noise sensitivity. It sounds to me that it is headed for separation anxiety problems though. You might want to try ignoring and walking away, only stopping if the noise stops. Lots of puppies get so much attention the first few weeks they come to their new homes that they get antsy when the attention becomes less. Could this be the root of the problem or did it always bark from day 1?

[*Caro]

Your dog is still a pup, so it's something that can be readily worked on. Muzzling and spray collars shouldn't be used on puppies, they weren't designed to work on puppies. He's found his voice and is trying it out - think of how noisy two-year old human kids can be. He's at a very good age to train the attention seeking out, but you do need to spend some time doing the training.

Have you enrolled in puppy kinda - I'd strongly suggest giving it a go as it will help you get better focus from the puppy.

Just one other thing. How do you play with him? To have a calmer dog you do need to be calmer around him, so try to avoid play sessions where he gets worked up into a frenzy.