Q: We have a 2 year old Brittany that we have had since he was about 7 weeks old. He's the most vocal dog I've ever owned and in most cases, it isn't a problem. He "talks" when he wants to go out to the bathroom, he "talks" when he wants his dinner. The "talking" is a problem when I take him with me to run errands, such as to Home Depot. He screeches when he's in the store. I've figured out if I keep moving, he tends not to screech, but that's not always possible. Today, for example, I put a long lead on him while I was washing my car, so he could be "with" me & not stuck inside the house. He made so much noise, I had to put him in the house. I take him to the dog park about 5 - 6 times a week, I walk him on a leash around the neighborhood - he doesn't vocalize. Well, once in awhile at the park he does - but it's rare. He's very easy to train to do things - not so easy to train NOT to do things. I've tried telling him NO, BAD DOG, lightly grabbing him on the neck & sternly telling him QUIET, SSSH - none of those things work. We'd love to be able to take him to restaurants that have outdoor dining, but I'm afraid he's create such a fuss, we'd have to put our food in a doggy bag & leave.

A: There are some things you can try to help curb your dog’s excessive vocalization. Remember that for a dog, any attention is good attention. So your attempts to shush the dog by telling him “no”, etc. are probably actually reinforcing the talking. So is letting him “talk” to go out, before feeding, and so on. He can’t possibly understand when it is appropriate to “talk” and when it isn’t. So you need to put some effort into teaching him not to vocalize. You can do this by rewarding him when he is not vocalizing and ignoring him when he is. You can get him to not vocalize by teaching him this sequence: sit, praise, down, praise. Repeat if necessary (if he starts “talking”). You should have him repeat this sequence before being let out, before being fed, or before getting treats. If he vocalizes to get your attention at home, simply leave the room or take him out of the room. Providing a favorite chew toy may help him amuse himself without your attention. It sounds as if he is a smart dog and can probably be trained with some time and effort on your part. Sometimes these dogs respond very well to clicker training.