Sorry BC, I must have been typing when you posted!
I do not allow him to bark at my horse at all! He is uncertain for sure. Blue, my horse, could care less. It is kind of fun to see Blue snort at Patches! LOL So far he has shown no sign of running the fence between them and is down to barking only when Blue is in the back yard grazing. Yes, we ARE that redneck :)
Unfortunately, nobody pays any attention at the ranch and worse yet, my husbands Dad/partner has a Kelpie that barks at the horses (not the cattle).
Hubby spends a lot of quiet time with Patches in the truck. He is a very good boy in the truck, even on his first ride home! In the evening typically they get home about time for the evening feeding. This is followed by intense play by Patches as he is reunited with each.and.every.one.of.his.toys. (seriously!) then a nap. Outside then playtime with us. Outside then bed.
I think treats are a good idea. Hubby's voice is deep and gruff. If he raises his voice it sounds harsh. Patches can completely ignore him, drives him nuts. He really needs to get a good recall on Patches.
I agree on the clicker training, actually. I keep my tone friendly, say "Patches, No!" followed by "Good boy" so he knows he made the right choice. He does pretty good for me which drives hubby crazy. Skeeter was so intuitive she just knew what he wanted and desperately wanted to please. Patches is not Skeeter. He is a clown, full of life and looking for adventure. Very spontaneous and ADHD. Pleasing his human is not his first priority. He does best with positive reinforcement and he would rather be yelled at than ignored.
It's mostly all good though, he is so much fun! He does somersaults and zoomies with his squeaky toys. He's pretty good at fetch, but not obsessed (Thankfully!!!) And when he is sleeping he is adorable.
I play "Toesies" with my dog too!
I just love dogs :)
