Attitude???

[Diana Allen]

Cagney will bark at us if we tell him not to do something... if we don't like what he is doing .. he just barks at us... it is like he is talking back... he has some attitude going on... and he won't let us catch him either....we have to trick him into coming to us after he is in trouble.... does anyone's Doodle do this?

[Denise U]

One of mine does. It's like she is telling us off sometimes. She can be so sassy, while our other one is pretty good. I joke that they are like that cartoon from the old Highlights magazine for kids - "Goofus and Gallant"

[Diana Allen]

Geez I can remember that magazine!

[Susan, Zeke. Lily & Jasper]

Lily has a sassy attitude too! She is most vocal when she is reprimanded for barking. I'll tell her quiet and she will always do a little bark back at me. As many times as I repeat this she always gets the last word.

[Diana Allen]

Love it!!!!

[Nina, Phil, Harlow & Lacey]

Harlow gets sassy if I tell all 3 dogs to settle down when they are playing too rough in the house. She will look at, give a little woof and go right back to rough housing. I have to put all 3 in 'time out'. I think she would give me a rasberry if she could. =)

[Diana Allen]

Man oh man... too much... very funny!!

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Yes, Yes and Yes to all your comments. Sassy, real sassy here too! LOL But Gawd, I love this spoiled dog!

[Diana Allen]

Too funny!!!

[Adrianne Matzkin]

Charli has that same sassy attitude! She is so darn fresh! I have started to put my hand on her mouth (not grabbing it, just touching) so she knows, I hope, that it is her barking that is the issue. I also give her 'sush' or 'quiet' while I have my index finger over my mouth.
Samantha knows this and I wish I can remember how we learned it.

[Diana Allen]

Love it!!~

[Tante & Jordan & now Annie!]

Jordan did this as a puppy.I did what you did to make her stop. Soft touch to the muzzle with a shh.
Now when she barks I look and say I know YOU did not just bark at ME?! Yes, I am one of those people who talks to their dog as if they are human. She knows Slow your roll....It means slow down when we are walking.
Oh and Move you butt....that mean move over on the bed....She sleeps with me when DH is out late.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

"Excuse me", is a phrase I commonly say to dogs. Like they would understand this polite way of saying, " Would you please get out of my way?"

I also use the muzzle to shhhh. I place my finger gently at the tip of the nose and say, shhhh. The softer, the better. Now, if I just hold up a finger and say nothing, he is also understanding that what he is doing is not acceptable.

Note: the above is an index finger, not the middle finger, though at times this might be what I am thinking when he starts smarting off.