Hi chembear--welcome to PetTalk! I too am a San Joaquin Valley resident, but quite a ways south of you in an "unmentionable" part of California... *blech!*

Anyway, I'm eager to see what some of our stellar dog training folks around here say about your question, because our Aussie Eli is the same as your Duchess--an excitement barker. He loves other dogs and is never aggressive or dominant, but he sure does want to announce himself to them loudly and continuously! When he actually starts playing he calms down and shuts up, but it's kind of embarrassing until then. We've tried putting him in a sit-stay, taking him back to the car to calm down, and treats for moments of silence, but they do no good. We're stumped!

Again, welcome! Do you have pictures of Duchess to share?