Hi Cayter!

Oz has a loud bark too, but he's not a non-stop barker. I really stay on top of him not to bark though. If he's outside and he barks, he has to come right back inside. When we first started walking around the neighborhood, he wanted to bark at people we passed, so I started distracting him with a treat before he could bark at'em. When they walked past and he was quiet, I told him "Good Quiet" and gave him the treat.

I also do the same thing at agility. If he starts getting bored and wants to bark, then I'll either keep heeling him around in a lil' area or I'll make him do a sit or down stay. When he's quiet then I'll tell him "Good Quiet" give him a treat and I keep increasing the stay time before he gets the treat.

I have to say though that inside the house, he's extremely quiet. He really only barks, when I encourage him to, during some of our games. Or on the rare occasions when he hears a noise that isn't familar.

So with your Oz, you may want to try teaching him "Quiet" first or the bark collars. Exhaust all the training methods, before you go the debark route.

Les...