Priscilla,

Of all of the dogs I have had experience with, the smartest breeds I personally have encountered are Border Collies and German Shepherds. If your dog is a cross of these 2 breeds, she is no doubt a smart and highly capable dog.

Border collies are so smart that if they aren't given an outlet for their intelligence and if they aren't provided with stimulating activity/environment, they get bored and will make up games or make up their own excitement. Border Collies and shepherds are highly intense, self-motivated, and extremely smart and independent thinkers (that is why border collies excel at herding sheep and also why Germ Sheps are used in search rescue, bomb sniffing, and police work). They love to have a job (agility work, searching for things) or goal to accomplish. Without some type of work to do or if they don't have a 'job' in the home or aren't given enough enrichment as far as exciting exercise, games, toys, etc -- they get bored. And a dog can also bark out of boredom.

I agree with Karen, she is correct in saying that one of the best toys you can give to the dog is a Kong stuffed with Natural Peanutbutter. (Natural peanutbutter is the stuff that you have to stir that is just ground peanuts that you can get at a health food store or any organic food section of the grocery store. Avoid commercial peanut butter like the kind you give to kids beacause it has too much sodium and preservatives in it which are very bad for dogs). But my dogs love to have a Kong toy stuffed with Natural Organic Peanutbutter and they will work at the toy to lick out all the peanut butter and it occupies them for hours. Make sure she has plenty of water accessible when you give a peanut butter kong. Kong toys are made of a safe durable rubber that a dog is highly unlikely to chew up. You can also soak the Kong in chicken or beef broth or put cream cheese, neufachel cheese, or dry dog food or wedge a dog biscuit inside of it so that the dog has to work out the treat.

There are other toys at the pet store where your dog rolls this ball that you load with dog food and the ball will release a kibble of dog food here and there. There are other games you can play with the dog such as hiding a loaded Kong toy or a couple of them (filled with dog kibble or peanut butter) and having your dog search out the toy with the "Seek" or "find it command". You can look on the web for games and toys used for a house dog to make their day more interesting while you are out of the house so that they don't get as bored.

Another tip, if the dog is tilting its head like its ears are hurting it like it is in pain when it is barking at the walls, then that is a clue that feedback or something that the dog is hearing that is hurting is ears may be triggering the barking. But, if the dog is acting like its ears are fine/aren't hurting and it is alerting you to something in the walls or ceiling that the dog senses, then my advice is to check for critters. It very well might be a boredom barking issue.

Please let us know if you solve the barking situation or figure out what is triggering the behavior.

Best wishes,
Anna Lisa