Barking

[Poo]

Am hoping someone can offer me some advise please.

I have 3 working cockers, Missy who is 15 months, Lady 11 months and Amoss 10 months.  The problem I am having is, when they are all in the garden and the 2 younger ones start playing, Missy will quite often bark at them as if to tell them off or to try and get them to stop - which they don't.  When the little ones are not playing with each other Missy is fine and they all get on fine.  I am just not sure how to deal with this.  I don't want to stop them playing, but am not sure how to attempt to stop Missy barking.  Any advice would be much appreciated 

[black taz]

Taz barks if i am training Kira in the garden - i get OH to take him in the house.  He is getting a little more tolerant of it, but still a work in progress and at least it stops him annoying the neighbours.

[elaine.e]

The barking might be due to Missy becoming anxious about the other 2 playing, especially if the playing is noisy and/or boisterous or rough. The simplest solution would probably be to remove Missy from the cause of her anxiety by calling her indoors for a few minutes so she can calm down then let her out again when the other 2 have stopped playing.

[penguins87]

I have three girls Beau 3 Lottie 2 and Dora 1 and boy do they love to play and bark and then bark and play some more ..

Three times a day..  you can set your watch by it ..

It is usually Lottie and Dora the two younger ones and Beau will often now ignore them and come and find me for a gravy bone .. She used to sit and bark and then the others would start on her .. For her the barking meant 'hey I wanna play too'
As time has gone on they sorted it for themselves - if Beau wanted to play she will now instigate it otherwise she just ignores them .. If possible I would try and distract Missy ..

Its hard when you have three so young but things will calm down when they get to about 8