I love my dog & I take him to the dog park to run everyday. My question is two-part. 1) Why doesn't he bother with the other dogs much. If he meets other dogs on the street or in a home, he is social & plays with them. But in the dog park he is just zoned in on the tennis balls or sticks. 2) Why does he continually bark at me to throw the ball for him. Even when I am consistently throwing the ball for him, he'll bark until I do. I know he is excited & that's probably why, but how do I get him to stop?

First of all... how old is he? I think it's pretty common for a dog to want youto keep throwing the ball for him. As for making him stop you'll have to start to use a different or stern voice to him... either say: NO or STOP

He will be 2 in November. I've tried saying Stop! & No! To no avail!

Saying stop or no to dog only works if you've taught him what those words mean. Remember, he's a dog, not a person.

He barks because he's excited and he wants you to play with him. It's his way of saying "throw the ball, throw the ball". If you want him to stop then you have to teach him that this is not appropriate behaviour.

At the age of two, depending on the breed, he's more than capable of learning the No or Stop command. The key is being consistent.

Next time he barks say no, grab his mouth and close it so that he can't bark. Do not make this at all playful, he has to learn that you are serious. Use the deepest voice you can.

Every time he barks when you don't want him to do the same as above. It may take a while, but he's get it eventually. Soon you'll be able to just say No, or Stop (whichever command you decide on) and he'll stop barking without you having to grab his mouth.

Remember to be firm but gentle, don't hurt him, never hit him, just grab his mouth. You have to show him who's dominant, you, not him.

Good luck.