Advice needed

[Ellie]

Hi fellow setter owners 

Our Irish setter Harley have started this thing now where she will start barking out of nowhere to get attention. Sometime also jump on us. We had a smilier problem a little while back when she was younger, but she grew out of that "biting" phase.  she's now 8 months old and I've read other places that they go through phases where they "try" you out because they are natural "pack leaders" and we are trying our very best to let her know that she is not the one in charge, we are. However as of right now nothing seems to really stop her or make it better in any way. It's only been about a week of this, but it is tiring and I'd like to see if someone has gone through the same/ have any advice. 

If we keep busy and do stuff most of the day she's fine. It is, especially, at night when we want to sit down and relax she does this. It is for attention, but no matter how much we love her and to play with her we cannot play with her constantly all the time or do something that has to do with her. Both me and my partner works form home at times and sitting down in the front room for longer periods of time have been impossible the last week. Most people I've seen talk about this, talk about the dogs not getting enough exercise, but I don't think that is the problem here, as we take her for at least 3/4 walks a day. On a normal day 1 long walk in the morning, a shorter one mid day and in the afternoon another long and one shorter at night. She has lots of toys, a big back yard we let her run around in and we play with her as much as we can.  We are hoping it is just her "I'm going to test you" phase she is going through right now, however any advice or ideas on how to make this a little more enjoyable is greatly appreciated, we would like to be able to have company over without having to worry about her having one of her "tantrums" as we like to call it and have to put her in the kitchen (Which we use as a crate. with a baby gate in front of the door) 

Thank you! 

[rosie beere]

http://www.anyshade.com/files/The%20puppy%20and%20the%20young%20dog...
Not sure if this will work Elli. Great article.
Cheers and good luck. Rosie