Julie R, I like your advice. The dogs pay attention to the alpha figure and can change their behavior.
I am working on stopping our shih tzu from barking at the deer outside our home. The younger shih tzu is focused on treats and gets micro treats and lots of praise. He is coming along very nicely. Our babies had been exhausting themselves barking and the noise level was distressing for the so-called parental figures :)
My heart goes out to you, Craftybear!!!