Summarize:

Also called "attention-seeking barking," request barking is a common problem for dog owners. The first step to breaking a dog's request barking is to stop giving your dog what she wants whenever she barks. This will, of course, take some time to train out of your dog, especially if she has been "rewarded" for her barking over many years. Try to distinguish between barking that stems from needing to use the bathroom (which is a valid need to vocalize) and barking over every minor desire, such as wanting to come on the couch or be given more attention. Do not give in to your dog's barking, no matter how much she barks. Any concession to a dog's request barking will undo whatever progress you may have been making. Attention-seeking or request barking may be the only way your dog knows how to behave. Even after you've discontinued your reinforcement of that behavior, it will most likely take a while to break your dog of the habit. In the meantime, it's best to ignore - rather than punish - this attention-seeking behavior. In a dog's mind, even yelling at her to stop is considered attention. If you lose your patience and yell at your dog, she will probably bark for even longer next time, because she will have been conditioned to expect any kind of response (even a negative response). If your dog is barking, do not yell at her, or pet her, or give her what she wants. Do not even look at her. The best strategy is to distract yourself, like reading a book or newspaper, until your dog calms down or tires herself out. When your dog finally does stop barking, it's important that you praise and reward her for her silence. Over time, your dog will learn that being silent and obedient will achieve greater results than acting out and barking. Keep treats on hand for when she does stop barking. Rewards should be given as quickly as possible after the desired behavior to most effectively teach the dog. Vocally praise your dog when she stops barking. Say, "Good dog!" and give her a treat. As your dog learns that silence is rewarded with treats and barking is ignored, you'll need to gradually extend the period of time that your dog must be quiet before receiving a treat. For example, once she has passed the initial stages of getting a treat after the barking has stopped, you may want to prolong the required quiet time by a few seconds each day and work your way up to a minute or two before rewarding her. For best results, vary the amount of time your dog must remain quiet before getting a treat. That way she won't come to expect a treat after a certain duration of time, and the anticipation will keep her in quiet suspense. For example, after a few weeks of training, alternate between 20 seconds of silence, a whole minute of silence, and 30 or 40 seconds of silence. One of the best ways to train an animal out of undesirable behavior is to teach her an alternative behavior. That way, instead of growing increasingly frustrated and irritated that you are not responding to her desires, your dog will eventually realize that if she wants to get her way, she'll need to engage in the other, more-desirable behavior. Teaching replacement behaviors may be time consuming, but ultimately it is the best way to encourage desirable behavior. Instead of responding to your dog's vocal requests to play, for example, teach her to bring her favorite toy to you and set it on the floor. You can also prevent undesirable behavior by reducing the chances of those situations arising. For example, if your dog barks for your help whenever her ball rolls underneath the couch, try putting something under the couch to block her toys from rolling under there. Don't stop at discontinuing barking for attention. Continue your training to eventually cover all aspects of request/attention-seeking barking. Eventually, your dog will learn to wait patiently whether she wants to play, eat, or receive pets.
Discontinue reinforcement. Ignore the barking. Reward good behavior. Find a replacement behavior. Continue the training.