Exited dog

Question
Dear Labman,
I have a four years old golden retriever, very calm and nice until recently he started barking at everything and everyone and he seems very exited about something... is there anything i can do to stop this behavior ?

Answer
Such changes in behavior usually have a cause.  Has anything in his life changed?  Are there new distractions in the neighbor hood?  Could there be a female dog around that is going through her reproductive cycle?  That can be very distracting to a male, especially unneutered ones.  

It could also be a physical problem.  Have a veterinarian check up if you can.  

Remain calm when he barks.  Don't yell at him.  That only adds to the excitement.  Try distracting him with a treat.