Alright, you might be thinking “I DON’T want my dog to speak or bark”, but what if I told you that was THE BEST way to get your dog to stop barking and to be quiet?
I have said it before and I will say it again, having control of your dog’s mouth is the absolutely best way to be in control of barking and quiet behavior.
Some people just want to teach their dogs to bark, or speak on command, to help the dog communicate when they want to go outside.
And, some also like to use this as a cute trick.
I use this command for multiple reasons!
One of which is having people respect mine and my dog’s space.
In today’s day and age, people often do bad things to other people. I don’t want people too close to my vehicle or myself. Or perhaps I don’t like the way someone is looking at me at the park.
My dog can bark on command and on hand signal.
I don’t need my dog to bite or even bark AT someone; because, after all, who in their right mind is going to bother someone with a barking dog?
NO ONE
Avoiding Negative Demanding Behavior
Having been a dog trainer for over 20 years I have expectations of how I want my dogs to treat me.
I don’t want my dog barking in my face, demanding for me to throw his ball or fill his bowl.
I find demand barking to be extremely irritating and it is something I want to avoid at all cost.
After all, I want my dog to bark WHEN I WANT HIM TO, not whenever he desires something.
While flipping through the internet, I came across an article that essentially wants its clients to hide a treat behind their back to encourage the dog to bark.
That is THE LAST way I want my dog to learn to bark.
I don’t want him barking at me while I am at the table, eating an ice cream cone, or enjoying a hot dog at the summer BBQ.
I want him to learn under very specific conditions that will rarely be experienced outside of dog training.
When I Don’t Mind
I don’t mind if while running through her tricks, my dog tries barking to see if it will earn her a reward, but I expect her to be quiet on command and when she realizes that it does not bring the reward.
My dog LOVES to TRY barking. We nicknamed her “Mouth of the South” when we lived in GA because she loves to bark.
But she quickly quiets on command or stops when it doesn’t bring the reward she desires. Appropriate dog training is essential!
It is crucial, in my opinion, not to reward a dog every time he decides to bark on his own.
Otherwise you will experience your dog’s mouth and barking far more often than you could ever desire.
And, no one likes constant barking!
If You Want to Teach Your Dog to Bark on Command, Click Here
How to Attain BARK on Command
What You’ll Need
- A well-fitting doggy harness (please don’t use your dog’s collar)
- A tree or post
- A long line 10 feet or longer
- A dog toy, that your dog loves, on a string (I personally like a dog toy tied to a horse crop/whip because it’s bouncy)
- A clicker
- …possibly high value treats
Getting Started
Tie your dog’s favorite toy to the string or horse whip.
Get your dog fitted in his harness so it is fairly tight (we don’t want him sneaking out).
Safely tie the long line to a strong tree or post and gently string the long line out so that you can see where it reaches.
Place the toys just outside of the reach of the long line (about 2 feet).
Take your dog out and clip him softly to the long line, making sure he has plenty of room to wander around.
Let him get used to being back tied by standing and walking within that 10 foot area where he is, click and reward him for calm behavior we don’t want any dog to panic when they realize they are back tied.
Walk your dog to the end of the line. The last thing we want is for your dog to race to the end of the line and scare himself or flip himself.
Once your dog is acclimated, peacefully walk outside of your dog’s tethered area and take the whip or string and quietly begin zipping it back and forth just outside of your dog’s reach.
We want the dog to race back and forth at even pressure trying to snatch the toy.
As your dog gets frustrated, he is likely to vocalize his frustration.
If he whines or barks (I prefer barking), click and toss the toy into him so that he can grab it.
Keep a little bit of pressure on the toy and allow him to shake and prance around with his new treasure!
Once he drops the toy, snatch it back outside the perimeter and begin again.
If he doesn’t drop it quickly, just be patient, he will drop it eventually. Just be prepared.
When he barks, click and hastily toss him the toy. I prefer the toy to be the reward and not a treat. After all, building some toy drive can be great for your training regimen.
Continue this routine until he is barking regularly.
Now you may add your command or “cue”- BARK or SPEAK
Adding the cue too early, is ineffective and meaningless. Add the cue when they are performing the behavior so that they understand.
After a few repetitions with the cue added, you may begin adding the cue first to see if your dog will bark. When he does, reward him by letting him play with his toy.
Once he understands the cue, you may begin to fade the routine with the back tie and the toy. Eventually, you want to just be able to ask him to “bark” or “speak”, but remember to reward him when he does so on command!
Want To Learn How To More About Teaching Your Dog To Bark On Command?
Check out our Guest Manners class where we not only teach you how train your dog to be quiet, but how to put barking on command so that when you NEED your dog to bark, for safety, intimidation, or protection, you can just ask for it.
If You Want to Teach Your Dog to be Quiet on Command, Click Here
How to Attain QUIET on Command
Ironically, follow the same steps to teach your dog to bark!
What You’ll Need
- A well-fitting doggy harness (please don’t use your dog’s collar)
- A tree or post
- A long line 10 feet or longer
- A dog toy, that your dog loves, on a string (I personally like a dog toy tied to a horse crop/whip because it’s bouncy)
- A clicker
- …possibly high value treats
Getting Started
Tie your dog’s favorite toy to the string or horse whip.
Get your dog fitted in his harness so it is fairly tight (we don’t want him sneaking out).
Safely tie the long line to a strong tree or post and gently string the long line out so that you can see where it reaches.
Place the toys just outside of the reach of the long line (about 2 feet).
Take your dog out and clip him softly to the long line, making sure he has plenty of room to wander around.
Let him get used to being back tied by standing and walking within that 10 foot area where he is, click and reward him for calm behavior we don’t want any dog to panic when they realize they are back tied.
Walk your dog to the end of the line. The last thing we want is for your dog to race to the end of the line and scare himself or flip himself.
Once your dog is acclimated, peacefully walk outside of your dog’s tethered area and take the whip or string and quietly begin zipping it back and forth just outside of your dog’s reach.
We want the dog to race back and forth at even pressure, trying to snatch the toy.
As your dog gets frustrated, he is likely to vocalize his frustration.
If he whines or barks (I prefer barking), click and toss the toy into him so that he can grab it.
Keep a little bit of pressure on the toy and allow him to shake and prance around with his new treasure!
Once he drops the toy, snatch it back outside the perimeter and begin again.
If he doesn’t drop it quickly, just be patient, he will drop it eventually. Just be prepared.
When he barks, click and hastily toss him the toy. I prefer the toy to be the reward and not a treat. After all, building some toy drive can be great for your training regimen.
Continue this routine until he is barking regularly.
Now you may add your command or “cue”- BARK or SPEAK
Adding the cue too early, is ineffective and meaningless. Add the cue when they are performing the behavior so that they understand.
After a few repetitions with the cue added, you may begin adding the cue first to see if your dog will bark. When he does, reward him by letting him play with his toy.
Once he understands the cue, you may begin to fade the routine with the back tie and the toy. Eventually, you want to just be able to ask him to “bark” or “speak”, but remember to reward him when he does so on command!
Once you have taught your dog to bark, you can then teach him to be quiet.
It is very difficult for a dog to understand “quiet” without understanding “bark”, and when you think about it from his perspective, it makes sense!
With your dog tied out and probably barking (for reward, because this is what we have taught him), just stand there and wait.
When he is QUIET click and reward by tossing him the toy or a jackpot treat.
After all, the dog will bark for a bit, but when he is confused as to why you aren’t giving him his reward, he will pause.
It is critical to click and reward this behavior.
He will likely try barking again.
Wait him out, click and reward when he is quiet.
As with before, wait until he is consistently barking and being quiet; this shows he understands what you want and you may begin adding the “Quiet” cue.
Play this game fairly often.
You may ask for bark (don’t reward often if quiet is what you will regularly seek), then jackpot with a massive reward.
Eventually, (if you want to eradicate the bark) you will stop asking for the “bark” altogether and you will only reward the quiet.
Remember to reward generously!
via Whisker Therapy